Member Article

NEAA achieves 200 participant landmark

The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), the body representing the region’s automotive sector, has added its 200th member to its cluster.

Launched on the 27th March 2015, the organisation was established to support sustainable, economic growth and competitiveness of the North East automotive sector.

Acting as a voice for the sector, the NEAA says it and provides a strong network providing collaboration and business opportunities for its members.

Paul Butler, NEAA CEO, explained the significance of the milestone.

He said: “It’s just 19 months since our launch so this is a significant milestone in our brief cluster history; and testament to the excellent work of our team and the NEAA board.

“I had a strong belief that the NEAA would be a success. As the UK’s only benchmarking expert for the European Secretariat for Cluster Excellence (ESCA) I have been able to instil the best practice from the benchmarking of over 850 clusters across the globe.

“The future is bright for the North East automotive sector, we are still a young organisation but with the leadership and guidance of industry we look forward to rising to the challenges and driving the sector forward.”

Nissan

Hans Moller, Innovation Director, North East Local Enterprise Partnership further paid tribute to the body for its role in Nissan committing to the region.

Last month the Japanese car maker announced it will manufacture its new Qashqai and X-Trail SUV models at its Sunderland plant, a key pillar on the region’s automotive industry.

Moller commented: “I am absolutely convinced that the NEAA have been instrumental and one of the reasons why Nissan decided to continue their investments in Sunderland. The focus on our Smart Spec sectors in the region seems to pay off.”

Mike Matthews MBE, Managing Director at Nifco UK and Vice Chair of the NEAA, echoed the support.

He said: “The news of the NEAA reaching 200 participants is outstanding and really demonstrates the value that the automotive industry places in the work of the NEAA team.

“This announcement follows on from the great news of the future builds of Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail in Sunderland, and the NEAA is committed to working in our industry to bring further investment and growth opportunities to our region so that we have even more to celebrate. 2016 has been a fantastic year for the NEAA.”

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