Digital Catapult announces partnership with BIMA

Digital Catapult, the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre and BIMA, The Association for the Digital Industry, form a partnership to help grow the UK’s digital economy.

London, 19th June: Digital Catapult joins forces with BIMA to maximise synergies for the benefit of UK digital businesses. The two organisations will connect via a series of joint networking events and UK-wide breakfast drop-ins, encouraging cross-sector innovation from Digital Catapult into the creative industries, and driving connections and collaborations.

Digital Catapult will offer BIMA members access to thought leadership and facilities in the fields of AI & Machine Learning, immersive technologies and future networks such as 5G, influencing the development of advanced digital technologies and encouraging growth of the UK’s digital economy. In natural synergy with BIMA’s focus on digital capability, and bolstered by its deep insight to media convergence, the partnership will provide new engagement opportunities to the organisation’s 300 corporate members, who have a combined workforce of over 15,000 employees.

Digital Catapult is committed to spreading regional access to its facilities, programmes and research with a network of UK-wide centres. BIMA’s membership will benefit from a series of regional roadshows later in the year, accessing clusters of expertise nationwide. This will include access to Digital Catapult’s network of Immersive Labs around the country, offering access to the latest developments in virtual and augmented reality.

CEO Jeremy Silver comments, ‘We’re thrilled to be strategic partners with BIMA. This is an important opportunity for the UK’s creative industries to collaborate with the early adopter digital innovator community. We are excited to open our centres around the UK to BIMA members, where they can take advantage of our AI and Blockchain experts as well as our network of Immersive labs.’

BIMA President Tarek Nseir says, ‘This partnership couldn’t have come at a better time. Our AI, Immersive and newly launched Blockchain Think Tanks have been tremendously successful in driving the capability of our members – and now, with this alliance we will be able to build transformational partnerships between our national members and innovators in their respective fields.’

About Digital Catapult

Digital Catapult is the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation Centre, driving
early adoption of technologies to make UK businesses more competitive and productive to
grow the country’s economy.

We connect large established companies, startup and scaleup businesses and researchers
to discover new ways to solve big challenges in the manufacturing and creative industries.
Through this collaboration businesses are supported to develop the right technologies to
solve problems, increase productivity and open up new markets faster.

Digital Catapult provides physical and digital facilities for experimentation and testing that
would otherwise not be accessible for smaller companies.

As well as breaking down barriers to technology adoption for startups and scaleups, our
work de-risks innovation for large enterprises and uncovers new commercial applications in
immersive, future networks, and artificial intelligence technologies.
For more info please visit www.digicatapult.org.uk

About BIMA

Founded in 1985, BIMA is Britain’s digital community and one of the most widely respected names in the digital industry. Their Central Council is led by Natalie Gross and Tarek Nseir, CEO at TH_NK. BIMA are powerful because of their members. BIMA councils set the agenda from communities around the country and our Think Tanks aid industry leaders and practitioners to fuel the future. Everything BIMA does is future focused and embodies their values of innovation, enabling community, celebrating individuals and embedding diversity into the digital ecosystem. BIMA’s mission is to drive innovation and excellence across the digital industry. We are the connectors, thought leaders, champions and change makers determining the shape of Britain’s digital economy.

BIMA’s flagship initiatives include the BIMA Awards, honouring the British digital work pushing the limits of what is possible, making a difference in business, culture and society, The BIMA 100 (recognising the individuals who are shaping the future of Britain’s digital industry), Digital Day (addressing the skills gap by linking schools with digital agencies); as well as regular networking and knowledge-sharing events. If you work in digital, you can benefit from being a BIMA member. Find out more at http://www.bima.co.uk