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Interview: Jason Legget on bringing the North East’s Creative, Digital and IT sectors together

Editor Jamie Hardesty talks to Jason Legget, Project Director at Creative Fuse North East, about university collaboration, plans to boost the region’s Creative, Digital and IT (CDIT) sectors and the value of ’Superfused’ businesses to the North East economy.

The £3m Creative Fuse project, involving all five of the region’s universities, is a research partnership exploring how the CDIT sectors can be better developed to boost the North East economy as a whole.

The 30 month task, which has previously enjoyed success in both London and Brighton, has begun by mapping the creative, digital and IT landscape of the North East in terms of the mix of skills, knowledge and support available.

Following this, work will begin to identify opportunities for more effective use of combined resources and best practice in workforce development, as well as highlighting ways in which the region’s universities can better support the sector.

After hearing about the concept a few years ago, I’ve since realised how much of a coup the project is for the North East, demonstrating the strength of the region’s already existing CDIT economy - as well as its geographical potential - when only a select few UK areas have been afforded such an opportunity.

With the Newcastle University, leading the co-ordination - and digital business leaders often calling for North East universities to lend further support in supporting sector growth - being able to unify academic prowess under one banner is an achievement which seldom happens in any given region.

Touching on progress so far, Jason Legget explained: “Creative Fuse North East provides the 5 regional universities a truly compelling reason to collaborate, working together to develop stronger links with the region’s businesses and freelancers across the sector.

“After putting the bid together and bringing the project to the region, we secured a project Advisory & Steering Group with a number industry and academic leads and chaired by ex Culture Minister Ed Vaizey.”

After the launch of the www.creativefusene.org.uk website, which is currently hosting a survey of North East CDIT sector opinion, a series of monthly collaborative innovation events, called CAKE, soon followed.

Innovation and interdisciplinarity, it would seem, are the cornerstones to the project.

Collaborating with businesses and specialist academics, the body hopes to introduce long term value to the region by supporting cross sectoral innovation - ultimately creating a more sustainable sector to secure inward investment and develop major funding opportunities.

Jason continued: “This year the project really comes into it’s own where we use the analysis of the research work to identify key opportunities to work with the business community to tackle major innovation challenges for the North East and demonstrate the true potential of combining our creative, digital and technology skills.

“We will be running a number of collaborative events to bring people together to tackle some grand challenges and build powerful connections between industry, academics and major North East institutions.

Jonathan Sapsed, who spearheaded Fuse in Brighton, is a prominent figure in the mission having taken on the role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Professor at Newcastle University.

“It’s great that we managed to secure Jonathan to come to the region and provide his expertise and insight from his work on a Brighton Fuse. His knowledge of the sector from his time in Brighton and the insights he developed from leading the project are great assets for us”, said Jason.

So in terms of value, I was curious to understand what project wins and success will look like for Creative Fuse North East.

Jason explained: “We are already being seen as a region that can effectively collaborate bringing 5 universities together and working across a diverse sector.

“There is a significant opportunity to use the research to help inform future strategic investments both from our own public sources but also private sector investors such as new businesses looking to set-up in the region, relocate here or VC funds looking to invest.

“The Creative Fuse North East Project will also enable us to bid for more funding to demonstrate the idea of innovation spillover - using creative, digital and tech firms and academic specialists to help other large sectors such as Automotive, Health, Sub Sea and Education to innovate.”

Jason believes that project success will also strengthen the region’s position as a potential creative and digitally-led vanguard of the Northern Powerhouse.

“We are already discussing with partners how we can develop a stronger and clearer message about the sector in the region using Creative Fuse North East outputs”, he added.

Business from the sector can get involved in the project by simply voicing opinion and engaging in collaboration, with the aforementioned survey being a starting point.

Jason explained: “We have a unique opportunity through the funding and the collaboration across the region to bring the sector together in a much more cohesive way.

“We need to try and speak with a single clear voice to help us secure the regional, national and global opportunities.

“We have the people, skills and businesses to achieve amazing things, but we have to all work together more effectively and by people getting involved, attending our CAKE events and importantly completing the survey we can do this.”

So there you have it, Creative Fuse North East hopes to to act as the major force in bringing the North East CDIT sectors together to enhance the region’s overall proposition and ultimately better the economy.

To learn more and get involved in what’s happening, click here to go to the CFNE website, take the survey and find out about upcoming events.

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