DigitalCity dream is given a boost by Boho Zone

Jul 9 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

A blueprint to turn the North East into a digital superpower has finally evolved into bricks and mortar. Andrew Mernin talks to DigitalCity director Mark Elliott to find out more about the ambitious 25-year project.

SIX years ago, a trio of forward- thinkers put their heads together and wrote a plan to transform the North East into an international hotspot for digital creativity.

The vision was DigitalCity and its home was to be Teesside, where, if successful, start-ups would blossom as the world looked on.

However, while dreaming up a bold idea to change the economic landscape of a struggling region may be easy, its realisation is not.

All too often ambitious regeneration strategies run out of funding or support, then wither and die.

This week, DigitalCity showed signs that it may well have the momentum to become one of the rare regional masterplans to achieve what it sets out to do.

Yesterday its backers officially opened the doors to its £10m flagship building, Boho One, which is already 70% let by digital and creative clients.

The development – that has the capacity to sustain 27 companies and 283 jobs – is the first of three buildings that make up the Boho Zone in Middlesbrough.

Of course, there is much to be done for the project to achieve its long-term goals and planners are only six years into a 25-year strategy.

But its creator, director Mark Elliott, believes the plan to make Teesside the envy of the digital world is well on track.

“It’s very early days, but we have already got the green shoots of success.

“A year ago I saw an idea come through and I thought to myself, if this had come out of Silicon Valley we would be saying, that’s Silicon Valley all over.

“That company came out of Teesside and if we can do it once you can do it again.”