Member Article

New app showcases land on former North Tyneside shipyard site

Available land on the former Swan Hunter shipyard site, in North Tyneside, is being digitally showcased, thanks to a new augmented reality app.

The new app, created to apply the latest in hi-tech work to showcase the 34-acre advanced manufacturing Swans development in Wallsend, North Tyneside, was unveiled on board a special two-hour boat trip along the Tyne, prior to NOF Energy’s pre-conference drinks reception on March 8th.

Swans, owned by North Tyneside Council, is set to be one of the largest specialist quayside developments in the UK with completed infrastructure including new roads and utilities, as well as the completion of a dredging operation which has increased the draught at the quay edge to 9.1m.

Created by Middlesbrough-based Spearhead Interactive Ltd, the new augmented reality app can be downloaded via the Swans North Tyneside website.

Dan Riley, CEO of Spearhead Interactive, said: “We are thrilled to have been able to develop the Swans Site Augmented Reality app in partnership with Gardiner Richardson and the key stakeholders overseeing the regeneration and redevelopment of the Swans site.

“It’s been a wonderful opportunity to bring the site to life and play a small part in promoting the high-level work being done to bring investment and jobs into the region. Augmented Reality is a perfect medium to engage and amaze an audience, and we’re very pleased that the technology has been so well received by those who have had a chance to try it for themselves.”

Mark Robinson, Director of Kier Property and Swans’ site development partner, said: “Launching the new augmented reality app on board the boat trip proved a huge success. It offered us a great way of laying the foundations for prospective Swans tenants in a new and exciting way, helping bring the site to life in ways we could previously not imagine.

“It gave us the opportunity to network on a 1-2-1 basis with operators and contractors to show them how they can benefit from the location by highlighting the site’s capabilities and development opportunities. We were able to better understand their needs and will now work with them on innovative solutions for the future of Swans.

“We hope to develop the app’s capabilities further as we follow up strong leads and as the site progresses. In the meantime, it offers us a unique way of showcasing the site to advanced manufacturing clients at events across the country, throughout the year.”

Norma Redfearn, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, said: “Our state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facilities being developed at Swans and other sites make North Tyneside one of the best places to do business.

“This has been a great opportunity to show some world-leading companies what North Tyneside has to offer, and how Swans can help them grow in a global market.”

Paul Nicholson, director of PGN Property, one of the agents marketing the Swans site, added: “We were also delighted to attend the NOF Energy conference for the third year in a row. It’s such a great gathering for the energy industry as it enables a whole range of leading companies to come together and discuss the important matters affecting their industry.”

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