Brighton & Hove has a strong community, a busy business environment, a diverse workforce, and a unique character, attracting talent and institutions from across the UK. Alex Colwell, co-founder of Wellcombe Group, shares his insights on life in this appealing location, where a growing tech and startup scene supports a thriving academic and tourist sector.
In 2021, Brighton and neighbouring Hove generated a combined GDP of around £10bn, up 9.2% from the previous year (ONS). By 2023, the area was home to 40 large firms, 160 mid-sized businesses, and 1,210 small enterprises, with a fifth of the workforce self-employed. The labour force reached 163,000 in 2022, with a 75.7% employment rate by December.
Key growth sectors in the city include tech, information and communication, arts, entertainment and recreation, with the property, professional, scientific and technical sectors also fuelling the local economy.
Alex Colwell, co-founder and director of Brighton and Hove-based IT and change delivery consultancy Stellarmann, chose the city for headquarters because of the “excellent transport links and the area’s talent pool.”
It’s also a destination where “government clients are encouraging engagement with suppliers in the regions to help distribute spend around the country, which helps facilitate pitching for certain contracts,” says Colwell.
The city’s vibrant culture, especially its diversity, remains its greatest strength:
There is something about the DNA of Brighton & Hove that allows us to attract a diverse workforce, including a large number of graduates from the local universities. Our employees here are a progressive, tolerant, warm group of people who are good at looking after themselves and each other.
Alex Colwell
Co-founder and Director, Wellcombe Group
