30th May, 2019

Technology and the growth of Cornwall

We have been based in Cornwall in offices within a grade two listed building for all of the 25 years since we became an independent company back in 1994.

In those days technology was pretty sparse, we had telephones and fax machines but no Internet or email.

And whilst we did lots of business in Cornwall we weren’t really looking beyond the Duchy simply because everything was too far away and seemed to take forever to get to.

How things have changed.

Cornwall now has a much improved road infrastructure with the continual dualling of the A30, Cornwall Newquay airport has four daily flights to London as well as direct flights to other UK airports and parts of Europe and we have superfast broadband across 95% of the region.

Invest in Cornwall were quoted in a recent article in the Daily Telegraph saying that the tech sector in Cornwall grew by 76% between 2010 and 2018 and that Cornwall now has 935 tech businesses. I don’t know how many there were back in 1994 but I suspect it was just a handful.

Cornwall was always very well connected as far as people go but now technology has transformed that connectivity and positioned Cornwall as an amazing place to live and work.

We’ve noticed, particularly in the last two years, a significant growth in enquiries from investment companies looking for premises in Cornwall for technology-based businesses, a mix of established ones looking to relocate and start up’s with funding already in place. The Innovation centres across Cornwall are just one example of how purpose-built premises provide huge benefits in attracting businesses to Cornwall. Technology has also enabled us to operate in a much wider market with our client portfolio extending into the Midlands, across the south of England and into London.

The combination of technology and lifestyle is also helping us attract very talented people, although as I write this article we are still seeking a senior surveyor for our property management team. Interested parties please do get in touch.

As a company we have always seen technology as an opportunity for competitive advantage and more importantly as a way of continually enhancing the service we offer to our clients.

This year alone we are launching a fantastic new website, introducing drone video and photography, high quality still photography and interactive floor plans alongside 3D property tours whilst encouraging our client facing teams to use technology to work remotely.

Technology is a key driver of the Cornish business economy and with our company celebrating in 2019 twenty five years of being an independent Cornish-based business we look forward to an exciting future.