GCHQ chief opens £5.8m cyber and digital centre

A £5.8m cyber and digital centre has opened in Gloucestershire, which will help the area become "the cyber capital of the UK".

The FuturePark centre is based at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham and was unveiled by Anne Keast-Butler, director of the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ), which is based in the town.

The university offers technology and computer courses to more than 500 students, local businesses and community organisations.

Ms Keast-Butler said: “If we are to meet the growing challenges of an uncertain world, it is essential that we collaborate with business and our universities, and that together we nurture the talent coming through our education system.”

The university said FuturePark, which was funded by the Office for Students, was “a testament to the power of collaboration”.

University of Gloucestershire vice chancellor Dame Clare Marchant DBE said she was proud of the university for raising their standards higher.

“This new space marks our commitment to supporting Cheltenham’s vision of becoming the cyber capital of the UK and a centre of excellence for computing and digital technologies.”

Ms Keast-Butler added she wanted the centre to be a “beacon of opportunity”.

"This space provides the chance to collaborate and take shared approaches to problem solving in technology."

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