More than 25,000 are now involved in Coventry’s booming new economy - but large chunks of the city’s population risk being left behind in the drive to the digital age.

A survey of employers in 1998 revealed that the number of people working in electronics, software, the internet, or other computerised areas has grown.

And researchers predict that in the next five years the numbers could double again as companies such as Marconi and Jaguar expand their research sections.

When the new Marconi headquarters are built in Ansty it will be the first time for more than 75 years that the largest firm in Coventry is not involved in the car industry.

Myles Mackie, research and strategy manager in Coventry City Council’s city development directorate, said:

“We are in exactly the same position as we were in the 1910s with the new industry of the 20th century, the car industry.

“It was a leap in the dark as people didn’t know how the industry would develop.

“It’s another example of Coventry re-inventing itself.”

Mr Mackie said the definition used for the “new economy” was firms that used “brain-power, not muscle” and whose services or products couldn’t be made using low-tech means.

He said other traditional firms that were developing the use of computers could fall into the new economy bracket.

But he warned that low-skilled people and small firms risked missing out and being left behind in the rush.

He said:

“The problem we’ve got is the city is split in two. There are those who can deal with the new economy, but a lot who can’t.

“It’s a serious issue for the future prosperity of the city that young people get the knowledge to deal with this.

“People on low pay, with a low amount of education and elderly people are all at the risk of missing out.

“We need to make sure that the young people get the training they need as they could earn a lot of money from these changes.

“One of our biggest concerns as a lot of smaller firms are doing very traditional things, but they need to be converting.”