Council restructuring hits technology office

Aug 21 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

AN ORGANISATION launched three years ago to encourage the growth of Newcastle’s knowledge economy is to close due to “restructuring” at Newcastle City Council.

The City Technology Office (CTO) was created in 2005 to support the growth of the science and enterprise strand of Science City programme and to stimulate the development of key growth sectors in the city amongst other things.

However, as the Science City plan to create prosperity from science in Newcastle takes shape, council chiefs believe the CTO is no longer necessary as its agenda now covers the same ground as Science City. A CTO spokesperson said there is likely to be some kind of announcement within three months.

He said: “[the closure] is about the fact that the science City is getting clarification on its agenda and the CTO was always going to focus on the same agenda as Science City.” As part of Newcastle City Council’s Regeneration service, the CTO invests in stimulating innovation, attracting talent and developing Newcastle’s knowledge economy and encourages businesses to use broadband.