Challenge of changing times
Paul Callaghan, chairman of One North East
NORTH East England has come a long way in the past 10 years, with a broad and diverse business base that has put us in pole position to benefit from the low-carbon economy.
This is reflected in the vibrant companies which make up this year’s Fastest 50, who are proof that our region boasts an abundance of fantastic people and businesses, from fishmongers to engineers, furniture makers to battery manufacturers.
As we entered the downturn, it was our belief that the diversity of our private-sector meant we were better prepared than in previous recessions to weather the bad times. Now as we look for the recovery to gather pace, companies like those highlighted here are showing the way forward.
Things have not been easy for our businesses and communities and it’s a credit to the 50 companies listed here that they have continued to prosper in such challenging times.
Since last year’s Fastest 50 was published, we have a new Government, a raft of new North East MPs and an extremely different outlook for regional economic development arrangements.
This is a challenging time for the North East but the opportunity is there to build upon the firm foundations that now underpin the regional economy.
In January we launched a £125m “superfund”, the North East Access to Finance fund, which aims to support 850 viable, small and medium-sized firms that will form the backbone of the future economy in this region. Already the funding streams from this pioneering project are starting to provide investment for regional companies looking to grow.
We have been working very closely with Nissan to help the Washington plant to flourish and to help the company develop its new zero-emission agenda. The company’s decision to build its new battery plant and then to manufacture the revolutionary LEAF in the North East was testament to the dedication and skill of the workforce here.
The low-carbon vehicle agenda has accelerated exponentially over the past 12 months and One North East is now installing 1,300 charging points for electric vehicles across the region. The national Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation is being built next door to Nissan specifically for this industry, and our region is rightly acknowledged as the leader in this dynamic new sector.
What President Obama termed “green-collar” jobs are also being generated by the National Renewable Energy Centre at Blyth, which was created by One North East in 2002 and in the past 12 months has grown into a £100m international hub. New building projects for testing wind turbine blades and drive train systems, a major offshore demonstration site and a wave power test facility are all now under way. The centre has given us a head-start in convincing companies like Clipper Windpower to base their manufacturing operation here.
The North East of 2010 is a confident, outward-looking region and I am proud of the part One North East has played to achieve this. We wish all of the 50 firms the very best of success for the future.
