MANUFACTURERS and their innovation skills hold the key to the successful development of the north bank of the Tyne – and the wider borough – into a manufacturing world leader again.
Speaking at the Inside Government Forum, North Tyneside’s Elected Mayor Linda Arkley has reiterated the commitment of North Tyneside Council to ensuring the revival of the north bank of the River Tyne, as a hub for renewables, is driven by a partnership between the public sector and business to support enterprise.
Successful engagement with the business community and a strong partnership through a ‘One River’ approach is already delivering results and a firm foundation for the new local enterprise partnership to take forward in the future, Mrs Arkley told an audience of manufacturers and local government representatives.
The wider borough is also benefiting. North Tyneside is recognised for welcoming business and innovation. It has the fastest growing enterprise culture in the North East with 200 new businesses established in the last 12 months.
“In 2011 the River Tyne can become a manufacturing world leader again, a huge driver for national and local economic growth – this time focused in offshore marine renewables,” said added.
“Even now, engineering and manufacturing accounts for 12.5% of the North East’s workforce.
“Our work in North Tyneside is concentrated on the River Tyne but it is about the whole borough and the North Eastern area. We are at the forefront of unlocking the huge potential of the land and the opportunities for advanced manufacturing. But to achieve this we need the support and engagement of manufacturers.”
The new era of localism put forward by central government is granting councils freedom to shape the future of their communities by steering rather than directing economic success, said Mrs Arkley.
And the “outward facing” approach by the council and strengthened partnership working with the private sector and public sector colleagues is delivering success. Mrs Arkley is leading in establishing links with key decision-makers nationally to drive future success.
Alesha De-Fritas, assistant director of renewable energy business at the Department for Business, innovation and Skills, is the latest Government representative to visit Tyneside following robust lobbying with the department.
At the local level, the Riverside Business Forum, established and chaired by Mrs Arkley, has brought together partners and stakeholders in steering the future success of the riverside on both banks of the Tyne.
Close collaboration brought success in the last round of the Regional Growth Fund for manufacturers based on the North Bank of the Tyne.
Bridon Ropes will now manufacture the largest cables in the world in North Tyneside, and Chirton Engineering and Monitor Coatings will provide supply chain support for river corridor manufacturing activities.
North Tyneside is now working with public and private sector partners to develop a programme bid to round two of the Regional Growth Fund that could “transform the Tyne through new industries and jobs”.
There is also a united approach to marketing the potential of the river. Active promotion of the opportunities available on North Tyneside has resulted in considerable interest in the former Swan Hunter site.
This is in addition to support for existing successful businesses on the riverside including Pipecoil Technology Limited, Bridon International Limited and SMT (Soil Machine Dynamics), the world leaders in subsea technologies who have just received the Queen’s Award for Industry for Innovation and Enterprise.
And the successful partnership with the education sector, which will see Newcastle College and its partners deliver a Renewables Academy as the first phase of a learning village for the north bank of the Tyne is now focusing on how we ensure the local workforce has the skills to meet the needs of current and future employers in the renewables industry.
“Thanks to hard work and good partnerships, we are confident we will deliver our objectives no matter what. We will continue to think creatively and act collaboratively,” said Mrs Arkley. “At a time of great change in the public sector we must focus on working with industry to rebalance our economy.”