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Revealed: Top UK base for IT businesses
As London fails to make top 20

By Gemma Simpson

Published: Wednesday 26 September 2007

Manchester has the most to offer UK IT companies hunting for a head office location, according to research.

The poll compared what IT bosses want in a location with what the UK's largest cities have to offer.

Edinburgh came in second and Bradford third in the rankings, with Sutton Coldfield coming last in the 65-strong list, according to analysis from travel management company Portman Travel.

Other UK areas not striking a note with the IT crowd included Cambridge in 62nd place, Colchester (63rd) and Gloucester (64th).

Top 10 UK IT locations*

1. Manchester
2. Edinburgh
3. Bradford
4. Norwich
5. Nottingham
6. Stoke-on-Trent
7. Hull
8. Glasgow
9. Derby
10. Walsall
*according to the Portman Travel HQ Monitor Survey, September 2007

Dave Carter, head of the Manchester Digital Development Agency, told silicon.com the city has seen sustainable and "steady growth" within the IT industry and hopes to carry on its success using the Manchester-based MediaCity:UK complex and the Manchester City Digital Strategy.

London came in at position number 26 – with smaller cities such as Hull, Nottingham and Stoke-on-Trent all beating the nation's capital in the rankings.

Despite only being placed in the top 30, London was named as the best for airport, supply chain and talent availability, but the worst for cost of land and levels of traffic congestion.

The ranking was based on seven factors which IT bosses look for when deciding where to base their businesses. The 65 largest towns and cities across the UK which have a population of more than 100,000, were then assessed in terms of theses requirements.

The deciding factors were the cost of land, availability of talent, supply chains and green space, proximity to airports, railway network and levels of traffic congestion.

Mancunians have been getting more tech-savvy of late, with the city council unveiling plans for a free citywide wi-fi network this year.