2024 Annual Review Highlights

We spoke to multiple founders who have recently relocated to Jersey. The one constant message was that the island has a lot to offer! It’s a forward-thinking environment, being the first jurisdiction to launch a Bitcoin fund, with a strong legal system and British pound presence. The island’s supportive community which fosters networking and collaboration, particularly in the digital technology sector. And its focus on emerging technologies like the metaverse and its global accessibility make it an attractive destination for entrepreneurs looking to relocate their businesses.

We are leading the LifeCycle data trust pilot project which has established the world’s first legally constituted data trust, and are supporting the local trust sector and technology firms to collaborate and grow the local skills base for administering data trusts and foundations.

We launched our very first Startup Bootcamp, aimed at creating the best possible environment in which to explore and develop digital business ideas. It ran for 12 weeks, from January 2023, and recruited 5 tech founders, each given a personal mentor and access to a variety of experts, workshops, and resources.

In November 2023, some of our team had the opportunity to attend the Smart Cities World Expo in Barcelona. To give an idea of scale, there were 800+ cities and 140+ countries represented, with 1106 exhibitors and an attendance of 25,000 people.

The Smart City Expo provided an incredible platform for Digital Jersey to showcase the island’s innovative projects and allowed us to highlight Jersey’s contributions to technology and innovation on a global stage. The team gained valuable insights into a range of initiatives, from smart buildings to autonomous mobility infrastructure, which can potentially be implemented in Jersey to enhance our technological landscape and drive further innovation.

Projects to create a ‘living map’ modelling Jersey’s carbon storing capability, integrate drone technology into local emergency services, and install sensors to help reduce residents’ energy bills and evaluate flood risk, were amongst the successful recipients of grants from the first open programme forming part of the Digital Jersey-run Impact Jersey scheme.

Last year, Jersey experienced a surge in the numbers of the highly predative, invasive Asian Hornets and their nests to peak levels, mirroring a concerning trend also seen in the UK. Asian Hornets are a severe threat to our native pollinators, have a painful venomous sting, and will attack humans if threatened.

The current method of tracking nests relies on volunteers, but Digital Jersey saw the potential for more accurate estimations via the development of technology. Following an introduction by Innovate UK Edge, we invited Cornwall-based Far Out Thinking Company (TFOTC) for a visit, to share with us their initiative for detecting and tracking hornets using AI.