Digital Jersey: we need to change more quickly!

Wednesday 27 January 2016

The CEO of Digital Jersey has urged the Island to embrace "disruptors" and concentrate on specific areas of excellence in order to build its technology sector - but warned that change needed to happen much more quickly.

Tony Moretta outlined his strategy for Digital Jersey in 2016 to the island’s business community at an Institute of Directors’ lunch.

He said: “The purpose of Digital Jersey is to build a new digital industry for Jersey. It’s not just about diversifying the economy by creating new tech jobs, it’s about all taking advantage of digital to improve our skills.

“You need to embrace the disruptors to protect your existing strategies; you have to build your foundations. You need a digital agenda across the whole of Jersey.”

Mr Moretta cited closer relationships with the States, and with businesses, as being a key to achieving faster change. He said: “Collaboration and delivery is at the heart of the plan this year. We need to build centres of excellence to attract inward investment. People have realised the pace needs to be quicker.”

At the start of the year Digital Jersey split from The Hub building where it began. The Digital Jersey team transferred to offices above the creative co-working space, leaving the ground floor for smaller tech firms and community digital activities.

Mr Moretta said: “If we are to grow the digital industry to the size of finance in Jersey we have to work as professionally as them. Digital Jersey needs to emulate the success of Jersey Finance. We will bring our members together with government and work together with schools to ensure school leavers come out with the right digital skills.

“We cannot hope to compete on quantity so have to compete on quality. For example, how financial services have chosen areas where they have competitive propositions for companies to come here and grow. “

He cited Fintech, Medtech and The Internet of Things (getting everyday things hooked up to the internet) as three areas for Jersey to focus on, but warned that for them to succeed the island requires more robust cyber security and a digital-friendly government.