Concerns regarding a potential connection between an Israeli company and Cheltenham’s Golden Valley cyber development have been clarified by Cheltenham Borough Council and its partners.
The Borough Council’s £1 billion flagship initiative aims to establish a dedicated cyber-security and technology innovation campus adjacent to GCHQ in the west of Cheltenham. This project is regarded as a critical step towards positioning the region as the UK’s cyber capital.
Questions emerged over the involvement of Israeli firm SOSA, an open innovation company that links large corporations and governments with emerging tech startups, due to its previously established ties with Plexal. Plexal, an innovation partner for Golden Valley, facilitates collaboration among government, industry, and start-ups to build a national cluster for cyber and technology.
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In December 2019, Plexal entered into a memorandum of understanding with SOSA to explore potential collaboration. However, Plexal has since stated that this agreement did not lead to any projects and that SOSA is not part of their current operations or partnerships related to the Golden Valley development.
Former deputy leader of the borough council, John Webster, raised concerns about the potential involvement, especially in relation to cyber technology and artificial intelligence being used in warfare. He referenced a 2023 UK–Israel roadmap that mentioned the Cheltenham scheme, highlighting the commitment to universal human rights made within it. Mr Webster emphasised the importance of transparency regarding SOSA’s role.
Responding to these concerns, a Cheltenham Borough Council spokesperson affirmed that the council and its development partner, HBD, have no relationship with SOSA, and that the company is not involved in the Golden Valley project.
Similarly, a Plexal spokesperson reiterated that their prior memorandum of understanding with SOSA was exploratory, did not lead to further collaboration, and that SOSA is not involved in any of Plexal’s current activities or partnerships, including those in Gloucestershire.