London’s New Powerhouse for Cyber‑Security Starts Up
In the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, a fresh £13.5 million hub is set to boot up the UK’s cyber game. Launching in Spring 2018, the London Cyber Innovation Centre will be run by Plexal, parked in Plexal City at Here East, and works hand‑in‑hand with Deloitte’s cyber squad and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast.
What the Centre Is About
Over the next three‑and‑a‑half years, it will incubate 72 cybersecurity firms—from fresh startups to seasoned players—providing each company with a custom‑made mix of tech support and business coaching, all from the world’s leading cyber gurus.
Experts reckon this could juice up the UK’s tech scene with about 2,000 new jobs in cybersecurity.
Who’s Steering the Ship
- Robert Hannigan, the former head of GCHQ, chairs the industry advisory board.
- Roni Zehavi, co‑founder and CEO of Cyberspark Industry Initiative, also lends his expertise.
- Plexal has teamed up with universities like UCL and Queens to feed talent straight into the pipeline and turn cutting‑edge research into market‑ready products.
Words from the Minister
Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said:
“London is the undisputed tech king of Europe, pulling billions of dollars in investment every year and houses world‑leading firms breaking new ground. This new hub—nestled in the Olympic Park’s legacy of excellence—will ignite a wave of innovation that will shape tomorrow’s technology and shield the nation from growing cyber threats.”
