Software helping buck the trend
Nov 19 2008 by Karen Wilson, The Journal
SUNDERLAND's burgeoning software industry is helping the city buck the recessionary trend and set the benchmark for business growth in the UK, says Herb Kim, CEO of the organisation set up to drive digital innovation in the North East.
The Royal Mail’s latest Business Barometer data, a detailed analysis of active businesses within the UK, sees Sunderland top the table with a 2.16% increase in growth between March and August of this year, compared to a national average that has slumped to just 1.4% in the wake of the credit crunch.
The statistic doesn’t come as a surprise to Mr Kim, whose Codeworks organisation – which is based next to Sunderland University’s St Peter’s Campus – was launched in 2004 to help support, develop and grow the entire digital sector throughout the whole of the North East.
“There’s no doubt that Sunderland’s growing reputation as the regional focus for software development has contributed to its impressive rise up the table,” he said. “And it’s helping it to stay afloat as other regions suffer.”
Here, Mr Kim is referring to the Sunderland Software City initiative, which has been set up to develop a strong and internationally competitive software sector in the North East by:
Creating a skilled workforce.
Developing an infrastructure that will attract international technology companies.
And developing spin-outs and growth in current software companies.
The initiative is supported by One North East and will be delivered by a number of regional partners including Sunderland Council, Sunderland University, the Leighton Group, the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) and Codeworks itself.
Mr Kim explained: “We’re delighted to be playing an important role in Software City. One of our projects, Codeworks Connect, acts as a trade association for the North East’s digital sector as a whole, and has built a reputation for delivering high quality networking events and a hugely successful student and graduate placement scheme.
“Connect will fulfil a similar role for Software City: running events to help software firms share knowledge and build relationships, as well as a placement scheme.”
What’s more, in 2009 Codeworks will once again run two major conferences in the North East that will give Sunderland’s software companies the chance to meet some of the technology industry’s biggest players, venture capitalists and thought leaders.
On May 14-15, the Thinking Digital conference (www.thinkingdigital.co.uk) will return to The Sage Gateshead, and on June 23-24, the second annual GameHorizon Conference (www.gamehorizon conference.com) for games software firms, will take place at the same venue.
Mr Kim added: “Sunderland is ideally positioned to become a strong force in this fast-changing, fast-growing digital age.”
