Partner Article

From ambition to action: unlocking the North East Economy

North East Chamber of Commerce
www.necc.co.uk 
LinkedIn: North East Chamber of Commerce

Having launched its Unlocking the North East Economy policy plan nearly a year ago to catalyse fresh growth across the region, the North East Chamber of Commerce is set to host a conference mini-series to shape the next phase of the blueprint’s delivery. Here, John McCabe, the business membership organisation’s chief executive, tells Steven Hugill about the progress made to date and why collaboration remains crucial to building a stronger and more prosperous region.

This summer marks nearly a year since the North East Chamber of Commerce launched its Unlocking the North East Economy policy plan, which sets out a number of priorities to drive growth and build a more inclusive region. Tell us more about the strategy and the progress made so far.

When we launched Unlocking the North East Economy last September, we set out a two-year policy plan shaped by one clear purpose: to create a practical, business-led framework for sustainable growth.

It was not designed as a wish list, or a document to sit on a shelf, but as a plan rooted in the realities our members face every day.

One year on, this mission feels more important than ever.

Creating and sustaining high-value jobs across the North East sits at the heart of the plan. What practical steps are needed to turn that ambition into reality, and where are you seeing momentum build?

The North East has enormous strengths.

We are home to world-class businesses, universities, ports, cultural assets and industrial clusters.

We have a proud heritage in making, exporting and innovating, alongside emerging strengths in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, life sciences, professional services and the creative economy.

But potential alone is not enough.

For too long, the region has faced gaps in productivity, skills, transport connectivity, health outcomes and investment.

Businesses continue to operate in a challenging environment, shaped by rising costs, workforce pressures, global uncertainty and the need to adapt quickly to new technology.

That is why our policy plan focused on the conditions businesses need to grow: people, infrastructure, business growth, international trade, net-zero and place.

These issues are deeply connected.

A business cannot grow without the right people. People cannot access opportunity without good transport. Investment depends on confidence, connectivity and a clear sense of place.

And the transition to a greener economy will only succeed if it works for businesses, workers and communities.

Over the past year, we have used the plan to shape our engagement with local, regional and national decision-makers.

Through our Quarterly Economic Survey, policy forums and direct engagement with members, we have gathered evidence from businesses across the region and used it to speak clearly about what the North East needs and what our businesses can contribute.

Evidence from our members informs our work on growth, skills, trade, infrastructure, industrial strategy and devolution.

We have responded to major policy announcements, represented the region in conversations with the Government and worked with partners to make sure North East businesses are heard.

But influence is not just about responding to policy; it is also about shaping what comes next.

Skills and inclusive employment are additional central pillars of the blueprint, alongside calls for Apprenticeship Levy reform. How can the region ensure it is developing the talent pipeline businesses will need in the years ahead?

Our work through the Local Skills Improvement Plans has helped put employers at the centre of the conversation.

Across the North of Tyne and Tees Valley, we have worked with thousands of businesses, colleges, training providers and partners to better understand the skills needs of the region.

The message from employers is clear: businesses need technical skills, but they also need communication, adaptability, confidence and digital capability.

They need a system that responds to real labour market demand and gives more people access to good-quality work.

We continue to make the case for stronger links between business and education, more flexible training routes and practical support to help people enter, stay and progress in employment.

The plan also highlights the importance of vibrant high streets and cultural destinations, stronger transport links and capitalising on net-zero opportunities. How important are those issues to the North East’s future economic success?

We have continued to highlight the importance of transport, digital connectivity and energy as foundations for growth.

Better connectivity is about access to opportunity.

It affects whether someone can reach a job, whether a business can recruit from a wider labour market and whether places across the region can attract investment.

The same applies to energy.

The North East has a major opportunity to lead the green industrial transition, but businesses need that transition to be practical and affordable.

Net-zero must go hand in hand with energy security, competitiveness and supply chain growth.

On trade, we have continued to support businesses looking beyond the region and the UK.

The North East has always been an outward-looking region.

We make things the world needs, and our businesses have the ambition to grow in international markets.

Through our international trade work, events and member support, we are helping firms access practical advice, navigate complexity and build confidence.

On place, we have continued to argue economic growth depends on strong, confident and connected communities.

The North East’s cities, towns, coastal hubs, countryside and cultural institutions are major assets.

They shape how people see us and how we see ourselves.

Quality of life is increasingly an economic advantage.

People want to work in places offering opportunity, community, culture and a good standard of living.

That gives the North East a real strength, but growth must reach more communities and create lasting value.

Collaboration with the Government, communities and business – including the Chamber’s near 2000-strong membership network – is a recurring theme throughout the blueprint. How critical are partnerships to delivering the plan’s ambitions, and where have relationships already delivered progress?

One theme stands out across all of our work: delivery depends on partnership.

No single organisation can unlock the North East economy on its own.

Progress depends on business, the Government, education, local authorities, civic institutions and communities working together with shared purpose.

The Chamber’s role is to bring those voices together.

We represent businesses of every size and sector, across every part of the North East.

We hear directly from employers about what is helping them grow and what is holding them back.

Our job is to bring the region’s voice into the room and make sure decisions are shaped by real business experience.

There are reasons to be confident.

Devolution gives the region new tools.

Our universities and colleges are deepening their links with industry.

Businesses continue to show resilience and ambition.

Major opportunities in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital, trade, culture and regeneration are within reach.

But confidence must be matched by action.

If the North East is to fulfil its potential, we need sustained investment, better connectivity, a stronger skills system and a policy environment giving businesses confidence to plan for the long term.

The plan will be supported by a conference mini-series across September and October – titled Unlocking the North East Economy: From Ambition to Action – which will focus on themes including workforce development, technology, inward investment, trade, connectivity and devolution. How will those events – and the conversations they spark – help accelerate the plan’s goals?

The first year has been about establishing the plan, building evidence and strengthening the business voice behind it.

The next stage must be about maintaining momentum and turning shared ambition into practical progress.

That is also why, one year on from the launch of the policy plan, the Chamber is bringing together business leaders, policymakers and partners through a three-part conference mini-series in September and October.

The series will explore how the plan’s ambitions are being translated into action, moving beyond strategy to focus on practical delivery, regional insight and examples of organisations already driving change.

The first event, at Teesside University’s Digital Life Centre, in Middlesbrough, will focus on people, jobs, productivity and artificial intelligence.

The second, at The Culture House, in Sunderland, will explore trade, devolution and the North East’s global future.

The final event, at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, in Gateshead, will look at place, culture, investment and growth.

Each event will provide space for businesses, partners and policymakers to share what is working, challenge thinking and ask what more needs to happen next.

Unlocking the North East Economy is not only about growth on a spreadsheet.

It is about creating a stronger, fairer and more confident region.

One where businesses can invest and grow, people can build good careers, places thrive and the North East plays a leading role in the economy of the future.

For more information about the North East Chamber of Commerce’s conference mini-series, visit the website at the top of this article or follow its social media channels.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by N Magazine .