VISION 31: The region shaping tomorrow

The North East has every reason to “be as ambitious as possible”, with world-leading innovation, major investment and transformative developments creating a powerful platform for future growth.

But if the region is to truly “turn ambition into action”, it must continue to believe in its strengths, champion its successes and present a clearer, more unified voice to the outside world.

Those were the principal themes of multi-platform publisher NET’s latest VISION 31 event, held at North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Sedgefield, County Durham – itself a powerful example of what can be achieved through long-term vision, public and private sector collaboration and sustained investment.

Supported by Aon, Northumbria University, Lloyds Banking Group and rail operator Grand Central, the event marked the next chapter of NET’s long-term VISION 31 campaign, exploring how the North East can build on its growing momentum in areas such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, technology and inward investment.

Hosted by NET and Bdaily editor-in-chief Steven Hugill, more than 70 attendees gathered to discuss how the region can capitalise on those opportunities by strengthening collaboration, developing future skills, attracting investment and presenting a more confident, unified voice to the outside world.

Featuring two panel discussions, the consensus was clear: the North East has a “unique proposition” and every reason to be ambitious, but must continue to “believe in itself”, champion its successes and speak with one voice, rather than allowing geography and local rivalries to define it.

The first panel – The Region Shaping Tomorrow: The Power of the North East – explored how businesses, public sector partners and cultural organisations are helping to shape the region’s future through investment, innovation and collaboration.

Panellists shared examples of growth and ambition across manufacturing, technology, business support and culture, while also addressing the challenges that remain, from access to funding and skills shortages to the need to better promote the North East’s latent strengths and create opportunities for the next generation.

Audience members heard from Tania Cooper, managing director of Steel Benders UK and chair of the North East STEM Foundation; Kerry Walker, managing director of Business Durham; Sharon Lane, managing director of Tees Components; Ross Linnett, founder and chief executive of Recite Me; and Julia Handelman-Smith, programme director of Into the Light.

Pictured, from left to right, are Tania Cooper, Sharon Lane, Julia Handelman-Smith, Kerry Walker, Ross Linnett and Steven Hugill

Kerry, who is overseeing the continued growth of NETPark, said the site’s evolution over the last two decades demonstrates what can be achieved through long-term collaboration and investment.

Reflecting on the transformation of the former Winterton Hospital site into a nationally significant innovation district, now home to pioneering businesses including telecommunications technology specialist Filtronic and radiation detection company Kromek, Kerry said: “NETPark is absolutely about collaboration. 

“It’s where research, innovation, industry and commercialisation come together.

“We’ve grown incrementally over the years and continue to invest because our businesses are thriving. 

“This isn’t just a Durham asset – it’s a regional and national asset that gives businesses the infrastructure they need to grow.”

Highlighting the wider strengths of the region, Kerry added: “The North East is a place that simply gets things done. 

“We’ve got the right conditions and the right environment for businesses to start, scale, invest and, more importantly, stay in the region.”

That message was echoed by Ross, whose Gateshead-based technology company Recite Me has grown from a North East start-up into a global leader in digital accessibility, providing website and language support tools used by thousands of organisations worldwide to make online content more inclusive.

Reflecting on the company’s own investment journey, Ross said the region was increasingly attracting the attention of major investors, citing the experience of working with BGF, one of the UK’s largest growth capital investors.

He said: “When we started dealing with BGF, they didn’t have a presence in the North East.

“But very quickly one of the conversations we had was, ‘I didn’t realise how much was going on in the North East – we need an office here’.

“That showed me people outside the region are starting to recognise what we’ve known all along – there’s a huge amount happening here.”

Ross said the experience demonstrated how perceptions of the region were changing, but argued businesses also needed to champion the North East with greater confidence.

He added: “You don’t have to be in London to be successful.

“The North East is a fantastic place to grow a business, but you’ve got to believe you can do it.

“You’ve got to have a can-do spirit about yourself and about the region.”

Tania, meanwhile, who leads Hartlepool-based Steel Benders UK – an engineering firm that has grown from a family business into an international supplier serving sectors including offshore energy, defence and infrastructure – reflected on the company’s recent £20 million investment in a new 40,000sq ft manufacturing facility at the former Caparo and Forge site.

She said the development would not only provide the space needed to support future growth and install new machinery, but also represented a long-term investment in the next generation of engineering talent.

Tania said: “It’s an investment in our team and in future generations. 

“It gives us the space to grow, improve the way we work and install the new machinery we’ve already invested in.”

Tania added the project would not have been possible without support from the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Investment Fund.

She said: “Without that funding, we couldn’t have moved forward.

“It’s easy to fund the machinery – it’s much harder to fund the building – but that support gave us the opportunity to invest.”

Drawing on Tees Components’ more than 60-year manufacturing heritage, Sharon reflected on how continual investment and innovation had enabled the family business to evolve from a traditional subcontract machine shop into a globally recognised precision engineering company.

She said: “We’ve had to adapt. 

“The simpler engineering has gone overseas, so we’ve invested heavily in technology, equipment and skills to specialise in high-risk, complex engineering.”

While praising the international reputation of British engineering, Sharon argued the region must do more to celebrate its manufacturing strengths.

She added: “We need to get a really strong message across that we’ve got world-class engineering and manufacturing capability. 

“We’re leading in areas such as clean energy, biosciences and advanced manufacturing – I just don’t think that’s widely known.”

Attention then turned to the region’s skills agenda following Alan Milburn’s recent review into rising numbers of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Speaking as chair of the North East STEM Foundation, Tania argued businesses must take greater responsibility for inspiring the next generation.

She said: “I don’t see skills as an educational problem or a Government problem – I see it as an industry problem because we’re the users of those skills.

“We’ve got to open our doors, invite young people in, provide work experience and create opportunities. 

“Apprenticeships are an investment, but if we don't make that investment now, we’ll feel the impact in years to come.”

Sharon agreed, describing work experience and apprenticeships as some of the most effective ways of engaging young people and helping them understand the opportunities available within manufacturing.

She added: “I’ve got brilliant people in our machine shop who first came to us on work experience when they were 14. It really works.

“When we’re organising conferences and events, let’s invite apprentices and students too. 

“The impact on them can be profound.”

The discussion concluded by broadening the conversation beyond business and manufacturing, with panellists highlighting the important role the creative sector plays in shaping the North East’s identity, attracting talent and supporting long-term economic growth.

Julia, who leads Into the Light – a landmark programme helping grow County Durham’s creative economy while celebrating the region’s cultural strengths – argued that culture lies at the heart of thriving communities and successful places.

She said: “Culture is the beating heart of our communities.

“It’s the connective tissue that draws all of this together.”

Julia argued that investing in culture was ultimately an investment in the region’s future, helping create places where people and businesses choose to stay, grow and invest.

Calling for greater patience and long-term commitment to the creative sector, Julia added: “Sometimes, we need the same long-termism that some of our industries have. 

“It can take decades – even generations – for these things to grow.”

The second panel – The North East: Open for Business – featured insight from Michelle Glendinning, head of human resources at Amazon; Dean Cook, managing director of Arlington Real Estate; and Gary Chapman, co-head North region and director, industrials and infrastructure, Lloyds Banking Group.

Pictured, from left, Dean Cook, Michelle Glendinning and Gary Chapman

Building on many of the themes explored during the first panel, the second discussion examined why global businesses and investors are increasingly choosing the North East, and what more can be done to capitalise on that momentum.

Gary, whose team at Lloyds Banking Group recently announced plans to make more than £1 billion of finance available to North East businesses while helping establish the North East Ports Investment Taskforce, said the region was uniquely placed to lead the UK’s green energy transition, with billions of pounds of investment expected to flow into offshore wind, ports, manufacturing and supply chains over the coming decade.

Describing the North East as a “strategic national asset”, he said the scale of opportunity was unlike anything else in the country.

He said: “Some of the largest green energy infrastructure projects in the UK are happening here, which is really exciting.”

Pointing to Lloyds’ partnership with the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and the Office for Investment, Gary added: “We’re trying to say to anyone coming into the region that the North East is absolutely open for business. 

“There are great things happening here.”

Highlighting the scale of the opportunity, Gary said: “There’s about £50 billion worth of investment over the next ten years, and the North East is well placed to capitalise on that.”

Dean, whose Spennymoor-based Arlington Real Estate is working alongside Homes England to deliver the one million sq ft West Hartford Park employment hub near  Cramlington, said strong partnerships between the public and private sectors were giving developers the confidence to invest in the region.

Reflecting on the scheme, which is expected to create more than 2000 jobs, Dean said: “One of the things the North East does really well is partnerships. 

“We work closely with Homes England, the two combined authorities and local authorities, and those relationships give us the confidence to invest and bring forward projects of this scale.”

Calling for the North East to promote itself with greater confidence, Dean added: “The messaging has to be clear. We are a region of opportunity.

“We have the infrastructure, we have the land, we have the opportunity and we have great people. 

“We need to take advantage of that.”

The conversation also echoed the first panel's focus on skills, with Michelle arguing that the North East’s greatest competitive advantage lies not only in its infrastructure, but in its people.

Drawing on Amazon’s extensive presence across the North East, where it operates fulfilment centres in Gateshead, Stockton, Durham and Darlington alongside a delivery station in Washington, Michelle said the company’s continued investment had been underpinned by access to a highly skilled workforce and a strong talent pipeline, fuelled by the region’s five universities.

She said: “The North East is a fantastic place to grow a business.

“We’ve got access to education, we’ve got lots of routes into talent and there are so many different advantages to why global businesses choose this region.”

Michelle also highlighted Amazon’s investment in apprenticeships, internships and programmes supporting young people and those returning to work, arguing that employers have a vital role to play in developing the workforce of the future.

She added: “We’ve got to keep investing in people at every stage of their careers. 

“Whether that’s apprenticeships, graduate opportunities or helping people return to work, businesses have a real responsibility to create those pathways.”

Bringing the discussion to a close, Gary said the North East must “seize the opportunity” presented by unprecedented levels of public and private investment.

He said: “It’s our time for investment. 

“We’ve got major institutions, investors and the Government all looking seriously at the North East.

“We’ve just got to promote ourselves because this region has everything it needs to succeed.”

NET’s next VISION 31 event will take place in London in November.

To secure your place, contact NET event managers Dawn Owens and Lesley Hampson at dawn@netimesmagazine.co.uk or lesley@netimesmagazine.co.uk.

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