Member Article

New Sunderland tech hub will help 'attract the most talented people possible'

A new hub designed to act as a catalyst for tech companies to grow in Sunderland is set to launch.

Sunderland Software Centre will soon be home to the first ever Drupal Hub, a drop in help centre for those wishing to use the Drupal web building software.

Earlier this year, Sunderland played host to two DrupalCamp events. Adam Hill, a director at Consult and Design, the company bringing the technology to the council’s £10m tech facility, is excited to get the space up and running.

Adam said: “We want it to be a space where the global Drupal community feels supported and at home.

“The eventual aim of the hub is to put the venue at the forefront of people’s minds for world-class Drupal events, positioning it as a space that regularly attracts global audiences and that truly supports the development of the Drupal code and community.

“And in turn, we think this will help Consult and Design, and other North East businesses, to attract the most talented people possible,”

Consult and Design’s Drupal Hub, established in partnership with MAKE it Sunderland and Sunderland Software City, will run a regular day time drop-in event and will play host to various established Drupal events, bringing the region’s Drupal community together to collaborate and contribute to the software.

To celebrate the launch of Drupal Hub and the release of Drupal 8, the Consult and Design is hosting a special event at the Sunderland Software Centre on November 19 from 5pm. The event is open to anyone interested in finding out more about Drupal Hub and Drupal 8 and will provide drinks, nibbles and presentations from Drupal developers.

The announcement of Drupal Hub’s launch comes after Bob Paton, former chief executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, called on more businesses in the North East to embrace new technologies, like the Drupal software, to maintain the region’s competitive advantage.

Mr Paton,who was keynote speaker at the last Drupal event in Sunderland, said: “It’s important that companies in the region know about Drupal and other innovative open source software in order to continue to thrive.

“The Drupal movement is developing at such a fast pace through its approach of collaborating, and those values should be celebrated across our region.

“Having a space like Drupal Hub is great news as it’s providing the chance for businesses to explore the possibilities that this software can open to them. I’m sure that Drupal Hub will be a catalyst to the growing number of agencies, clients and in-house teams using Drupal in the North East and further afield.”

Drupal Hub will host various events as well as provide regular sessions, including Drupal Training Days, Drupal User Group meets, Drupal Sprints and the Drupal Academy which provides intensive training for users of all abilities.