HomeSector ReportsNorth East VisionSummer 2007

Well targeted investment boosts region's economy

The North-East's economy has been given a boost as well-placed investment has borne fruit in two key areas - engineering and marine design. James Barton investigates. Read

Priority business for Walker Riverside's regeneration

The name Priority Sites is fast becoming synonymous with successful regeneration on a UK-wide scale. The developer works in close partnership with local public sector bodies to bring forward high quality office and industrial accommodation in areas earmarked for major renewal, including those in the North-East. Read

Another brick in the tourism wall

The region's tourism boom in the last few years has also been accelerated with funding assistance from Europe, and one of our most well-known landmarks with Roman origins has been a key site to benefit. Read

Five years of investment provides a platform for growth

Coast & Country Housing - based in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland - celebrates its fifth birthday this July. The company was created to take over the ownership and management of Redcar and Cleveland council's housing stock, with the promise of attracting significant private funding to bring 11,600 homes up to modern-day standards and to enhance core services to provide a greater range of provision and better value for money. Read

Workplaces connecting with North's museums

A pioneering scheme is encouraging staff from companies across the region to volunteer for museum-related projects. James Barton found out more. Read

Working improvements pay off

Massive investment in two of Middlesbrough's main business areas has made them both better places to work and created more jobs. Riverside Park and East Middlesbrough Business Action Zone (EMBAZ) are two of the town's key centres of business, but both entered the new millennium in need of a facelift. Read

Casting the net for fishing industry skills

Thanks in part to European Social Fund (ESF) backing, North Shields' Seafood Training Centre is teaching catering skills to supply a growing demand for trained workers in the fishing industry. Read

One NorthEast backing can help turn the tide

The International Marine Design Centre (MDC) is a £2.3m project which received £1.5m from One NorthEast and it is hoped will again see the North-East as a focal point for marine industry. Read

Wilton Centre firm favourite for a host of good reasons

The Wilton Centre on Teesside is a spacious complex offering a range of office and technical facilities. Located next to the Wilton International site, the centre is set in a 75-acre landscaped park with its own lake and courtyards. Read

Home-grown bakery leads the rural way

A home-grown bakery business in Northumberland has risen out of the ashes of the foot-and-mouth crisis and is thriving with the help of a rural enterprise initiative part funded by European money. Read

CSR high on law firm agenda

Law firm Robert Muckle sees no conflict between its position as one of the most successful commercial law firms in the region and its extensive community and charitable work. Business success is not, in their view, incompatible with care for the wider community. In fact, if they were not successful they would not be able to make the charitable levels of giving that they do. Read

European cash brings rosy future for tourism

One of the most inspirational developments for decades, The Alnwick Garden has rapidly become a leading light in the North East's drive to promote itself as an exceptional destination for tourism, culture and learning. Read

New partner heads up public sector team

Public Sector organisations operating across the UK have a significant impact on both our working and domestic lives. Read

North Easterners step back in time

A cash injection of £510,000 from the European Development Fund (ERDF) has played a highly influential role in a £2m-plus restoration and building programme for one of the North East's most popular tourist attractions. Read

Art inspires Muckle brand

Strong branding is becoming increasingly important for professional service firms, helping to show customers that they are reputable and their services are of a high standard. As all businesses experience tougher competition and as customers become more sophisticated in their buying, then the harder it becomes to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. Read

Learning to value our teachers

A new American skills report has been released which links hopes and aspirations across the Atlantic. Tough Choices or Tough Times is the title of the report by the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce and it's close to the hearts and minds of all those concerned with learning and skills here in the North East as it bears a striking resemblance to our very own Leitch Review of Skills. Read

Reaping rewards of going green

Tees Valley continues to lead from the front when it comes to environmental issues - from renewable energy to recycling. And the region's growth and development of these key sectors will go under the spotlight at the third Energy and Environment Fair, being held at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium on September 20 and 21. Read

Action plan combines spending power to drive economic growth

An ambitious plan has been unveiled to combine the spending power of the North-East's public, private and voluntary sectors and trigger a surge in economic growth. The Regional Economic Strategy (RES) Action Plan is an important milestone on the road to creating thousands of new jobs and businesses over the next decade. Read

Going through process is a modern way of life

The process sector dominates the North-East's economy. But there's more to this complex industry than chemical plants and refineries as Anastasia Weiner discovered. Read

PURASPEC™ innovation lands Queen's Award

The region's reputation for leading the world in cutting edge process technology has received the Royal seal of approval - and not for the first time. State of the art techniques pioneered and developed in the Tees Valley mean the gas used in cookers and central heating systems in millions of homes is safer than ever before. Read