North East leaders gather at Tees Valley’s biggest business showcase

The Tees Valley Business Summit has returned for its eleventh year and was packed with more than 600 looking to network, collaborate and grow. Business leaders were excited to meet at Teesside University to attend one of the biggest days in the regions calendar.

The event, organised by UMi was held in partnership with headline sponsors North East Enterprise Agency Ltd (NEEAL) and associate sponsors Sembcorp and Tees Valley Combined Authority, brought together representatives from companies across the North-East to help them build business resilience, explore opportunities in the region and make new connections.

Companies were told about the latest developments at Teesside Airport such as their continued plans for a world-class business park with 3.4 million square feet of flexible office, logistics and commercial development opportunities.

The Tees Valley Combined Authority’s plans for being ground zero for net zero was also a topic of discussion, with their sights set on creating the world’s first Net Zero industrial cluster by 2040, which will bring over £10bn of investment to the area to help with decarbonisation.

Representatives were also invited to have their say in an open discussion aimed at improving the local support landscape and getting companies where they want to be in the future.

With 70 exhibitors, the event was an invaluable opportunity to network and explore potential collaborations. Businesses in attendance ranged from national and international companies such as Sembcorp Utilities UK to local firms like Blend, Mintronics and Barracuda.

UMi’s chief commercial officer, Suzanne McCreedy said: “This year’s Tees Valley Business Summit was packed with insight and learning for business leaders across the region to help them do more and go further. Start-ups and established businesses alike were inspired from the fantastic speakers who shared their insights throughout the day.”

“It was amazing to meet the individuals and organisations that are driving Teesside forward.”

Paul McEldon OBE, chief executive of North East Enterprise Agency Ltd (NEEAL) said: “We are thrilled to have sponsored this year’s Tees Valley Business Summit. Once again it has been a fantastic event, with lots of buzz in the venue and insightful talks. It is an exciting time to be a business in the Tees Valley region with many opportunities and the Summit has embodied that spirit.”

Darren Sturgeon, business development manager for TYL by NatWest said: “It has been fantastic exhibiting at the Summit this year. We’ve had some interesting conversations and made new connections that will hopefully lead to future collaborations.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily