Creative, Digital & Tech

Norwich’s creative, digital and tech industry is booming, with digital tech businesses at the heart of our region’s growing economy. The University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts play a big role in the success of this industry, as well as the dynamic, innovative and supportive tech community in the area – which hosts regular meet-up events.

In fact, Tech.eu added Norwich to the list of Five alternative European tech clusters that are leading the way. With organisations existing to ‘accelerate the growth and amplify the success of the digital economy in the East of England’, it’s no wonder our region is a bustling hub for digital start-ups with such a high success rate.

With events like Sync the City, a hackathon 54 hour start-up event, there is a huge amount of talent and innovation in Norwich, and the city has a thriving and collaborative tech and digital creative community.

Norwich is England’s first UNESCO City of Literature – which may explain why it is a city full of creatives. Nurturing some of those creatives is Norwich University of the Arts, an established name in arts, design and media education for more than 175 years. Their reputation for excellence is well earned, as Norwich University of the Arts was awarded(2025).

On the other side of the city, the UEA’s award winning MA in creative writing has generated many world famous authors, including Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan and Rose Tremain.

In addition, CreativeUEA builds on UEA’s longstanding history of creativity and innovation – across the arts, sciences, social sciences and enterprise – to explore new areas of interdisciplinary research, learning, action and outreach.

The Games Report released by Norwich University of the Arts proves the region hosts a distributed network of
experienced gaming industry professionals working on some
of the world’s biggest titles – Fable, Sea of Thieves,
Until Dawn, Fortnite. This strong productivity performance makes Games
an important lever in the Norfolk economy which has
historically been less productive than the national average.
Some 5.9% (TIGA ) of the UK Games workforce is in Norfolk

Credit: NUA
  • Norwich is England’s first UNESCO City of Literature
  • With a 43% startup retention rate, Norwich is one of the top-performing cities in the East of England.
  • Norwich University of the Arts was ranked 10th in the Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022
  • Norwich has been pinpointed as a ‘vibrant technology cluster’

Case Studies

  • Sally's Relocation Story

    Originally from Northern Ireland, by way of Belgium and London, Sally moved to Norwich in 2014 with her family. She runs her own small business, designing and making knitted lambswool textiles. She’s also an art and textiles technician at Norwich High School.

    Sally’s Relocation Story

  • Ebi's Relocation Story

    Ebi moved to Norwich from Lagos, Nigeria two years ago after learning Norwich was ranked as one of the best places to live in the UK.

    Ebi’s Story

  • The Gaming Industry in Norwich: Robin Milton

    Norwich’s gaming scene is thriving, and it’s just getting started. Rooted in community, this dynamic hub is quickly becoming one to watch. We caught up with Robin, founder of Fairer Games, to find out what makes Norwich such a compelling place to create, collaborate, and grow in the world of game development.

    Inside the Game: Norwich’s Gaming Industry

  • Laura's Relocation Story

    Laura moved to Norwich to pursue a masters at UEA. Read more about her journey and how she has managed to succeed in Norwich's creative sector, win awards and create meaningful networks along the way.

    Laura's Story

  • Norwich for Digital Start-Ups

    “The digital community in Norwich enables you to build a network very quickly. It’s a great place to live and work, gives you a great lifestyle, along with a lower cost of living (compared to other counties in the south). Access to a talent pipeline via the universities and colleges. Access to business incubators such as Akcela. It’s a small city, so we are naturally clustered, which creates serendipity.”

    Case Study: Norwich for Digital Start-ups

  • Ali's Relocation Story

    Discover what it's like to move from New York to Norwich. Ali Smith, a photographer, musician, and writer explores her journey, insights on Norwich's creative community, and the challenges of relocating across the Atlantic.

    Ali Smith: A Transatlantic Move

  • Ross's Relocation Story

    Ross made the decision to move his business to Norwich from his base in London in May 2021. We discover what made him decide to make the move, and what he loves about working in Norwich…

    Ross's Story

  • Charlotte Gray: Relocating Family and Re-Finding Community

    Charlotte relocated her family to Norwich in 2016. Find out how she navigated the move, made a home, built a community all whilst balancing work and exploring the opportunities Norwich has to offer.

    Charlotte's Story

  • Daniela Marchesi: Life in Norwich

    After living in several places, Daniela has found her home in Norwich. Now working as a PR and Communications consultant, she’s based out of a creative coworking space right in the heart of the city. So, what made Norwich the perfect fit? From hidden food gems to cosy spots for a culture fix, Daniela shares why this city ticks all the boxes.

    Daniela's Story

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