Overview

Shape the Future of Kent & Medway’s Digital Economy

Your insight. Our investment. Real impact for the local economy.

Kent & Medway’s councils, universities, and colleges are coming together to agree a single, long‑term plan for economic growth – and we want businesses at the table.

This Digital Sector Workshop is your opportunity to directly influence where public investment, collaboration and action are focused over the next 10 years.

Why attend?

This is not another presentation-led event. It’s a working session to guide decision‑makers.

We are asking businesses to:

• Tell us what is really holding back growth in the digital sector
• Identify where the biggest opportunities lie
• Help us prioritise the practical actions and investments that will make the greatest difference

What you tell us will:

• Directly inform the Kent & Medway Local Growth Plan
• Shape councils’, universities’ and colleges’ investment and delivery plans
• Feed into our engagement with central government, influencing future funding and policy decisions.

In short: this is where business insight turns into action.

What is the Local Growth Plan?

The Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP), working with Metro Dynamics, is developing a 10‑year Local Growth Plan to set a clear economic direction for the region.

Local Growth Plans are requested by central government and are becoming a core way government understands local economies, sets priorities, and decides where to work jointly with regions.

Government has been clear that Local Growth Plans must, as a minimum:

• Set out a single, joined‑up vision for economic growth, shaped with input from businesses and other partners
• Provide a robust, evidence‑based picture of the regional economy, identifying distinctive sector strengths and opportunities, aligned with the national Industrial Strategy
• Identify clear shared priorities for joint working between local areas and central government, creating a platform for collaboration and coordinated action
• Include a focused investment pipeline of priority projects (typically 4–10 per region) that are critical to unlocking growth

The digital sector is central to the region’s future productivity, competitiveness and resilience – and this workshop is about making sure the plan reflects real‑world business needs.

Digital Sector Workshop – what we’ll focus on

Building on the completed evidence base, the session will explore:

• Skills, talent and workforce challenges
• Digital infrastructure and connectivity
• Innovation, R&D and adoption of new technologies
• The role of partnerships between business, academia and the public sector

The workshop will be hosted at the University of Kent, home to nationally recognised Institute of Cyber Security, with the option of a short tour of its digital and cyber facilities after the session.

Who should attend?

This session is particularly valuable for:

• Digital, tech and cyber‑focused businesses
• Digital creative businesses – specialising in film, video games, digital media, etc
• SMEs and scale‑ups using digital technologies
• Organisations involved in innovation, skills, funding or delivery
• Businesses with growth ambitions in Kent & Medway
• Councils, Universities and College leaders and staff

Networking included

Attendance is free, and places are limited.

A complimentary buffet lunch will be provided, offering a chance for peer‑to‑peer networking with other local businesses, delivery partners and decision‑makers.

Part of a wider programme

This workshop is part of a coordinated series shaping the Local Growth Plan across Kent & Medway during the week of 11 May. You are welcome to attend multiple sessions, including:

• Agri‑food & Agri‑tech – Wed 13 May
• Energy – Thu 14 May
• Ports, Transport & Logistics – Fri 15 May
• Cross‑cutting priorities – Fri 15 May