A Digital City

Where we are

Leeds Digital Festival takes place annually, promoting innovation, digital inclusion, culture and creativity and more within the region.

As a ‘Smart City’, we are working to open up our data, break down regional and organisational boundaries, create solutions for our city using data and showcase what the city has to offer. We are also using digital and data to improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities.  

Where we want to be

Our aim is to build a digital sector that can compete on the world stage, putting digital inclusion and diversity from the ground up at the heart of our ambition.

We need to adapt to accelerating trends in digitisation, and the city’s new Digital Strategy is almost due for completion. This will be a three-year plan setting out how digital will support the council’s three pillars of delivering inclusive growth, improving the health and wellbeing of all citizens, and tackling climate change. We will link to it here when it is ready.

We want to create a 'city of innovation excellence' that attracts businesses to test and trial their technology and set up their businesses here.

Our new Future Talent Plan prioritises supporting people in our communities gain skills for digital jobs, as well as bridging the digital divide for both people and businesses. A digitally-skilled workforce will attract businesses and encourage students to remain in the city.