SME Partner

Ben Selby, Digital Shoreditch

Academic Partner

Dr Sara Jones, City University London

Project Title

Digital Shoreditch Deep Insight – understanding for growth

Project Description

Dr Sara Jones’s work with Digital Shoreditch set out to develop an understanding of the symbiotic relationship between Tech City, the name given to the a cluster of technology companies in East London, and the Digital Shoreditch Festival, a yearly event celebrating technological creativity. The project started out with three key questions: why Shoreditch, who attends the festival, and why do companies take part?

Jones’s research into these questions was concluded into a report consisting of a literature review, findings from her data collection activities carried out at the Digital Shoreditch Festival 2013, a review of comparable events, and the identification of various ways to improve the festival. Jones report highlights the need for better scheduling, the creation of specific networking spaces and improved information on speakers and delegates as the three ways she would raise the standing of the festival. Additionally she suggests that running further events throughout the year would keep the festival’s profile in the public eye.

Though Jones’s report specifically looks at the Digital Shoreditch Festival and its relation to Tech City there is potential for her findings to be applied to other areas of London and creative technological clusters worldwide.