HubSpot, the CRM, marketing, sales, and customer experience platform, has today released findings from a new survey that examines London’s startup scene.
Despite initial fears following the EU referendum in June 2016, the results show that the UK capital’s reputation remains intact as a hub for startups and innovation, with London being named as the top choice by respondents from Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin, while 53% of the city’s residents believe it still holds this title.
The research, which also questioned Londoners on their perception of the capital and its prospects, paints an optimistic picture post-Brexit. A huge 81% of those asked believe London is a ‘great city for innovation,’ with East London Tech City (also known as ‘Silicon Roundabout’) now recognised as the third-largest technology startup cluster in the world after San Francisco and New York City.
Some of the research’s findings did indicate a level of uncertainty about the city’s future once Brexit is finalised at the end of March 2019: only 71% of those asked feel confident that they will consistently be able to find employment in London. However, this speculation is juxtaposed by a wider sense of enthusiasm for technology-focused career paths, with 53% stating they aspire to work in the sector. If these aspirations can be married with training and skills development, they could prove instrumental in solving the UK’s digital skills gap, which currently costs Britain £63 billion per year.
“A vibrant accelerator community, a growing number of jobs, and a willingness to move into the tech sector help make London the most innovative city in Europe,” says Christian Kinnear, Managing Director of EMEA at HubSpot. “We were encouraged to see over half of the respondents questioned have aspirations to work in the tech-industry; no doubt driven by the lucrative opportunities available. In fact, 78% would actually leave their current job to move to a startup because of the benefits and perks offered.”
Kinnear continued: “If this enthusiasm for technology professions can be harnessed, this could solve recruitment challenges and enable London to maintain its status as a thriving hub for innovation long after Brexit is finalised.”
About the survey
The survey was conducted between September - November 2017 by Kickstand Communications, who interviewed 692 respondents who live and/or work in London.
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