Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are set to become one of the best connected locations in the world under an ambitious £132 million project announced on 30 September 2010 by BT and Cornwall Council and supported by European investment. The project will benefit tens of thousands of local businesses and create new local jobs.

> Next Generation Broadband

A £4 million project to create nine high quality industrial units and offices and 89 jobs at Treleigh Industrial Estate has been approved for more than £2 million of ERDF Convergence investment.

> Workspace at Treleigh Industrial Estate

An exciting design programme which is backed by ERDF Convergence and aimed at helping young technology businesses improve their products and services, get to market faster and attract more investment is staging two events in Cornwall.

> Designing Demand events

Falmouth-based shipwrights, Cockwells Modern and Classic Boatbuilding, are now seeking outside investment to help fund a substantial development programme. The move follows the introduction of several new income streams, thanks to help from Business Link, and the dramatic success of the firm’s move into new markets.

> Click here for more details

The Convergence website now includes a selection of case studies showing how the Programme is supporting businesses and individuals. More to be added soon.

> Convergence case studies

For the latest update on Convergence in light of the Coalition Government’s budgetary priorities and changing mechanisms and structures, see:

> Convergence Update

“When Henry Ford invented the automobile it wasn’t just a faster horse, it changed every aspect of people’s lives. In the same manner Next Generation Broadband is not about Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly having the same thing but faster, this will be a monumental change in the way businesses work, students learn and how we go about our daily lives.

“Forget the web, it is not the culmination of the digital revolution, the internet is moving out of the browser and into every aspect of our lives and there needs to be leaders in the technology we use and the content we interact with. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have an immensely talented community of designers and marketing professionals who are already poised to grasp the opportunities Next Generation Broadband will create. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that this change is just for the online professionals, this will affect you whatever your business. It’s time to start asking how you can get an advantage over your competitors, how you can improve your products, how you can expand into new markets and how you can change your working practices with the new technology.

“We know that the internet was a revolution but what we’re doing with it is still evolving. Morgan Stanley projects that the number of people accessing the internet from mobile devices will exceed the number who access it from PCs within the next five years. How will this affect your business? What opportunities does this create? Now is the time to start thinking about the future as we are being given the infrastructure to let Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly evolve into a truly digital thinking community.“

Paul Davies
Digital Brand Consultant and founder of ¡Design Thinkers!
> www.design-thinkers.co.uk

More information about RDPE projects and contact details can be found on the Convergence website.

For contact details and information about the fisheries programme, visit the Convergence website.