TEESSIDE'S DigitalCity Business is increasing its global links by signing a deal which will see it work with a technology cluster in Turkey.
The digital hub offers support to North East businesses operating in the digital media, technology and creative fields, and has already developed international links with markets such as India, Brazil, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. Its latest memorandum of understanding is with METUtechnopolis, the DigitalCity equivalent at pre-eminent Ankara-based university METU.
This partnership is the culmination of six years of contact, and will give businesses in the two clusters the chance to explore opportunities to branch out into each other’s markets.
DigitalCity Business director Mark Elliott said: “We see mutual benefits in hooking up. We’ve got an action plan in place that scopes some early actions together, largely in investigating what companies in each cluster might want from the other’s market and possibly internationalising these companies.
“Like any relationship this is based on trust and that comes with time and knowledge. There’s a real will on both sides. All these digital companies are looking to plug into the worldwide market, so we need to get them out there. You have to have your links and connections and understand the local markets to do that. It’s absolutely core to our garages to global concept.”
Turkey’s technology market is currently ranked as the seventh largest in Europe, and is expected to continue to grow at a fast rate over the next few years.
Elliott said: “Turkey is like a little China on our doorstep. It’s got one of the biggest take-ups of the internet and social media in the world, and it’s a very tech savvy country with a very young population.
“Historically, one of the drivers for technology has been defence, but it also features large players in areas such as telecoms. METUtechnopolis has got more than 150 companies in its business park and there are all sorts of possibilities. We’ve had an inquiry from a Turkish company as a result of this and it wants to talk about setting up in the UK with us.” DigitalCity Business – which is part of the DigitalCity initiative launched by Middlesbrough Council and Teesside University – recently received £1.7m in additional funding from organisations including the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness Programme 2007-13, One North East and Middlesbrough Council, with support from Stockton Council, Redcar and Cleveland Council and Barnard Castle Vision.
It aims to use the money to create 20 new firms by March 2012 and increase turnover and international trade. It also plans to be self-sustaining within five years.
The organisation recently signed a memorandum of understanding to make Barnard Castle’s Newgate Studios (NeST) the first DigitalCity rural satellite, which will feature an investment in businesses worth £100,000 in the next two years. The link-up will provide business growth workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions and business surgeries. DigitalCity also has satellites in Stockton and Redcar.
