Digital revenues set to soar

Design consultancies’ income from the Internet and digital media will increase 106 per cent in the next 12 months, according to the Government’s latest Creative Industries report.

The sector is already worth nearly £240m (1999) and will make the biggest impact on the design industry, the report says.

The report highlights the UK industry’s export success, which last year clocked up revenues of £1bn to the leading export markets of US, Benelux countries, Germany and France. It confirms the UK as the top exporter of design worldwide.

It also shows that the design industry is the top contributor among the UK’s creative industries, with a revenue last year of £26.7bn, higher than both publishing, at £18.5bn, and advertising, at £3bn, combined.

It confirms its status as a world class sector which “competes regularly and successfully in global markets”.

Meanwhile, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, announced the formation of the Creative Industries Higher Education Forum. Its first act will be to address the deteriorating quality of design school leavers, due to a fall in one-to-one time with tutors, flagged up by the report.