Start-ups prepare for Cornwall's new tech hub

A new space for Cornwall’s tech businesses to work and collaborate is preparing to open its doors later this year.

FibreHub will provide lettable office space, hot-desking facilities, a café and access to networking and events for the county’s digital, software and tech organisations.  It is situated next to the Cornwall College Campus in Camborne in one of Cornwall’s best connected areas for commuters.

The project is the brainchild of Toby Parkins and Craig Girvan, the co-founders of Headforwards, one of Cornwall’s largest tech companies.  They hope FibreHub will become a 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.

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.”

Among FibreHub’s first tenants will be Unlocking Potential’s new ERDF-funded Digital Transformation project, which will join Headforwards.

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, Parkins and Girvan have been central figures in Cornwall’s tech sector and both want FibreHub to demonstrate the many opportunities Cornwall can offer digital talent and technology businesses.

Parkins said: “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.

“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.”