NEW research has shown the extraordinary high density of digital business in Brighton with one in four of all companies part of the cluster.

Brighton also has the largest digital workforce within non-digital industries in the UK, with employment and turnover continuing to rise in the cluster, according to the Tech Nation 2016.

More than 15,000 people in the city work in the sector, earning an average of £43,274 a year.

The city specialises in digital advertising and marketing, gaming, app and software development, data management and analytics.

It benefits from access to graduate talent, local networks and a “positive cluster brand”.

The Tech Nation 2016 report was produced by Tech City UK, a Government backed organisation tasked to accelerate the growth of digital businesses, and innovation charity Nesta.

According to its findings, the turnover of digital tech businesses in Brighton grew by 17 per cent between 2010 and 2014.

During the same period employment growth was up 11 per cent, turnover up 17 per cent, and digital GVA up 42 per cent.

The industry's GVA is estimated at £744 million.

Phil Jones, chief executive of Wired Sussex, said: “Tech Nation 2016 shows that digital tech businesses are powering the economic growth of Brighton.

“Our specialisms in adtech, software development and data analytics are developing the cluster a nationwide reputation for digital excellence.

“Digital tech businesses are now enabling disruption across a wide range of traditionally non-digital industries and this should ensure the continued success and growth of this cluster for years to come.

“Someone once said that collaboration is one of Brighton’s biggest competitive advantages and I think that’s absolutely right.”

One of the companies highlighted as a success story was MakerClub

Simon Riley, founder and CEO, said: “Having close working relationships with the local community of digital companies in Brighton has been of huge benefit to MakerClub.

"The ability to share ideas and expertise across a collaborative cluster enables our business to grow faster and more sustainably.

"The digital tech ecosystem here is fantastic for starting and growing a digital tech business, and Brighton is rightly being recognised as a leading environment for digital tech entrepreneurs.”