TODAY marks the first full day in my role as president of the voice for North East business, the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC). I am delighted and honoured to have been elected.

This is an extremely important time for businesses in the region. The structure of strategic economic development in the North East has experienced a considerable overhaul as part of ongoing austerity measures introduced by the Government.

There is no doubt that this presents challenges for the region, not least the impact on funding levels into the North East economy, but it also opens up opportunities.

NECC is heavily involved in working alongside partners in the public sector to help ensure that the region gets the utmost out of the new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and the recently announced Enterprise Zones.

The Government has been fairly non-prescriptive about many things including the shape and function of LEPs and Enterprise Zones, preferring instead to let decision makers on the ground mould these entities to best suit the locality. By doing so, and by recognising that one size doesn’t fit all, this has created a real opportunity to tailor-make the right environment for business growth.

What is vital though is that businesses take the time to get fully engaged in the process. NECC is the perfect conduit for these views but the more input it receives from members, the more well-rounded its lobbying activity will be.

NECC has the largest and most effective policy unit of any business organisation in the region. Its activity is shaped by the annual manifesto and it consistently plays an important role in shaping the landscape for businesses in areas including the quality of infrastructure, planning and procurement. Again, I would urge companies to consider how they can work with NECC to improve business conditions now and in the future.

I take over the role of President from Martyn Pellew of PD Ports who has made a real success of his two years in office. He has worked both within the region and in Westminster to communicate passionately for the North East. Martyn is a great asset for the region and he will continue to be a strong advocate for us.

I would end by saying that how we shape the economic landscape in the future will depend on the strength of the partnerships between the private and public sectors. Autonomy is not an option, collaboration is the key.

I look forward to working with all organisations for the greater good of the North East.

:: John Mowbray, President of the North East Chamber of Commerce