Digital Media

The richness, variety, strength and depth of the digital media companies we have across the region means that the opportunities for collaboration with like-minded individuals is second to none. Where other companies compete ours collaborate and the family of digital media companies in the Heart of England work together, network together and even socialise together.

The Heart of England provides access to the UK’s 60 million, and the European Union’s 499 million consumers. We’re at the centre of the UK’s rail and road network, with Birmingham International Airport offering daily direct flights to the USA, Middle East & Asia as well as all main European business cities.

With 21% of the UK games workforce employed in the region, the region’s universities offer a range of degree courses relevant to animation and the multimedia content production process, which ensures an excellent supply of graduates within commuting distance of Birmingham. Staffordshire University for example, have 18 different games and animation courses.

• Birmingham Institute of Art and Design ( BIAD) at Birmingham City University (BCU) have a wide portfolio of games related degrees, and have recently worked closely with Industry in the region to develop a new ‘Animation for Games’ degree. BCU also have one of only a handful of MILO motion control rigs in the UK and their Screen Media Lab is a purpose built centre for enterprise and innovation in screen media and visual design.

• Professor Bob Stone is based at Birmingham University, and is the Research Director of the UK Human Factors Integration Defence Technology Centre. He lectures across the world on the subject of virtual reality, serious games and human factors, and is a member of the UK Government’s Simulation & Synthetic Environments National Technical Committee (SSENTC)

• The Serious Games Institute at Coventry University is the first of its kind, and facilitates the growth of serious games, virtual worlds and connected industry specialists, while at Warwick University’s Digital Laboratory, there is cutting-edge applied and basic research in emerging digital industries.

There are a number of support packages available to assist Digital Media businesses in the region:

• Channel 4’s 4iP creative fund aims to re-invent how publicly valuable content is conceived, funded and delivered on new media platforms. Birmingham was the first UK commissioning hub for England and Wales.

• Screen West Midland supports, promotes and develops the screen media sector in the region and is the lead agency for film, television and digital media, with its own Digital Media Fund. It also supports the other regional networks including the Animation Forum which is helping further establish the region’s animation industry as a key commercial and cultural force.

• Bridge to Growth offers an efficient, low risk and low cost entry route to the UK market via the Heart of England. It takes care of the nuts and bolts of setting up a UK Limited company for free which can take as little as five days. It also helps you set up a UK bank account, and register for VAT. It also offers free tax and financial advice, free legal advice and free market data.

• Graduate Advantage assists companies seeking to recruit graduates in the West Midlands. Businesses can benefit from free front-end recruitment services; flexible, low cost recruitment solution lasting from 4 weeks to 12 months (full or part-time); a subsidy to pay your new recruit (subject to application); and free management and leadership training.

The Heart of England Inward Investment team offers the following range of free and confidential services to international and UK based companies that are considering investing, expanding or pursuing other business opportunities within the region;

• Land and property searches and advice

• Tailored investment proposals addressing specific information requirements

• Regional visit programmes

• Introductions to providers of business and professional services

• Introductions to universities and research and technology providers

• Information on potential sources of financial assistance and other forms of support

Find out how well connected the Heart of England is.

Find out why the Heart of England is a great place to move your company.

Find out what else the Heart of England has to offer.

Find out more about Digital Media and how easy it is to move your business here - call us on +44 (0)121 380 3500 or email.

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