The West Midlands mayor Andy Street has welcomed today’s announcement that a new state-of-the-art telecommunications lab will be based in Solihull.

UK Telecommunications Lab will act as a secure research facility bringing together telecom operators, suppliers and academics to research ways of boosting the security, resilience and performance of the UK’s mobile networks.

New research out today, which was commissioned by the Government for Birmingham Tech Week, has revealed a large increase in the number of tech startups and scaleups across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

There has been a 21.3% increase in tech jobs in Birmingham in the seven months to July 2022, rising to 31% across the West Midlands region, according to analysis by smarter job search engine Adzuna for the UK’s Digital Economy Council.

There are now over 144,000 people employed in tech startups and scaleups across the West Midlands, with over 56,000 in Birmingham alone.

The boost to hiring follows an increase in the value of West Midlands tech companies, with the region’s tech ecosystem now valued at £15.3bn, up from £11.5bn in 2021, according to new data from Dealroom.

Tech minister Damian Collins said: ‘Fast-growing firms are cementing Birmingham’s status as a tech powerhouse - boosting jobs and spreading economic growth right across the West Midlands.

‘As a result, there is no better home for the new UK Telecoms Lab, which will turn the region into a centre for expertise and innovation in the security of next-generation mobile networks.’

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: ‘Tech is one of the most exciting and fastest growing sectors in our region. This fantastic announcement that Solihull will be the home of the new UK Telecoms Lab yet again underlines the strength of this important sector for us here in the West Midlands. The Lab will bring a wide range of stakeholders together to drive innovation and create high quality new jobs for local people.

‘As we mark Birmingham Tech Week, it’s a great time to remember that we are at the cutting edge and – with our tech sector already valued at over £15bn we have an exciting future ahead of us.’