By the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC)

The Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC) is a not-for-profit cluster support organisation for advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses in the wider Silverstone area (within about an hour’s drive). The STC was founded back in 2017 following the publication of a report which identified our region as an integral part of the Oxford – Cambridge Arc.

The organisation aids its members with promotion, support and thought leadership. The way we deliver these is constantly being shaped by the current climate and demands of the marketplace on our members. We’re always looking to enrich our offerings to make them as relevant and beneficial as possible for our community. 

Our mission is to create an ecosystem which promotes and supports the growth of our members by maximising the members’ global competitiveness.

Promotional opportunities

Buckinghamshire Business First and the STC have successfully worked together for some time now on joint events (webinars and breakfast networking events) and these are typical of a much wider programme to promote our members and their capabilities. 

By leveraging the power of the network and offering effective membership services such as 1-2-1 matchmaking, our online directory, members’ forum, opportunities bulletin, webinars and more events, we enable our members to raise the profile of their business with key companies and individuals, both at the heart of the cluster, and much further afield.

STC members are now attracting interest not only locally and internationally but also from the likes of the UK government, Heathrow Airport, US DEVCOM, UKSA, and BAE Systems among others.

What support is on offer?

The STC’s support agenda includes all kinds of events and programmes which aim to provide – along with our Business Agility & Transformation group -- a solid foundation of support for tomorrow’s successful business. With every event, this group’s Champions are dedicated to informing, educating and inspiring business leaders around sustainability, equality and modern business management.

Mentoring and Advisory Boards are also available from Be the Business, alongside support programmes centred around themes like access to finance, space technologies, cloud computing and business growth.

Maximising potential with thought leadership

The STC’s thought leadership agenda is designed to help ambitious, motivated companies stretch their potential and really exceed in their fields. The creation of special interest groups (SIGs) stimulates debate, new collaborations and the sharing of ideas around the very latest technologies with input from the subject matter experts currently shaping their industries. 

Our SIGs include: Digital & Advanced Manufacturing, Future Mobility, Design Simulation & Metrology, and Wearable Tech.

Grouping discussions around specific topics (rather than restricting them within industries or sectors) is proving vastly successful in terms of finding new applications for existing technologies, as well as business strategies and behaviours. For new and emerging technologies, this method of opening discussions up and down the supply chain vastly widens the scope for potential opportunities right from the outset.

Silverstone is not just about motorsport

It’s a misconception that being based in the Silverstone area means a business is going to be motorsport-based: as a sector, motorsport is incredibly innovative, but the variety of business types within the STC membership means that only a small proportion are motorsport focused.

The STC community includes everything from engineering and manufacturing to service providers and even the occasional charity. 

Of course, Silverstone Circuit is also both a member and an event partner, hosting events such as the STC’s visit from the US Army’s DEVCOM for our member-only Technology Showcase earlier this year.

Get involved in 2023!

As a result of constant honing, the STC has been going from strength to strength. Last year we were very proud to receive our CSR accreditation, we diversified our range of events and added a new special interest group to our portfolio.

And we’re looking forward to another big year in 2023: amongst all the new events and programmes coming through, we’re also looking forward to our annual conference on 21st November, and very shortly we have a fresh, new, far more interactive website being launched, so watch this space!

Become a member of the Silverstone Technology Cluster

From its inception with just seven founding members (Barclays, Buckinghamshire Council, EMW Law, Grant Thornton, Hexagon, Silverstone Park and West Northamptonshire Council) the STC’s members now exceed 150 businesses and come from a hugely diverse set of services and technologies – and we’re always excited to welcome new ones!

For more information on what the STC offers its members, visit: https://www.silverstonetechnologycluster.com

Article by the Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC)