MANY Yorkshire technology companies are expecting strong growth in 2015, according to findings by Barclays bank.

Barclays’ Fast Growth Tech survey, which questioned owners and chief executives of UK technology firms showed that, on average, businesses predicted that they will grow by ten per cent over the year – nearly four times faster than forecast UK economic growth for 2015.

The research showed that 65 per cent of firms are expecting their business to grow by up to ten per cent, with 23 per cent expecting growth of ten to 20 per cent.

Respondents were very positive about the outlook for 2016, with the average firm expecting 14 per cent growth on 2015, and 13 per cent of firms predicting 20 per cent.

Debbie Mullen, Barclays head of corporate for Yorkshire, said: “These remarkable growth predictions reveal the optimism and drive of Yorkshire’s tech sector. The fact that many firms are expecting further growth in 2016 shows that this trend isn’t transient and Yorkshire is a real launch pad for innovative tech businesses.”

And 84 per cent of those asked said strong leadership was at the heart of growth.