A digital champion: Mark Nagurski

As Digital Champion for Derry, it is Mark Nagurski’s job to “make a lot of noise about digital content”, he tells Peter Cheney.

Promoting the benefits of the North West as a location for digital businesses is the main aim of ‘Digital Derry’. The project was established by the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce with the support of Derry City Council and ILEX, and includes representatives from private sector companies, the University of Ulster, the North West Regional College and various support organisations.

Initiatives supported by the project seek “to create the best place on the island of Ireland to start and build a digital business.”

Nagurski works with start-ups in film, TV, animation, mobile and web content and games. He advises them and “points them in the right direction.”

Some 1,500 students are currently enrolled in further and higher education digital courses in the North West region. Because of the interest, he also meets third level students and school pupils, and finds that they have a passion for all things digital.

“Every time I am speaking with students there’s just as much enthusiasm for getting into the sector and they’re literally just chomping at the bit to get into a company,” Nagurski comments.

That eagerness must be “translated into entrepreneurship”. He hopes to encourage students to think: ‘Now’s the time for me to have a go at starting my own business in this space.’

Digital Derry

“There’s a huge amount of talent” in the North West’s digital sector Nagurski contends. “A lot of people have good experience and good expertise in this space.”

The main digital attraction in the region is Project Kelvin, a submarine telecommunications cable which will link North America to Northern Ireland, with a point-of-presence in Londonderry.

“Kelvin’s always been about potential,” says Nagurski.

Project Kelvin “offers the opportunity to speak to major companies moving around huge amounts of data” and could encourage multi-national companies to set up data centres in Derry, Nagurski believes.

The existing North West Business Complex at Skeoge is “second to none in the UK and Ireland,” he points out.

In addition, BT has agreed to allow access to high-speed fibre optic broadband from autumn 2011 to 6,000 businesses and 21,000 households as part of its sponsorship of the 2013 City of Culture bid.

“The BT broadband pledge, combined with the potential of Kelvin will make Derry one of the best connected cities in the UK or Ireland,” Nagurski states.

The University of Ulster campus is close by and includes a £20 million Intelligent Systems Research Centre where scientists of international caliber from across the world conduct research in the areas of computational intelligence, virtual worlds, computer gaming, neuro- engineering and bio-inspired computing.

Various forms of business support within the region should also attract new businesses. These include Digital Circle, Go For It, Northern Ireland Spin Out (NISPO) funds and InvestNI. Derry’s proximity to the Republic means that digital start-ups could also benefit from cross-border collaborative projects and EU funding programmes.

Starting a business in the digital sector can be relatively inexpensive: “the same price as a nice summer holiday,” the Digital Champion claims.

Because “digital permeates pretty much everything these days”, it is important for start-ups and existing companies to expand and make the most of the benefits of Derry’s City of Culture designation.

“Many companies are looking for access to talent, attractive tax regimes and rates relief,” remarks Nagurski.

To him, City of Culture means “having a community of like-minded people around who can help and support the new start- ups in the city.” It will allow Derry to be an “infrastructure test-bed.”

His concluding message is that “digital is a lot broader than the tech industry. It covers education, elements of healthcare and tourism.” Ultimately, businesses must become comfortable with breaking digital “out of the tech field” and incorporating it into all areas of their infrastructure.