The British Isles boasts a number of exciting technology clusters 鈥� but the Isle of Man may not immediately spring to mind.听
However,听the island has some serious tech credentials and is emerging as a potential future powerhouse in emerging technologies such as blockchain and the听Internet of Things.听
As the听tech听sector has expanded globally in recent decades, tech-based companies in the Isle of Man have followed suit, with the sector accounting for 25% of the听island鈥檚 economy.听听
Spanning everything from eSports and eGaming to听FinTech, blockchain and space,听startups, scaleups and global companies have consistently grown and thrived听there, says听Lyle听Wraxall, CEO of Digital Isle of Man.听听
鈥淭he island is, and will continue to be, a digital hub for businesses of all sizes across the tech spectrum,鈥� he explains.听“We will continue cultivating and engaging with a prospering sector… but听there are a couple of particularly exciting sectors right now.听
鈥淚oT is a key initiative. Coupling the island environment with our history as a hotbed for trials and testing, the launch of our accelerator programme听–听a not-for-profit, open-access initiative听–听last year听to听promote听use across the听island was an easy decision.听听
鈥淭hrough the programme, we are providing free access to a government-funded Low Power, Wide Area Network, designed to wirelessly connect battery operated 鈥榯hings鈥� to the internet that will create opportunities for testing, developing and commercialising IoT solutions.听听
鈥淲e hope to have 15 different trials running this year underlining the variety of problems this technology can solve, from smart parking and flood prevention to agricultural solutions such as soil quality monitoring, all aimed at retaining our UNESCO biosphere status听–听the only nation to boast this status.鈥澨�听
He continues:听鈥淯nderway or soon to start, we are working to monitor air quality in parliament and in schools and educating students, footfall capture to better support government decisions and flood modelling.听听
“We continue to explore opportunities in complementary technologies like听autonomous听vehicles,听CleanTech, and platforms that combine distributed ledger technology (blockchain), privacy preservation, and machine learning, to attract new businesses that see the benefit of using the Isle of Man as their听tech听trial Isle.鈥澨�听
The Isle of Man launched听a blockchain project in听2019 which aimed to guide businesses through regulatory landscapes, focusing on expert-led assistance.听Wraxall听said the听Accelerator Programme听has听created an听active ecosystem of businesses in the blockchain and crypto space听– both those already on the island and others looking to relocate.听
鈥淟ast September, we finalised and issued Token and CIS guidance notes in conjunction with the Financial Services Authority to give greater clarity to those considering the听island as a potential home for their blockchain businesses about the likely regulatory status of crypto assets and tokens they may issue,鈥� he explained.听
eGaming is听also听a stalwart of the digital scene听on the island, with听The Gambling Supervision Commission established听as far back as听1962听to听regulate the听gaming听sector.听
鈥淭he pandemic meant swathes of the global industry had to innovate and adapt to offer a diverse choice of services across a range of different locations and innovation continues to make the industry better,鈥� says听Wraxall.听鈥淎s a result, business activity did not slow with the last year being one of the busiest to date. In the last 12 months, we have seen 21 licences granted: a 30% increase in demand.听听
“There has been a marked increase in companies seeking to increase their staff numbers or set听up new operations on the Island, with 150 new jobs expected in the next six months.鈥�听
The fast-rising world of eSports also has promise. The heritage of the legendary Isle of Man TT superbike race saw it听host a virtual TT race, pairing eight professional motorists with eight gamers, last year.听
鈥淲ithout giving too much away, we have big plans to build a new legacy for the Isle of Man, highlighted by the launch of the very first Isle of Man professional eSports听organisation, X7, in April听–听and our resident streamer has just signed for LDN UTD.听听
鈥淎ll I can say is watch this space!鈥澨�听