The Sussex Scale-Up Catalyst was launched to challenge what regional innovation support can look like when it’s deeply rooted in place, led by communities and built for the technical advances of the next decade. Sussex has the potential to grow, not only as a digital cluster, but as an emerging frontier tech ecosystem where research, industry and innovation support are all connected.
This Catalyst Pilot Ecosystem project was part of the UKTCG’s wider Regional Tech Booster programme which was funded by the UK Government and supported by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The initiative embraced the diversity of Sussex’s digital economy while focusing on the county’s strengths in B2B SaaS, CreativeTech, Gaming, Healthtech and EdTech, as well as other strengths such as engineering, advanced manufacturing and applied sciences. Additionally, Sussex is home to one of the UK’s most advanced trapped ion quantum computing research hubs so this initiative connects all these strengths together.
The Sussex ScaleUp Catalyst was designed to tackle three key challenges for the region’s scaleups: limited scale-up readiness, low AI adoption and minimal awareness of quantum technology.
Nigel Lambe, CEO at Sussex Innovation, explained, “Deep tech tools including AI and quantum are going to be a critical part of the next wave of technology innovation, and a lot of the fundamental research underpinning them is happening right on our doorstep in Sussex.
“This programme has been a great opportunity to bring that research out of the lab and get it in front of the local businesses who stand to benefit most. Over the next decade, we expect that Sussex will become known as a hub for industry and academia to come together around these transformative technologies, and we’ll be able to say that it all started with the Sussex ScaleUp Catalyst.”
The region’s largest tech cluster is in Brighton and Hove, but beyond the coast lies unrealised potential. There are fewer than 200 scale-ups across the county of Sussex, and many of them remain disconnected from the existing community and pathways to growth.
Sussex Innovation already has great partnerships, including Silicon Brighton, Brighton AI, Chichester College Group, local authorities and tech leaders all sharing the common goal of inclusive, future-facing growth.
As part of the initiative, Plus X Innovation ran a programme of support for scaleups, while Sussex Innovations ran a Quantum Futures and Tech Revolutions programme, focusing on near-to-market applications and practical R&D pathways. Additionally, six high-potential businesses received tailored one-to-one mentoring from Plus X Innovation and Sussex Innovation.
The Quantum Futures day brought together academics and industry together in a shared space to explore how quantum technology may impact tech businesses over the next few years. This activity took place across Sussex, including the University of Sussex (Falmer), the Foundry in Eastbourne and Universal Quantum in Haywards Heath, demonstrating the programme’s place-based delivery and decentralised delivery model across the region.
To strengthen community infrastructure, the programme also launched a Sussex Tech Cluster website. This is a curated hub of existing regional programmes, funding routes, events and forums.
The Sussex Scale-Up Catalyst was designed from the offset to create lasting systemic change. Success means shifting the Sussex tech ecosystem from a fragmented set of promising businesses into a cohesive and confident community.
While the initial target was to support 30 companies, the programme extended its reach significantly across Sussex through combined delivery, engaging a substantially larger number of businesses than originally anticipated with more than 50 businesses being impacted by both interventions.
In addition, well over 20 companies implemented or actively adopted AI workflows, and five companies engaged in meaningful quantum exploration. The evaluation data also shows increased efficiency, new product development, projected revenue growth, increased employment and increased R&D activity.
A great example of this is Simplex Services has outlined plans to integrate AI and data into its service offering, with projected impacts including £2 million in increased turnover and £250,000 in R&D investment.
The Sussex Scale-Up Catalyst has showcased that regional innovation should be practical, collaborative and ready to lead. It moves the county from a fragmented network of promising scaleups to a confident and connected community.
Feedback from participants
“I was very impressed with the ‘Frontier Tech: Engineering the Impossible’ event – it is not often events of this calibre are hosted in Eastbourne.”
Tom Webster, Alright Mucka Ltd
“The practical applications of the technology and how businesses could use them and collaborate around the technologies to help Sussex to grow.”
Edward Chinn, Kintara
“This was one of the most useful programmes I’ve attended – not just ideas, but actual implementation.”
Olabode Adeola, Olabode Technologies
“This is the point where quantum stopped being abstract and became something tangible.”
Jen Persson, Defend Digital Me
Feedback across the Sussex Innovation cohort showed a strong level of satisfaction (average 8.2/10), with participants commenting that “the quantum computing talk blew me away” (Mark Cable Relevant Five) and “great informative session with great networking opportunities” (Douglas Kelly, Unusual Technologies).
