EF News
By Sarah Walker, Interim Director of Business Solutions at Tees Valley Combined Authority
Tees Valley is rapidly cementing its position as one of the UK’s most dynamic digital and creative powerhouses. Here, Sarah Walker explains how TVCA are turning ambitions into action by creating jobs, attracting investment and providing the right environment for businesses to innovate, collaborate and grow.
At the heart of our vision for Tees Valley to become one of the UK's most dynamic digital and creative powerhouses is the £160million Tees Valley Investment Zone – a partnership between the Tees Valley Combined Authority and Teesside University focused on our digital and creative sectors. It is designed to supercharge growth, productivity and inward investment, unlocking £175million of private sector funding and creating more than 2,000 skilled jobs.
For entrepreneurs and investors, we’re providing an environment where ideas meet opportunity. The Investment Zone is building an ecosystem to connect talent, technology and investment to drive long-term success. From the Northern Film Studios in Hartlepool to Middlesbrough’s Boho Zone and Albert North, Tees Valley is becoming a place where creative content and advanced technology are made, shared and exported across the world.
Middlesbrough is home to a thriving cluster of gaming and technology businesses which we’re supporting for further innovation and growth. The rise of world-leading gaming giant Double Eleven is a perfect example of a digital business which has thrived – and we want to provide the backing for more of our brilliant firms to go to the next level. Having companies operating with global reach, while remaining rooted in our community, how success here strengthens regional supply chains and generates wider opportunities across Tees Valley. When our creative and digital firms grow, so do specialist suppliers, freelancers and start-ups around them. It’s a ripple effect benefitting everyone involved and we want to make those ripples even stronger.
The next generation of digital talent is already being armed with the skills and confidence to lead the economy of the future. Teesside University plays a vital role. More than 1,200 students are currently studying digital-related courses within its School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies – one of the best-equipped in the country. At its heart is the new £40million Digital Life building. A hub for digital skills, immersive media, cloud technology, AI and cybersecurity, Digital Life powers the Tees Valley Investment Zone and supports the UK’s ambition to lead in digital transformation.
The University’s research strengths in artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things are helping our firms innovate faster and operate more efficiently. Supporting collaboration between education and industry is vital. It’s why we want to build on the success of the Industrial Digitalisation Technology Centre by connecting small and medium-sized enterprises with cutting-edge expertise in automation, data and Industry 4.0. This support gives businesses the confidence to explore digitalisation, reduce risks and bring new products and services to market in a sustainable way.
Our backing of Game Republic, the largest professional games network in the North, for the next three years also lays down a marker. We want to give our growing gaming community the support and visibility it needs to thrive by connecting developers and studios with investors and partners. It’s building a region where gaming and digital businesses can progress, and local people see a clear route into high value digital careers.
The numbers tell the story. Tees Valley’s digital ecosystem is already home to more than 600 businesses, contributing around £392.5million in GVA and employing more than 4,500 people. New companies are continuing to emerge and scale up. Businesses here are not only adopting technology but shaping it and ensuring supply chains benefit and flourish in equal measure. Our region is a place where entrepreneurs and firms can plug into one of the fastest-growing digital hubs outside London. Most importantly, it’s a region proving you don’t have to leave to go global by developing our talent, keeping it here and seeing it succeed.
