A new base for Cornwall’s digital and tech businesses is set to launch this Spring as the post-pandemic switch to co-working gathers momentum.
FibreHub is a space for digital, software and tech organisations which will provide lettable office space, co-working facilities, an eat-in or takeaway café and access to networking and events taking place in the building.
Adjacent to the Cornwall College campus in Camborne, FibreHub is just off the A30 in one of Cornwall’s best connected areas for commuters.
The project is part of a long-running vision to put Cornwall’s tech businesses on the map and offer a hub for digital organisations in the county.
In the future, it’s also a potential space for technology leaders to share their expertise, and for future generations to learn essential digital skills and discover the technology careers available to them.
Toby Parkins and Craig Girvan are behind the project, the co-founders of one of Cornwall’s largest tech companies Headforwards, and were able to progress the concept with the support of a number of other partners.
Mr Parkins said: “Cornwall is a thriving community for tech businesses and we’ve got a stronger voice and a bigger impact when we collect together.
“Many businesses have similar challenges, and they all need flexible workspaces, rapid internet connectivity and a community where they can share ideas. FibreHub offers all those components in one place.”
Unlocking Potential’s new ERDF-funded Digital Transformation project is one of the first FibreHub tenants, joining Headforwards’ 110-strong team in the space.
Headforwards was founded in 2011, building collaborative relationships between clients and its expert development teams, it aimed to create a new type of outsource company for software development.
Since its launch, Mr Parkins and and Mr Girvan have played a key role in driving forward Cornwall’s tech sector, with Mr Parkins a founder director of Agile on the Beach and a director of both Software Cornwall and Tech South West.
FibreHub is just the start for Cornwall’s new tech business hub. As FibreHub grows, Headforwards aims to bring the same quality services, community spaces, and high-speed internet connectivity to new buildings in the future.
The final goal is FibrePark: a business campus large enough to house the many forward-thinking technology professionals in Cornwall.
Mr Parkins and Mr Girvan are keen to keep the project focused on demonstrating the many opportunities Cornwall can offer digital talent and technology businesses.
“Cornwall’s tech sector, through the work of Software Cornwall, is very good at engaging with schools, and we want to create an even closer relationship between industry and education,” Mr Parkins said.
“A recent survey by Tech South West showed that despite the pandemic, the biggest challenge for tech businesses right now is access to the right skills.
“With FibreHub right next to the Cornwall College Campus and with a hub of tech and digital sector businesses, we have the opportunity to have a leading approach to tech education and work towards solving the sector’s issue with talent development.”
