The Deloitte Tech Foundry has been created to allow Deloitte employees and clients to work together and share expertise on how digital transformation can accelerate innovation across business. New technologies such as 3D-printers, virtual reality devices, robotics and drones are available to test in the Play Zone, and a series of interactive learning events are available to help technology leaders share insights and make better-informed decisions.

Three-hundred and fifty new positions are planned to be created in Deloitte’s Reading office over the next few years as a result of the Tech Foundry’s opening, and the growing technology and telecoms market in the Thames Valley, taking the full-time headcount to 1,000 employees. The Reading office is currently the firm’s largest office outside of London in the UK.

The Deloitte Tech Foundry is supported by the Deloitte Cyber Intelligence Centre, a hub focussed on monitoring and assessing cyber security threats within organisations in order to provide swift mitigation and increased security.

Margot James MP, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said:

“The Deloitte Tech Foundry is another huge boost for the tech industry in Reading and the Thames Valley, which is already a hotbed of innovation. Through our modern Industrial Strategy we're working with industry to help grow the economy and create more job opportunities, and it's great to see businesses like Deloitte providing new support for our booming tech sector.”

Daniel Barlow, practice senior partner for Reading, Southampton and Gatwick at Deloitte, said:

“Technology is advancing at a sensational rate, with organisations constantly being presented with opportunities to integrate new systems, collaborate with start-ups and adopt the latest devices. We’re increasingly working with clients on digital transformation projects to share knowledge and assess any potential risks, and the Tech Foundry will further motivate this collaboration, and encourage businesses to share knowledge across industries.

“The Thames Valley is home to iconic global technology and telecoms leaders, inspirational scale-ups and a host of growing start-ups, and so is the ideal location for the opening of the Tech Foundry.”