Supporting the future of the Tech sector in the West of England

In their opening speeches, the candidates focussed on the following:

• Helen Godwin (Labour) – supporting the Tech ecosystem in the region by being vocal to central Government and internationals was central to the messaging, with a focus on the “noise” WECA should be making to attract attention to the region.

• Oli Henman (Lib Dem) – believes the region could be “at the forefront of the new industrial revolution” with emerging technologies such as AI and quantum about to unlock a wealth of opportunities. The emphasis here was on negotiating with national and international contacts to bring new investment into the region.

• Mary Page (Green) – stressed the need for ethical development of AI and other new technologies, wanting to ensure that we see substantial growth, but without this being at cost to the health and livelihoods of people living in our region. The need for improved infrastructure to better support increased remote working patterns was also flagged.

The candidates then faced several questions from the Chair, Vinous Ali, and from the audience. We won’t summarise all of these, but our key takeaways from the candidates’ responses to the questions were:

• The candidates agreed that action needs to be taken to help “de-risk” funding of scaling Tech businesses, to help encourage capital into the region. Oli Henman (Lib Dems) gave examples such as potentially better leveraging WECA funds to support investment, and offering innovation “prizes” as a means of non-dilutive funding. Helen Godwin (Labour) emphasised the benefit of using our current innovators to “tell their story” and set a stage for them to showcase what the region can offer. Whilst, touching on the message in her opening speech, Mary Page (Green) was keen to frame growth against a wider societal context: “We don’t want growth for growth’s sake – the beneficiary of growth must be us.”

• Availability of lab and workspaces for Tech businesses was generally recognised as a key issue. Helen Godwin (Labour) suggested that innovators and founders should take the lead here – allowing them to access a space and “see what happens”. Oli Henman (Lib Dem) was keen to ensure that the region takes the lead on renewables, suggested he would push for additional facilities for businesses in this space. Mary Page (Green) pointed out that more could be done to utilise existing empty spaces within cities, which could include the use of existing office areas “after hours”.

• On education, WECA’s remit is limited to adult education, so responses were limited in relation to engagement with the next generation of Tech entrepreneurs. Though Helen Godwin (Labour) suggested that there could be scope to use WECA resources to upskill teachers on Tech, which could filter down to the younger generations.

• We’re sure it will be no surprise to anyone to hear that AI was mentioned several times, though none of the candidates were able to comment on this with any particular insight. However, Oli Henman (Lib Dems) did make the point that a sensible framework for AI would be beneficial. He also emphasised the importance of removing reliance on the US and other countries for holding our data (suggesting that he has contacts within UN taskforces on AI he would use to help shape policy and support the region’s growth in this area).

• Housing and transport featured in quite a few responses, which makes sense as these are core areas of focus for WECA (and are topics which tend to poll well!). From a Tech sector perspective, the key messaging here was:

• • All candidates recognised that current transport links aren’t good enough, and that more affordable housing is needed.
  • Mary Page (Green) made a strong call for smarter ticketing across all regional transport links, with the use of AI and other tools to analyse trends and needs for services. Viewing this as a key means of improving the region’s connectivity.
  • Helen Godwin (Labour) stressed affordable housing as a key priority, linking this to the needs to the Tech sector by pointing out that young University graduates, entrepreneurs, and innovators will need somewhere they can afford to live – if we expect them to stay and prosper in the region. In particular, Helen highlighted a risk of talent draining out to more affordable bases such as Newcastle and Leeds.

Alongside the Hustings, techSPARK launched the new Tech Manifesto for Bristol & Bath 2025.

We were delighted to be involved in compiling this Manifesto, which was put to the Mayoral Candidates to highlight the key asks of the regional Tech sector and to act as a means to hold the eventual Mayor to task.

We wanted to hold these hustings to ensure that the candidate who ends up leading WECA into its next phase has the growth and needs of the Tech sector in this region at the forefront of their minds.

If you’re a founder running a scaling Tech business, an investor looking to back the next exciting innovation from our region, are working in an established businesses which sells or uses Tech products or services, or (like us) are someone who supports the Tech ecosystem, then aligning regional policy with the needs of the broader Tech sector is something that should matter to you!

It’s no secret that the current WECA administration has had its difficulties. Public criticism, including from central Government, has pointed to poor internal relationships, lack of a clear vision, a failure to fully grasp function, funding difficulties, and other struggles, all of which have significantly hampered the Authority’s ability to represent and make a difference to the region. It’s completely understandable, in the light of the past few years, if those in the region are also unclear about WECA’s purpose, are doubting of the impact the Authority can actually make, or simply treat WECA with apathy.

However, the new Mayoral candidates aren’t going into this blindly. They know about the difficulties, and each of them say (and, to be fair to them, give the impression) that they want to turn things around and make WECA a force which can really benefit the region.

But this can’t happen without you, without us.

It’s probably fair to say that none of the candidates have particular expertise in or deep understanding of the Tech sector – apathy doesn’t help to change this. To ensure that WECA can effectively support the Tech ecosystem and be appropriately held to task, the eventual Mayor will need the backing and guidance of the industry.

We can all work towards this, by voting in the election on 1^st May 2025 and by engaging with WECA to shape and drive policy over the coming years.

Information on the election and how to vote can be found here: 2025 Combined Authority Mayoral Election – West of England Combined Authority

For techSPARK’s own write-up of the event see here: The West of England Mayoral Hustings: An Insight Into The Future – techSPARK

Photography provided by Julian Preece Photography