The director of GCHQ, Anne Keast-Butler, has officially opened a new £5.8 million centre of excellence for cyber and digital at University of Gloucestershire.

Funded by the Office for Students, the new centre - FuturePark - has created a future-facing space for cyber, games and computing courses based at University of Gloucestershire's Park Campus in Cheltenham.

Developed in consultation with CyNam, Hub8, and Plexal, FuturePark not only offers state-of-the-art equipment and technology for more than 500 students, the facilities are also available for local businesses and community organisations to use.

By acting as a hub for knowledge exchange and collaboration, FuturePark will play a key role in cementing Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and the region as the cyber capital of the UK.

Dame Clare Marchant, University of Gloucestershire vice-chancellor, said: "With Cheltenham already home to leading national and international organisations, we're proud to be raising the bar even higher with our own facilities, as we look forward to plans for Golden Valley taking shape.

"This new space marks our commitment to supporting Cheltenham's vision of becoming the cyber capital of the UK and a centre of excellence for computing and digital technologies. It also works towards our wider vision of creating connected campuses, that support our students in collaborating and building networks with each other and the wider community.

"By investing in our facilities and in the analysts, coders and designers of the future, we can ensure local employers have the skills they need to realise the region's growth ambitions. At the same time, we can ensure our students and graduates are able to achieve their potential here in Gloucestershire."

Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, said: "It is a pleasure to be opening this fantastic new facility, right on the doorstep of GCHQ.

"If we are to meet the growing challenges of an uncertain world, it is essential that we collaborate with business and our universities, and that together we nurture the talent coming through our education system.

"This new centre will be a beacon of opportunity, providing a space to unlock curiosity and find creative solutions to the challenges we all face. Environments such as this are key, as they help support shared approaches to problem-solving, which enable us to remain resilient and on the forefront of technological development."