Tech City teams up with Massachusetts

Government forges tech ties between East End and east coast

The UK government has announced it is forging closer ties between the US tech hub of Massachusetts and the UK's own burgeoning Tech City in east London.

Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick has helmed a 20-strong trade delegation from his state visiting the UK this week. The party includes a number of tech companies, who have had the chance to develop ties with UK counterparts.

The government claims that the number of technology businesses operating in the so-called Tech City around Shoreditch in east London has grown from 15 to about 200 since 2008.

Earlier this year US giant Cisco threw its weight behind the Tech City project, pledging $500m (£310m) to fund the development of two East End innovation centres: one in Shoreditch, and one at the Olympic Park in Stratford. The government is also to invest £200m over the next four years in technology and innovation centres.

Science minister David Willetts said: "I am pleased to welcome governor [Patrick] to the UK; Massachusetts has the second largest technology hub outside California's Silicon Valley and is an important partner for Tech City in east London.

"There are already about 200 technology companies based in Shoreditch and we are determined to build on this. I hope this visit will help us share knowledge about supporting growth in this important sector, and lead to stronger ties between Tech City and Massachusetts."