Creative industries as big in the North as ICI once was
Mar 20 2008 By The Journal
Think the next YouTube or eBay is sure to be launched from New York or California? Think again. Experts forecast that any one of thousands of tiny North East companies could become the next global digital giant.
Now, they’re a beacon for regeneration, branded one of the most exciting sectors for development by the regional agency One NorthEast (ONE).
And according to Codeworks, the Sunderland-based centre for digital innovation in the North East, small interactive software companies in the region already turn over more than £256m a year.
“This is a highly valuable sector. New media, games and interactive software companies currently generate £256m in turnover regionally, with 14% of the highly valuable new media, video games and interactive software companies each turning over in excess of £1m per annum,” says Codeworks chief executive Herb Kim.
“Teesside is also home to a very strong video games development sector,” he points out.
“Businesses in the digital age don't face the same geographical limitations as even a few years ago.
“On a practical level, there is little that a company in San Francisco can do that a similar-sized company in Newcastle, Sunderland or the Tees Valley can't.
“Because of that, we know the next digital giant – the next YouTube, Google or eBay - could potentially come from the North East.”
A report commissioned by government body Culture NorthEast revealed that commercial creative industries, made up of 2,200 businesses, are worth £800m to the region’s economy.
Together, they employ 30,000 people. That’s as many as chemical giant ICI supported in its heyday.
But the lack of a major media content buyer in the region means ONE is having to work hard to sell the sector to the rest of the UK.
However, that challenge is being tackled in the Tees Valley, with the recent opening of Teesside University’s £12m Institute of Digital Innovation (IDI), which, following publication of the Government’s
Part of its existing work is to promote Tees Valley companies to potential investors.
By combining seasoned professionals from the industry with new businesses, academics, students and graduates, the IDI aims to help release the creative block and drive forward the DigitalCity initiative, which supports new and growing businesses in digital media and technology in Tees Valley.
Dr Jim TerKeurst, director of the IDI, said: “Some of the examples from here demonstrate how people with creative ideas are working with the likes of scientists and digital specialists to come up with new products.
“We now have over 100 businesses operating under the university umbrella and we are in a really good position to bring experts together with those to help generate this new cluster on Teesside.”
ONE is also working with sector skills councils to ensure business demand for skills and talent is matched against supply from universities.
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Case study: 13 Strides FORMER top-level hurdler Anthony Borsumato (above left) and his cousin Kevin Allinson (above right), both multimedia applications graduates from Teesside University, set up 13 Strides, building websites with a strong athletics base.
Anthony followed his cousin on to the course after injury ended a career during which he earned a place in the Great Britain Olympics team in Sydney in 2000, and came fourth in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Anthony and Kevin have set up fitness and training websites for athletes, including Olympic champion runner Dame Kelly Holmes. They are working on various projects with Nova International, the sports marketing agency in charge of the Great North Run; the Sports Council for Wales; and the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
Anthony says: “The area is achieving global recognition for creativity, which institutions such as the university exemplify.”
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Case study: Niel Bushnell
NIEL Bushnell, managing director of visual effects studio Qurios Entertainment in Hartlepool, began his career in London in a junior studio position for the film and television industries.
He and his wife Diane returned to their native Hartlepool before setting up their own business, which employs eight people.
Recent successes for Qurios, now in its sixth year, include work on a new BBC sketch show fronted by actor and comedian Omid Djalili.
“There are a large number of loyal, creative and proficient individuals on Teesside with a lot of good, strong ideas, and we need to make sure we keep hold of them,” said Niel.
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Case study: PDC
A COMPUTER game developed in the North East is due to achieve record-breaking sales worldwide after it was launched on an international platform at the Professional Darts Championship (PDC) tournament earlier this year.
The PDC Championship Darts game, developed by Tyneside company Mere Mortals, has all seven major tournaments from the PDC calendar and includes characters made up of virtual players drawn from 16 of the world’s top darts professionals, backed by commentary from “voice of darts”, Geordie Sid Waddell.
Designed for the full range of game consoles, the highly realistic game gives players the chance to go head-to-head with their sporting heroes.
Mere Mortals employs 38 people at its Newcastle base in Ouseburn, and is an digital content creation and post production company offering title sequences video and audio editing and animation, as well as computer and console games production, interactive DVDs and CDs.
Former world champion darts players Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld help launch the game.
