Key Achievements
Business
Strategy for Success
One North East has made a significant investment in the Strategy for Success programme that aims to reshape the regional economy for the future. It focuses on areas of industry where the region has particular strengths: energy and the environment; healthcare and health sciences; and process industries. Newcastle Science City is a key part of this.
Access to Finance
The region now has an unrivalled package of financial assistance for firms of all sizes and at all stages of their development. Over £98m is available through a unique and comprehensive range of finance to meet virtually all business needs. It supports business growth, the development of new products and the creation of jobs.
NEPA
By placing world-class engineers into businesses to improve skills, productivity and competitiveness, NEPA has helped firms make savings worth £19m and increased their efficiency.
Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) and Inward Investment
In the past three years One North East’s SFI grants and support have led to the creation of almost 7,000 jobs and the safeguarding of more than 9,000 jobs in the region. It has also led to private sector investment totalling over £532m in the companies being supported.
During the past five years the Agency has helped create over 10,000 new jobs through inward investment and safeguarded a further 12,000. Because of this One North East is recognised nationally as a leading Regional Development Agency in securing international inward investment.
ICT and Broadband
The Agency has invested £10 million to give the North East the most extensive broadband coverage of any region outside London. The North East Regional Portal (www.n-e-life.com) was created in 2001 and was the first true regional portal to be developed. It attracts almost one million visitors each year by providing access to economic, educational and administrative data.
People
Business Support & Skills
Strong working relationships between the Agency, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the Business Link operators have enabled the development of an approach to business support and skills growth which meets real needs. This can be seen, for example, in the brokerage model for business support, which involves Business Link sourcing support services that companies say they actually need.
SHiNE and Regional Economic Strategy (RES) Development
The RES is the blueprint for the economic development of the North East. It is owned by the region and is designed to enable everyone living and working here to contribute to its success. RES 2006 has two key aims: increasing participation and raising productivity.
SHiNE (Strategic Horizons in the North East) has helped to identify some of the main changes and challenges affecting the region’s economy. It was a radical future planning process which involved hundreds of participants from the private, voluntary and public sectors. They were presented with a range of alternative scenarios for the region’s future, based on a variety of strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing us. Discussions ranged across social, economic and political issues. Their responses, as well as the evidence gathered by SHiNE, helped guide the drawing up of Leading the Way, the updated RES.
Responding to Large Scale Redundancies
We work closely with partner organisations to co-ordinate and support activity around large scale redundancies and company closures, by establishing dedicated response groups in which we play a co-ordinating, influencing and supporting role. Two successful examples are the closures of LG Philips and Samsung, where 85% and 80% of the workforce was redeployed respectively.
Future Entrepreneurs
Recognising that young people are key to the future economic prosperity of the North East we have funded enterprise work with young people culminating in the current Future Entrepreneurs programme.
Place
Buildings for Business
An innovative property partnership between One North East and UK Land Estates is recognised as national best practice. Buildings for Business has enabled private sector expertise to be brought into managing the Agency’s business estates. Profits from the partnership are reinvested into improving the range and availability of business premises around the region.
Area based Regeneration Initiatives
The development of Grainger Town in Newcastle is just one example of the highly successful area regeneration schemes in which the Agency has invested. A similar approach is being followed in Holmeside, Sunderland; the Pedestrian Heart in Darlington; and the Cultural Quarter of Middlesbrough.
Tourism
Following the successful transfer of Northumbria Tourist Board into the Agency, tourism marketing and management is now an important part of the Agency’s activities. Tourism has become a key growth sector and One North East has doubled the amount it spends each year on developing the industry. Recent tourism marketing campaigns have been a huge success. The setting up of Area Tourism Partnerships in the North East will focus sub-regional support for businesses, boost localised marketing campaigns and reduce duplication on other fronts.
Regional Image Strategy (RIS)
This is raising the profile of the region nationally and internationally, increasing awareness and understanding of North East England as a great place to live, work, study and visit. The highly successful Passionate People, Passionate Places marketing campaign was recognised as the World’s Best Regional Marketing Campaign at the World Travel awards in 2005. Perceptions of the region are being rapidly transformed as a result.
Achieving on behalf of RDAs
One North East has played a leading role in establishing the Northern Way Growth Strategy with Yorkshire Forward and North West Regional Development Agency. It aims to close the £29billion gap, in producing goods and services, between the North of England and the rest of the UK. The Northern Way has funded a variety of projects across the North East to address issues such as employment, product and service design, and research and development. Notable has been the £1m for a project in Easington that helps people without work and on long term incapacity benefit to return to the workforce.
