Member Article

Northern Powerhouse Minister makes first official visit to Durham

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry is making his first official visit to County Durham today.

Durham County Council and its economic development company Business Durham will showcase investment made in regenerating large parts of the city, in partnership with the private sector.

They will also showcase progress at the North East Technology Park (NETPark), which aims to become a hub for companies that are focused on making game-changing products that transform lives.

Councillor Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, spoke of his pleasure in hosting the Minister.

He commented: “Durham is a vibrant and dynamic destination that has seen its business landscape change in the past few years, with global corporations such as Hitachi Rail Europe establishing and expanding their operations.

“We also have a proven track record in providing the right climate for ground-breaking small businesses that are at the forefront of innovation across the space and light industries.

“We welcome the opportunity to discuss how the Minister and the government will continue to support us in this important work ensuring we can play our full part within their Northern Powerhouse vision.”

During his visit, the Minister will also hear how Business Durham works with SMEs in the region.

Sarah Slaven, Interim Managing Director of Business Durham, said: “We have approximately 12,000 businesses in the County and the largest industrial estate in the North East.

“This has not happened by accident. We have been innovative in our approach and used our funds, the North East LEP Local Growth Fund and collaborated with the private sector. We are also the only Council in the North East to create our own VC fund.

“I hope the Minister recognises our achievements to date and buys into our vision that by 2025 we will become a hub for companies that develop game-changing products that transform our lives.”

Helen Golightly, Executive Director of the North East LEP, added: “In our Strategic Economic Plan, we set out our ambition to create 100,000 more and better jobs in the North East economy by 2024. Mr Berry’s visit is a fantastic opportunity to show, in practical terms, how this is being achieved through investment and focus on activities that will help businesses grow.

“The North East is committed to being a key contributor to the Northern Powerhouse and rebalancing the UK economy, and we are pleased to welcome Mr Berry to demonstrate this.”