Reading is regarded as one of the top regional technology centres in the UK and has a large footprint of tech enterprises, particularly in the private sector business population, with the M4 corridor & Thames Valley, including Reading, having a strong presence of tech sector enterprises, especially for larger firms.
Once one of Britain’s major industrial towns, Reading is today a hub of creative and digital industry with a diversified economy and highly-skilled workforce. Major corporations including tech giants Microsoft, Cisco and Huawei have headquarters in Reading, while the business district – Forbury Place – has attracted more big names like HSBC and PwC.
Reading is an important commercial centre in Southern England and is often referred to as the commercial capital of the Thames Valley. The town hosts the headquarters of a number of British companies and the UK offices of foreign multinationals, as well as being a major retail centre
Almost one in five enterprises in Reading are classed as tech companies and the proportion of tech businesses in Reading is rated three times the national average. Around the Thames Valley area, there is also a strong presence of technology companies in Slough, Bracknell and Wokingham, with twice the national proportion of tech companies present in the area.
