ENGLAND, NORTH EAST

Overview: North East England has a impressive track record as one of the principal centres of economic activity in the UK, led by innovation and industrial evolution. The region’s solid manufacturing foundations are supported by emerging high-technology and knowledge intensive industries. The major conurbations of Durham, Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland each have vibrant business cores and cultural attractions, and all lie within minutes of some of the country’s most stunning countryside. The region has been named as one of the must-see destinations for the coming year by the Lonely Planet travel guide.

An excellent track record of inward investment has resulted in over 580 overseas companies locating there. They are supported by leading-edge R&D at the North East’s five first-class universities, along with centres of excellence for digital media, life sciences, nanotechnology, renewable energy and process industries.

“The main reasons for choosing Newcastle are the quality of the people we met here, their kindness and their ability to motivate everyone around a new project such as MobileGov.”
François-Pierre Le Page, CEO, MobileGov
 

Key sectors: advanced materials and ceramics, automotive, biotechnology, call centres and shared service facilities, process and chemical industries, digital media, electronics, food processing, healthcare, information technology, life sciences, mechanical and precision engineering, nanotechnology, offshore technology, pharmaceuticals, plastics, professional services, renewable energy, software.

R&D strengths: life sciences, including oncology, ageing, bio-informatics, biotechnology, health, genetics, stem cell and pharmacy; nanoscale science and technology, including surface engineering, chemical and biological sensors, molecular electronics and biomedical nanotechnology; software games design and data manipulation; renewable energy; chemical process industries; automotive, electronics and photonics, energy and environment.

Major investors include: 2Touch, AKS, Aker Kvaerner, Akzo Nobel, AMEC Wind, Arup, Atomic Planet, Avecia, BASF, BT Syntegra, Biofuels Corporation, Black & Decker, British Airways, Calsonic Kansei, Caterpillar, Clipper Windpower, Corus,Cramlington Precision Forge D1 Oils, Dow Chemicals, EDS, EDF Energy, Econnect, Engineering Business, Ensus, Eutechnyx, Evonik Chemicals, Faurecia, GE Money, Garlands, Genesis Genomics, Gestamp UK, GlaxoSmithKline, Hanseatic Shipping Company, Hashimoto, Helena Biosciences, Hydrovision, ICI, Immunodiagnostic Systems, Invista, Johnson Controls, Johnson Matthey, Komatsu, Lucite, Maersk Company Ltd, Magna Kansei, Marine Projects International, Merck Sharp and Dohme, MobileGov, Nike, Nissan Motor Manufacturing, Npower renewables, NSK Bearings, Orange, PB Power, Peacocks Medical, Petroplus, Phoenix Beattie, Procter & Gamble, Qurios Entertainment, Reflections Interactive, Rocket Medical, SABIC, SMD, Sage Group, sanofi-aventis, SeaDragon Offshore, Seadrill Engineering, Shasun Pharma Solutions, Siemens Business Services, SembCorp, Sinclair Knight, Merz, Sitel, Spark Response, TMD Friction UK Ltd, TNEI, TRW, Terra, ThyssenKrupp Tallent, Unipres, Valeo Cooling Systems Ltd.

Grants: Much of the region is covered by assisted areas, with Tier 2 available in the most heavily populated areas (see map on Grants Information).

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