Digital, not just roads and rail, will turbocharge the north, tech CEO tells incoming PM

Turbocharging the north of England is not just about roads, rail and urban regeneration. The region’s biggest untapped resource lies in digital innovation, connectivity, and cyber resilience, according to a leading technology expert.

Roy Shelton, Group CEO of Doncaster-based managed services provider Connectus Business Solutions, says there is a golden opportunity for Andy Burnham to boost the economy in the north by giving SMEs the connectivity to enable them to compete nationally and globally.

Greater connectivity can play a major role in boosting the northern economy, where productivity runs around 26% lower than the rest of England and GVA (Gross Value Added) per hour is £39.77 in Greater Manchester compared to £53.20 in London.

Mr Shelton said the figures clearly show that there is much to be done, if Mr Burnham is determined to push ahead with what has been trailed as the biggest rebalancing of power yet seen in this country.

“Investment in cyber skills is virtually a no-brainer, as around half of all UK businesses have reported a skills gap for basic technical cyber skills and a 30% gap in more advanced areas,” he said. “Getting the north to be a powerhouse of production is going to require improved connectivity and investment in cyber to close those gaps.

“A large, under-tapped pool of talent exists, as just 17% of the cyber workforce is female, so there’s an obvious recruitment target right there.

“There’s also evidence that the importance placed on cyber resilience by government, driven partly by the Cyber Essentials certification initiative, has shifted behaviour, as cyber insurance uptake by small businesses has spiked over the past year.”

He added: “Andy Burnham showed with the Bee Network that the north can build world-class infrastructure when it’s handed the powers to do it.

“A ‘Number 10 North’ should now do the same for the digital economy: gigabit connectivity as standard, a homegrown tech talent pipeline, and genuine support for smaller firms to protect and grow what they’ve built.”

Mr Shelton’s advice to the incoming Prime Minister centres on four priorities. First, treat digital connectivity as core infrastructure, putting full-fibre and 5G on the same footing as the Bee Network with a mandate to bring gigabit-capable connectivity to every business park, town centre and SME across the north. Second, build a digital pathway into technical education, embedding cloud, cyber, data and AI skills through employer-backed apprenticeships to grow a tech talent pipeline that keeps young northerners in the region instead of draining to London. Third, develop a cyber resilience scheme for northern SMEs, delivering practical, subsidised support with the private sector. And fourth, launch a ‘Buy North’ scheme for public sector tech, using public-sector purchasing and the mayoral convening model to channel more IT and digital contracts to northern suppliers and SMEs rather than defaulting to large London or overseas providers.