In the West Midlands, the definitions and boundaries of Cyber, Digital, and Tech are more than just academic semantics; they influence policy, investment decisions, and how the region positions itself on the national and global stage. While the rest of the UK and many parts of the world have moved towards recognising cyber as a distinct and critical sector, in the West Midlands, it still largely sits within the broader digital and technology categories.

This nested view, cyber as a subset of digital, which itself falls within the wider tech grouping, may feel natural to regional economic strategies. After all, digital is a major driver of growth and innovation, and cyber technologies are born out of digital advances. But this framing also risks diminishing the unique opportunities cyber offers as an industry in its own right.

Defining Clusters, Sectors, and Technologies

To untangle this, it’s helpful to break down some key distinctions that are commonly drawn in discussions with policymakers and economic bodies like the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA):

• Cluster: Refers to the geographic concentration of interconnected companies, institutions, and organisations that gain economic advantage from co-location and collaboration. Clusters are about ecosystems, relationships, and shared growth potential.
• Sector: This is an economic classification, a group of companies focused on a specific product, service, or market. For example, the automotive sector or the creative sector.
• Technology: Often used to refer to emerging innovations like artificial intelligence or quantum computing. These are not sectors or clusters in themselves but enablers that can transform industries.

When we apply these definitions to cyber, things get murky. Nationally, cyber is increasingly recognised as its own sector, with the UK Government’s National Cyber Strategy aiming to grow a thriving industry that extends beyond its roots in IT security. However, in the West Midlands, cyber is often absorbed into broader conversations around digital transformation and tech entrepreneurship, limiting the clarity of its identity and economic potential.

The Global Context: Cyber as a Business Enabler

In many parts of the world, cyber is no longer seen as just a subset of digital infrastructure; it has matured into a sector critical to national security, finance, health, and beyond. Large-scale cyber incidents have demonstrated that cyber resilience is as much a business challenge as a technology challenge. Increasingly, cyber is seen as a strategic business enabler, essential to innovation, growth, and trust in every other sector.

This shift in perspective is reflected in the UK Government’s move to decouple cyber skills from their legacy position within SFIA+ (Skills Framework for the Information Age) and hand responsibility for these skills to the UK Cyber Security Council. This wasn’t just an administrative change, it was a signal that cyber had grown beyond its origins in tech and IT and was stepping into a broader arena.

A variety of my colleagues in professional bodies like the BCS (British Computer Society) and IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) have expressed regret about losing control over these skills to another organisation. But from another perspective, this decoupling could be seen as cyber’s graduation: a recognition that it is no longer confined to traditional tech structures and deserves a wider, multidisciplinary focus.

Is the West Midlands Ready to See Cyber Differently?

The West Midlands has all the ingredients to thrive as a cyber hub: a growing number of cyber companies, strong academic research, and proximity to industries that are increasingly reliant on cybersecurity solutions, like advanced manufacturing, automotive, and fintech. Yet, these advantages are often diluted because cyber is rarely given a platform of its own.

In many ways, cyber in the West Midlands feels like a nascent sector, still waiting for its moment to mature and be recognised in its own right. While this framing may feel like a challenge, it’s also a huge opportunity. If cyber can be better represented, whether as a formal sector, a cluster, or even through a regional identity that celebrates our specific strengths, it could unlock new investment, attract talent, and raise the region’s profile on the national and international stage.

Building Something More Exciting – the Future

It’s easy to stick with established categories. The idea of cyber as part of tech and digital offers comfort and simplicity. But staying within those lines risks holding back the region from capitalising on what cyber can truly become.

Perhaps it’s time to start thinking bigger. Not just cyber as a technology or a service that supports digital growth, but cyber as an industry of its own. A sector with its economic logic, its own opportunities, and its communities.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll look back in a few years and wonder why we ever debated it at all.