CBRE Tech Cities Report 2022 PDF

Exploring UK’s Top Tech Destinations
UK Tech
Cities
REPORT March 2022
UK Tech Cities | EMEA
Executive Summary Key Findings
The UK tech sector has seen significant growth over the last decade.
Resilience over the pandemic period has proven to investors that
venture capital funding into the UK tech sector will deliver success.
01 MANCHESTER #1
Manchester holds on to the top spot for a third consecutive edition
Tech companies are now more than ever competing for the best talent.
This report explores our top 15 CBRE Tech Destinations outside of

London to inform the decision-making process for both occupiers 02 DIVERSITY & ESG IN TECH
Diversity is becoming increasingly important in the tech world
and investors.
All markets across the UK have been scored and ranked based on a
number of factors including access to skilled talent, availability of
office space, proximity to institutions providing high quality tech
education, cost of living and cost of employment.
03 INCREASED TECH INVESTMENT
Foreign investment into tech sector was £9.4bn in 2020
This edition of Tech Cities also comments on which markets best

support talent diversity and outline the flexible office provision of
each market. 04 OPPORTUNITY MARKETS
A number of UK cities show strong potential to grow into established
tech destinations
2 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Why Tech?
The tech sector is an important part of the 116

UK economy, representing 7% of total UK based unicorns
economic output. Over the next five years, (more than a third
outside of London)
the tech sector is forecast to grow faster
than the UK economy overall. Over the last
decade we have seen a rapid expansion in
tech employment across the UK and this has
£29.4bn
had huge implications for property markets. Tech investment into
the UK 2021 (Gov.uk)
5.2%
Tech employment
growth forecast next
5 years
19,425
New tech companies
created in 2020 (ONS)

01
Top Destinations
CBRE's Top UK Tech Destinations

Manchester continues to grow as a tech location, increasing its A number of other cities are well placed to capitalise on the growth
#1 Manchester score and maintaining its position as the top tech location in UK of the tech sectors and capture investment targeting the UK.
outside of London for the third consecutive edition. However, some cities are slipping down the league table.
#2 Birmingham #3 Glasgow
4 Reading
5 Edinburgh
6 Bristol Highlights
Birmingham Climbing up the rankings from #7 in 2017 and #4 in 2019, Birmingham has cemented its place as an established tech location.
7 Newcastle The UK’s number two tech location outside of London benefits from proximity to neighbouring hubs such as Leamington Spa,
known as ‘Silicon Spa’ and Coventry’s Serious Games Institute.
8 Leeds
Oxford Home to the world leading Oxford University, young talent is attracted to Oxford and as a result we have seen growth in the
9 Oxford city’s young population, particularly amongst Gen Z’s. The fundamentals of the market remain strong and Oxford retains its
place in the top 10, but affordability of housing remains an issue.
10 Sheffield In the first edition of this ranking (2017), Cambridge did not make the top 25. The intervening years have been transformative for
Cambridge
the market. Boosted by the presence of its world class university, Cambridge has an established network of tech companies and
11 Nottingham an emerging life science cluster. Can Cambridge become the UK answer to Silicon Valley?
12 Liverpool Bristol Bristol is one of most notable risers in the 2022 edition of UK Tech Cities, rising from to #6 from #11. Driven by world class
universities and a young population, Bristol’s tech ecosystem is particularly appealing to small businesses, with only Manchester
13 Cambridge and Birmingham being home to more tech SMEs than Bristol.
14 Brighton
Click for Methodology
15 Portsmouth

Top 5
Manchester has once again shown its strength as a leading tech Glasgow continues to attract tech talent and companies, maintaining its
location, maintaining the number one spot as the leading tech city in the position at number three.
UK outside of London.
With over 570 creative occupiers based in Glasgow, it is expected that a
An ability to tap into a highly skilled graduate population has been a key new wave of start-up tech companies will be drawn to the city.
driver for many multinational software and data companies in their
decision to locate in Manchester. Guardian Scorings Prime Office Average
for Computer Rent Residential rent
Science Degrees £34.50 £695 pcm
Guardian Scorings Info & Comms Office stock 73/100
for Computer Employment v 3.5m sq ft
Science Degrees UK average –
79/100 7.04
Glasgow Edinburgh Reading has long been the tech hub of the Thames Valley region, with
over half of the towns office take-up driven by tech companies.
Birmingham is one of the most notable movers in this years’ ranking, A high number of the population is degree educated and go on to take
rising from its previous position of fourth in our 2019 edition. information & communication jobs, increasing 4% since 2015.
This is the result of a number of metrics climbing up the rankings.
Amongst these, the Guardian scoring for Computer Science Degrees Manchester Gross Pay Population with Gen Z growth
£41,770 NVQ4+ since 2015
which has increased the cities popularity amongst millennials who are 147,300 +7%
staying in the city following graduation, growing the number of
information & communication employment. Birmingham
With five universities located in Edinburgh, the city scores highly in the
Guardian Scorings Info & Comms Info & Comms Guardian’s Computer Science Degree ranking resulting in Edinburgh
for Computer Employment Employment
Science Degrees Growth 2015- Outlook –
Reading placing in the top five UK cities for tech investment.
76/100 2019 – 3% 6% Edinburgh is home to a number of unicorns which has created a
clustering effect.
Guardian Scorings Info & Comms Prime Office

for Computer Employment Rent
Science Degrees Growth 2015 – £38.00
76/100 47%

Tech Employment
Tech employment has grown significantly in a number of locations across the UK since 2015. This is Off the back of a strong period of growth, most cities are expected to see minimal growth in
particularly noticeable in Leeds where information and communication employment has increased information and communication jobs going forward. However, a few cities are anticipated to buck
almost 60% since 2015. this trend. This is greatest in cities with an existing tech presence. Growth is forecast to reach
7.65% in Birmingham followed by Manchester at 6.4%.
Info and comms growth 2015-2019 Info and comms outlook 2021-2025
Manchester Manchester
Reading Reading
Cambridge Cambridge
Liverpool Liverpool
Birmingham Birmingham
Glasgow Glasgow
Edinburgh Edinburgh
Sheffield Sheffield
Cardiff Cardiff
Leeds Leeds
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10%
Source: ONS Source: Oxford Economics

Education
Populations with tech skills are often those that are highly University Guardian Computer
educated. In a bid to secure talent and create future leaders in the
Science Scoring
tech industry, companies are looking to universities and colleges.
The Guardian University Guide 2022 (released in September 2021) St Andrews 100
provides a ranking of the highest rated universities for computer Cambridge 98.6
science degrees. St Andrews is ranked as the number one
university for tech studies. Unsurprisingly, the world leading Oxford 95.4
Universities of Cambridge and Oxford make up the remainder of the
top three.
Aberdeen 91.1
Interestingly, of the top 25 universities ranked by The Guardian, Imperial College 90.5
only two were located in London. The top 25 universities are spread UCL 87.9
across the country, with representation from all UK regions, giving
access to a highly skilled graduate population for firms located Stirling 86.9
across a wide variety of locations.
Manchester 86.2
Durham 84.7
Glasgow 83.2
Lancaster 82.7
Edinburgh 82.4
Bristol 81.2
Dundee 80.2
Loughborough 79.7
Source: The Guardian

Population
Millennials Matter
Millennial | Gen Z populations
With the number of jobs in the sector growing, tech talent will be in
high demand. Having a diverse population to fill these roles will 600,000 45%
support the success of tech locations. The presence of millennials is
seen to be particularly important as they begin to shape the future 40%
of the workplace and replace the baby-boomer generation. Gen Zs, 500,000
who have been labelled tech natives, will soon be entering the 35%
workforce.
400,000 30%
% of total population
These generations are thought to value workplace culture, work/life
Population
balance as well as concerning themselves with social issues. 25%
Companies who can provide these in an innovative way are more 300,000
likely to attract talent. 20%
200,000 15%
10%
100,000
5%
0 0%
ld
rd
r
ol
ing
ge
h
n
m
gh
tle
Ne ol
s
te
ed
to
ut
go
po
fi e
ist
ha
ha
fo
rid
as
ur
es
ad
igh
mo
Le
Ox
Br
ng
as
ing
er
ef
inb
wc
ch
mb
Re
Sh
Br
Liv
Gl
rts
tti
rm
an
Ed
Ca
No
Po
M
Bi
No Millennial No Gen Z Millennial population (as % of total population) Gen Z population (as % of total population)
Source: ONS

Diversity
In addition to size and generational mix, access to a highly skilled female population is an
increasingly important factor to consider for tech companies in the UK. Degree educated population by gender
It is now standard across the tech industry in the UK for firms to have published ESG strategies or Men Women % of female population with a degree
statements. Diversity is a key component of companies’ ESG strategy. The issue of most concern 300,000 70%
within the industry from a diversity perspective is gender diversity. Tech Nation reported in 2019
that just 25% of the those working in digital tech jobs in the UK were women, while research has
shown that not even 2% of funding available in 2020 was awarded to all female teams. 60%
250,000
As the industry begins to accept that unlocking potential female talent will be key to the success of
% of female population with a degree

businesses and locations, initiatives are being put in place to address this imbalance. 50%
Degree educated population

To help identify cities with a strong pipeline of diverse talent, we have examined the gender split of 200,000
population with a degree in each location. In addition to this, we have overlaid the percent of the
40%
total female population with a degree.
150,000
Birmingham has the highest number of degree level educated women, sitting 19% above the
number of degree level educated men in the city. However, it is the lowest of all cities when looking 30%
at percent of total female population with a degree.
100,000
While the split between men and women educated to a degree level is closely split in Edinburgh, 20%
it is the city with the highest percent of female population with a degree at almost 60%.
The city with the largest split between genders that are degree educated is Nottingham where 50,000
10%
there are 31% more degree-educated women than there are degree-educated men.
0 0%
Sheffield
Nottingham
Manchester
Liverpool
Glasgow
Birmingham
Edinburgh
Bristol
Leeds
Newcastle
Source: ONS

Office Markets
UK office markets are ideally placed to capitalise on the growth of Supply constraints have resulted in occupiers willing to pay a premium Office costs undoubtedly influence occupier’s choice in location.
tech. Accelerated by the pandemic, many large tech companies are to secure the best quality space. As a result, we have seen a number of Total occupation costs are significantly lower outside of London
exploring the option of a ‘hub and hub’ strategy for the UK UK cities setting new prime rents, even during the pandemic. which has attracted a number of occupiers. Cost savings are derived
operations. Such a strategy involves the creation of office hubs in a not just from lower occupational cost, but also lower labour costs,
number of UK office markets, as opposed to a ‘hub and spoke’ with savings of c.50% typical relative to Central London costs.
model in which smaller satellite locations feed into one centralised
hub, typically in London.
Office availability and prime rent Occupation cost per person employed
Tech Take-up
Office Availability Prime Rent 80,000
8 50 70,000
2% 4%
5% Birmingham 7 45 60,000
24% Glasgow 40
6% 6
35 50,000
Oxford
5
£ per sq ft
£ per sq ft
30 40,000
Millions sq ft
11% Leeds
4 25
Bristol 30,000
3 20
Manchester
15 20,000
Reading 2
18% 12% 10
Edinburgh 1 10,000
5
Cambridge 0 0 0
18%
Sheffield
Sheffield
Oxford
City
Oxford
Cambridge
Manchester
west End
Manchester
Reading
Reading
Edinburgh
Bristol
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Glasgow
Glasgow
Birmingham
Birmingham
Bristol
city
Leeds
Leeds
end
Newcastle
Newcastle
West
Source: CBRE Research

Flexible Offices
Occupiers indicated in CBRE’s most recent EMEA Flex scoring matrix
Occupier Survey that flexible office space will
play a significant role in their building selection. Average
When asked what the most in-demand building Market Demand Desk Rate (£) Comments
amenities will be in the future, 54% of all Manchester High 450 Second largest UK market with opportunity for additional Operators
respondents said flexible office space solutions.
As a result, we expect locations which offer Birmingham Medium 300 City with potential, but still fairly immature compared to other UK cities
serviced office provisions are will be more Reading Medium 375 Good level of demand, quality of stock improved and need for more space
successful in the future. This will particularly be
Oxford High 400 Good opportunity, lack of quality stock currently available
the case amongst tech occupiers who will use
flex space like incubators, expanding and Cambridge High 400 Good opportunity, lack of quality stock currently available
contracting with the size of their company.
Glasgow Medium 275 Lack of quality stock, occupier demand growing but still low compared to Edinburgh
Bristol High 350 Identified as market with high potential, seeing more activity and the need for more stock
Leeds Medium 250 Demand is consistent but fairly low, not identified as a key market to focus on at present
Liverpool Medium/Low 250 Quality of stock is currently low, lack of traditional options meaning Flex is becoming more appealing
Edinburgh Medium 350 Low level of stock, but growing demand from Occupiers
Newcastle Low 200 Demand for better quality space
Sheffield Low 200 Minimal activity recorded, not a City identified as key
Nottingham Low 250 Immature market, minimal activity recorded
Milton Keynes Medium/Low 250 Market is lacking large space of which we have seen demand for
Cardiff Low 200 CBRE recorded no flex activity
Brighton Medium/Low 350 Low levels of activity, but the market appears to be growing. Not a big focus for CBRE
Northampton Low 200 Very small market, low levels of activity

02
Top Cities
Manchester has once again shown its strength as a leading tech electronics retailer AO.com and Manchester-based fashion retailer
location, maintaining the number one spot. Boohoo.com, testament to Manchester’s ability to nurture and grow
start-ups.
Manchester office market’s size and the access to a high-quality
workforce underpin its long-established rating at the top of the An important factor in Manchester’s appeal to tech occupiers is the
leader board. The city has long been established as a hub for presence of world-class educational establishments, most notably
creative industries, with 5,725 tech companies located in The University of Manchester’s Department of Computer Science,
Manchester Manchester, the highest of any regional city. Much of the tech
occupation in Manchester is located in either The Northern Quarter
or MediaCityUK, Salford.
the birthplace of the modern computer. An ability to tap into a
highly skilled graduate population has been a key driver for many
multinational software and data companies in their decision to
locate in Manchester. Notable examples include Cisco (Didsbury)
Manchester’s tech scene spans many subsectors of the industry. and IBM (Sale).
#1 The BBC’s decision to move around half of their operations to

MediaCityUK in 2011 marked a hugely significant moment for
Manchester as a centre for content creation and they were quickly
Looking ahead, Manchester seems well placed to maintain its
position as the UK’s pre-eminent tech city outside of London. New
Stable followed by ITV. In addition to TV & film, online retail is another developments such as Manchester Goods Yard and Bruntwood
particularly active sector in Manchester. In 2014, two local unicorns SciTech’s development of Circle Square have attracted global
conducted IPOs; Bolton-based attention with companies such as ROKU and Cloud Imperium
recently taking space.
5,725
Tech companies Demographic profile
20,000
Female
10,000
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
0
Male
10,000
20,000
Source: ONS
Manchester City Page

Universities
Population make-up 2020 Manchester University
Rent and vacancy
Manchester Metropolitan University 38.0 4.0
Gen Z (10-24 years)
University of Salford 3.5
36.0
Millions sq ft
Millennial (25-40 years) University of Bolton 3.0
£PSF
Gen X (40-54 years) Royal Northern College of Music 34.0
2.5
Baby Boomer (55-74 years) 32.0 2.0
Silent (75+ years)
0 100 200 300 400 500

79 30.0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Rent £ psf Supply
1.5
Guardian Scorings for Computer

Thousands Science Degrees 2021
Source: ONS Source: CBRE Research
Millennials growth 2010 -2020

500
450
45,125 +6.36% 535,300
Information & communication Information & communication Population with NVQ4+
Thousands
employment (+3% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-2025

400
350
300
£29,132 £207,625 £775.00
2010 2015 2020 Median annual gross pay Average house price Average private sector housing
(+24% 2018-2021) rent per month
Millennial Gen Z
Source: ONS

Birmingham is one of the most notable movers in this years’ Established digital clusters in the city include the Birmingham
ranking, rising from its previous position of fourth in our 2019 Innovation Campus, The Custard Factory and Fazeley Studios.
edition of UK Tech Cities to sit at number two.
The city also has a strong flex office offering. Since 2016, flex office
This is the result of a number of metrics climbing up the rankings. providers have acquired 700,000 sq ft in Birmingham, equivalent to
Amongst these, the Guardian scoring for Computer Science c.4% of total office stock. In recent times, the presence of flexible office
Degrees which averaged a score of 76 amongst the three space has acted as a springboard into the city, allowing occupiers to
Birmingham
universities based in the city. test the market before relocating. Goldman Sachs took this approach
following their selection of Birmingham for a new engineering division.
In turn, this has increased the cities popularity amongst millennials
who are staying in the city following graduation, growing the
number of information & communication employment.
#2 The gaming sector has a long and established history in

Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area. Leamington Spa,
for example has become known as “Silicon Spa” and is home to
Up from 4
10% of the UK’s gaming sector employees. Birmingham also
benefits from the proximity to Coventry University and its Serious
Games Institute.
4,795
Tech companies
Demographic profile
25,000
20,000
Female
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
0
10,000
Male
20,000
30,000
Source: ONS
Birmingham City Page

Universities
Population make-up 2020 University of Birmingham
Rent and vacancy
Aston University 39.0 2.5
Gen Z (10-24 years)
Birmingham City University 37.0
Millennial (25-40 years) 35.0 2.0
Millions sq ft
33.0
£PSF
Gen X (40-54 years) 31.0
29.0 1.5
Baby Boomer (55-74 years)
27.0
Silent (75+ years)
0 100 200 300 400 500 600

76 25.0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Rent £ psf Supply
1.0
Guardian scorings for Computer

Thousands
Science Degrees 2021
Millennials growth 2010 - 2020

540
530
26,875 +7.65% 543,300
Thousands
520 employment (+20% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-2025

510
500
490
£28,740 £205,974 £675.00
Millennial Gen Z (+15% 2018-2021) rent per month
Source: ONS

Glasgow continues to attract tech talent and companies, remaining Building on its strong reputation as a hub for financial services, Glasgow
in the top three despite being overtaken by Birmingham. has emerged as a UK leader in the FinTech sector. Due for completion at
the end of 2023, One Central, Argyle Street will house JP Morgan’s
With high levels of educational attainment coupled with relatively European Technology Hub, a 270,000 sq ft building with capacity for
low house prices compared to many other locations, Glasgow is an 2,700 employees. Similarly, Barclays have recently unveiled their new
attractive location both for talent seeking a high quality of life and 470,000 sq ft campus in Tradeston, which amongst other functions will
for companies wishing to employ them. house their technology department. With access to a pool of highly
Glasgow The city is known as being home to a number of world class

universities, reflected in its scoring for computer science degrees.
As such, it’s unsurprising the city is gaining an increased amount of
skilled graduates in the local area, Barclays hopes to grow its workforce
in the city to 5,000 by 2023.
attention with a reported £43m in venture capital invested during

2020, an increase of 156% from 2019.
#3 With over 570 creative occupiers based in Glasgow, it is expected a
new wave of start-up tech companies will be drawn to the city.
Down from 2
Currently, Pacific Quay is a main hub for media companies with the
likes of BBC Scotland and STV based there.
2,575
Tech companies
Demographic profile
15,000
10,000
Female
5,000
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
0
5,000
Male
10,000
15,000
Source: ONS
Glasgow City Page

Universities
Population make-up 2020 University of Glasgow
Rent and vacancy
University of Strathclyde 35.0 2.2
Gen Z (10-24 years)
Glasgow Caledonian University 2.0
Millennial (25-40 years) 33.0
Glasgow School of Art 1.8
Millions sq ft
£PSF
Gen X (40-54 years) Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 31.0 1.6
1.4
Baby Boomer (55-74 years) 29.0
1.2
Silent (75+ years)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

73 27.0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Rent £ psf Supply
1.0
Guardian scorings for Computer

Thousands
Science Degrees 2021
Millennials growth 2010 -2020

280
260
25,025 +4.94% 373,500
Thousands
240
employment (+34% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-2025
220
200
180
160
£29,800 £158,450 £695.00
(-7% 2018-2021) rent per month
Millennial Gen Z
Source: ONS

Reading
#4 Demographic profile
3,000
Up from 5 2,000
Female
1,000
1,510 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech companies
1,000
Male
2,000
58 Source: ONS
3,000
Guardian scorings for

Computer Science Degrees 2021 Rent and vacancy
Universities
40.0 1.5 28,000 +1.88% 147,300
Millions sq ft
38.0 Information & communication Information & communication Population with NVQ4+
University of Reading 36.0 1.0
£PSF
employment (+4% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

34.0 2025
0.5
32.0
30.0 0.0
£38,165 £315,305 £960
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
Median annual gross pay Average house price Average private sector
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Rent £ psf Supply (-12% 2018-2021) housing rent per month
Source: CBRE Research Source: ONS

Edinburgh
7,500
6,000
Down from 3
Female
4,500
3,000
1,500
2,580 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech companies 1,500
Male
3,000
4,500
6,000
76 Source: ONS
7,500

Universities
40.0 3.0 22,000 +1.72% 236,400
Millions sq ft
University of Edinburgh 2.0
£PSF
20.0 employment (+47% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Heriot-Watt University 2025
1.0
Edinburgh Napier 10.0
SRUC
Queen Margaret University
0.0 0.0
£34,873 £309,227 £1,124
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Rent £ psf Supply (+23% 2018-2021) housing rent per month

Bristol
10,000
Up from 11
Female
5,000
3,140 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies 2,000
Male
4,000
6,000
82 Source: ONS
8,000

Universities
40.0 1.5 9,350 +3.34% 246,100
Millions sq ft
University of Bristol 1.0
£PSF
20.0 employment (-47% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

UWE Bristol 2025
0.5
10.0
0.0 0.0
£33,976 £316,873 £925
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Newcastle
10,000
Up from 13
Female
5,000
1,490 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies 2,000
Male
4,000
6,000
72 Source: ONS
8,000

Universities
30.0 1.0 22,000 +1.48% 210,700
Millions sq ft
University of Newcastle
£PSF

2025
10.0
0.0 0.0
£27,188 £175,973 £600
18
14
17
15
16
19
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Leeds
10,000
Down from 6
Female
5,000
2,480 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
5,000
65 Source: ONS
10,000

Universities
40.0 1.5 25,500 +1.70% 239,800
Millions sq ft
30.0 1.4 Information & communication Information & communication Population with NVQ4+
University of Leeds 1.3
£PSF

Leeds Beckett 1.2 2025
10.0 1.1
0.0 1.0
£30,382 £214,925 £671
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Oxford
4,000
Down from 8
Female
2,000
595 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
2,000
83 Source: ONS
4,000

Universities
60.0 0.6 7,000 +2.10% 65,700
Millions sq ft
Oxford University
£PSF
employment (-7% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Oxford Brookes 2025
20.0 0.2
0.0 0.0
£35,037 £459,973 £1,250
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Sheffield
10,000
Up from 16
Female
5,000
1,135 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
5,000
75 Source: ONS
10,000

Universities
28.0 1.5 14,750 +1.95% 237,100
Millions sq ft
University of Sheffield 1.0
£PSF

Sheffield Hallam 2025
0.5
22.0
20.0 0.0
£28,460 £185,750 £575
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Nottingham
10,000
Down from 9
Female
5,000
1,290 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
5,000
72 Source: ONS
10,000

Universities
20.2 1.0 11,750 +3.95% 174,500
Millions sq ft
University of Nottingham 19.8
£PSF

Nottingham Trent 19.6 2025
19.4
19.2 0.0
£27,849 £201,256 £595
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Liverpool
10,000
Up from 18
Female
5,000
1,230 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
5,000
71 Source: ONS
10,000

Universities
28.0 3.0 9,350 +2.98% 27,500
Millions sq ft
University of Liverpool 2.0
£PSF

Liverpool Hope 2025
1.0
Liverpool John Moores 22.0
20.0 0.0
£32,044 £162,259 £450
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Cambridge
3,000
Down from 12 2,000
Female
1,000
755 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
2,000
78 Source: ONS
4,000

Universities
60.0 0.8 8,500 +1.59% 51,100
Millions sq ft
University of Cambridge
£PSF
40.0 0.4 employment (+6% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Anglia Ruskin 2025
30.0 0.2
20.0 0.0
£34,625 £460,188 £800
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Brighton
6,000
Up from 17 4,000
Female
2,000
2,115 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
63 Source: ONS
5,000

Universities
35.0 0.4 9,350 +1.88% 124,900
Millions sq ft
University of Brighton 30.0
£PSF

University of Sussex 2025
25.0
0.1
20.0 0.0
£30,250 £404,763 £1,100
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

Portsmouth
6,000
Up from 22 4,000
Female
2,000
1,350 0
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89
Tech Companies
Male
5,000
65 Source: ONS
10,000

Universities
21.0 0.3 8,600 +3.75% 136,400
Millions sq ft
University of Portsmouth 0.2
£PSF
19.0 employment (-34% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

2025
0.1
18.0
17.0 0.0
£30,036 £266,069 £740
14
17
15
16
19
18
20
21
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

03
Methodology
Methodology
As with previous reports, this edition of UK Tech Cities uses Primary
Urban Areas (PUAs) as its geographic base. PUAs have been widely
used, most prominently by Centre for Cities. PUAs aim to replicate the
extent of the built-up areas of cities in the UK, which can often extend
beyond the boundaries of an individual local authority.

Contacts
Jennet Siebrits Simon D Brown Mike Gedye Neil Mort
Head of Research Director Research Head of Tech Media & Technology Senior Director
jennet.siebrits@cbre.com simond.brown@cbre.com mike.gedye@cbre.com neil.mort@cbre.com
© Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. This report has been prepared in good faith, based on CBRE’s current anecdotal and evidence based views of the commercial real estate market. Although CBRE believes its views reflect market conditions on the date of this presentation, they are subject to
significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond CBRE’s control. In addition, many of CBRE’s views are opinion and/or projections based on CBRE’s subjective analyses of current market circumstances. Other firms may have different opinions, projections and analyses, and
actual market conditions in the future may cause CBRE’s current views to later be incorrect. CBRE has no obligation to update its views herein if its opinions, projections, analyses or market circumstances later change.
Nothing in this report should be construed as an indicator of the future performance of CBRE’s securities or of the performance of any other company’s securities. You should not purchase or sell securities—of CBRE or any other company—based on the views herein. CBRE disclaims all liability for
securities purchased or sold based on information herein, and by viewing this report, you waive all claims against CBRE as well as against CBRE’s affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, advisers and representatives arising out of the accuracy, completeness, adequacy or your use of the
information herein.

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Exploring UK’s Top Tech Destinations

Executive Summary Key Findings

This report explores our top 15 CBRE Tech Destinations outside of

This edition of Tech Cities also comments on which markets best

2 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

The tech sector is an important part of the 116

3 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

CBRE's Top UK Tech Destinations

5 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian Scorings Info & Comms Prime Office

6 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10%

Source: ONS Source: Oxford Economics

7 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

8 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

9 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

% of female population with a degree

Degree educated population

10 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

11 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

12 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

#1 The BBC’s decision to move around half of their operations to

Manchester City Page

0 100 200 300 400 500

Guardian Scorings for Computer

Millennials growth 2010 -2020

employment (+3% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-2025

15 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

#2 The gaming sector has a long and established history in

Birmingham City Page

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

Guardian scorings for Computer

Millennials growth 2010 - 2020

520 employment (+20% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-2025

17 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Glasgow The city is known as being home to a number of world class

attention with a reported £43m in venture capital invested during

Glasgow City Page

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Guardian scorings for Computer

Millennials growth 2010 -2020

19 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian scorings for

employment (+4% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Rent £ psf Supply (-12% 2018-2021) housing rent per month

Source: CBRE Research Source: ONS

20 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian scorings for

20.0 employment (+47% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Rent £ psf Supply (+23% 2018-2021) housing rent per month

Source: CBRE Research Source: ONS

21 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian scorings for

20.0 employment (-47% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Rent £ psf Supply (+15% 2018-2021) housing rent per month

Source: CBRE Research Source: ONS

22 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian scorings for

0.5 employment (+14% since 2015) employment outlook 2021-

Rent £ psf Supply (+23% 2018-2021) housing rent per month

Source: CBRE Research Source: ONS

23 CBRE RESEARCH © 2022 CBRE, INC.

Guardian scorings for