The North East is the emerging European location for biotech, nanotechnology, ICT and new digital media.

	Area:	8592 sq km
	Population:	2.66m
	Regional GDP³	£25.9bn
	Exports to EU³	£5.2bn
	Exports outside EU³	£1.6bn
	Unemployment‡	7.4%
	Industrial property cost*	70.9
	Office rental cost**	67.2
	% of exports to Asia/Oceania³	6.6%
	Foreign manufacturing investment²	£369m
	UK manufacturing investment²	£774m
	R&D expenditure³	£164m
	Gross Value Added per employee¹	£37,100
	Export value per employee³	£7095
	Average earnings per hour³	£9.20
	³=2000; ‡=Q1,2001; ²=1997; *index: UK=100 (type 3 industrial property Q1 2001); ¹=manufacturing; ** index: UK=100 (type 1 office accommodation Q1 2001)

Geographically, the North East’s strategic advantage is its access to Europe and the rest of the UK. Situated on the east coast of England facing Northern Europe and Scandinavia, the North East offers an excellent location for new business projects, with a strong industrial and commercial base and its commercial capital Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Commercial activity is concentrated around the rivers Tyne, Wear and Tees, with less densely populated areas in Northumberland providing ample opportunity for expansion.

A dynamic base
The North East of England is the emerging European location for high technology companies, with expertise in the areas of biotechnology, nanotechnology, ICT and new digital media.

The North East Region has always been the home of traditional manufacturing and engineering industries, and has world-renowned strengths in automotive, chemicals, engineering, offshore technology and food processing, but in the last 20 years has undergone a major transformation and is developing a strong infrastructure to support a knowledge-driven economy. It is an exciting time for the North East, and the regional development agency One NorthEast and its regional partners are working together to support the changing economy and develop the infrastructure necessary to support new technologies.

Life sciences and biotechnology
The life sciences sector globally is growing at a spectacular rate, and this is playing a major part in building a knowledge-based pharmaceutical economy in the North East of England.

Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology have a long-established and strong presence in the North East, where major multinational companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmacia, BASF Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Synthelabo and Avecia Biotechnology have major facilities. Merck Sharp and Dohme supplies markets worldwide from its largest tablet plant outside the US at Cramlington. Between them, they employ around 4500 people.

This strong manufacturing base is supported by cutting-edge research and development undertaken by the North East’s five first-class universities. The University of Newcastle has one of the largest biomedical science schools in the UK, linked closely to the city’s three teaching hospitals to offer research and clinical trials conducted to the most exacting standards. The University of Sunderland is home to the UK’s largest pharmacy school and the highly successful School of Health Sciences, conducting research into the mechanisms of disease and drug action. The University of Northumbria has a £42m purpose-built campus dedicated to nursing training and education, while the University of Durham’s Biological Sciences Department is a centre of excellence in fields including biochemistry and genetic engineering.

In addition, the North East is home to the specialist Institute for the Health of the Elderly, an international centre for research into dementia and ageing disease, representing one of the largest integrated research programmes in this field in Europe.
The International Centre for Life in Newcastle is a £70m purpose-built facility and acts as a focus for Biotechnology in the North East. It includes a commercial BioScience Centre, the Human Genetics Institute (home to 150 geneticists from the University of Newcastle’s five-star rated department), the Bioethics Forum and Life Interactive World – a major educational visitor attraction.

Nanotechnology
Miniaturisation technology underpins innovation in most high-technology sectors, including biotechnology, defence, communications, electronics and medical sectors. Government and industry advisers worldwide view micro and nanotechnologies as key to economic and technological competitiveness. It is widely predicted that the nanotechnology era will lead the next technological revolution.

The UK Government in February 2001 announced the establishment of the University Innovation Centre for Nanotechnology at the University of Newcastle. This £25m high-technology cluster development initiative builds on the strength of activity in nanoscale science and technology at the five universities in the North East of England. The regional portfolio includes surface engineering (Northumbria), chemical and biological sensors (Sunderland and Teesside), molecular electronics (Durham) and biomedical nanotechnology (Newcastle).

Together with the International Centre for Life, which services the biotechnology sector, the University Innovation Centre for Nanotechnology will act as a key cross-sector driver for regional high-technology-based cluster development.

ICT & new digital media
The North East of England is home to around 150 IT and software development-related companies as well as 400 new digital media firms. The number of people working in the industry is estimated at 10,000. Software companies operating in the region are acknowledged leaders in their field, well demonstrated by the presence of one of the UK’s premier financial application developers. Sage, the world’s largest supplier of PC-based accounting software to small and medium-sized enterprises is headquartered in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Equally, the region has excellent capability in terms of data manipulation (IMASS and Target Base) and ISPs, including Leighton Management, whose group encompasses a wide variety of e-business applications, as well as DomainNames.com, one of the world’s largest domain name registrars. TNL and industrial software providers, such as LIC Energy and British Airways, are also present.

Infrastructure
The North East continues to attract a significant number of overseas investors each year through its high-quality business infrastructure, cost-effective location, and skilled, loyal and adaptable workforce used to flexible working patterns. More than 500 companies have invested in the region in the last 10 years and the North East is becoming a popular choice with Australian investors and for those looking for a UK location from which to access the European market.

These companies are attracted by a comprehensive transport and communications network which covers the region, linking it with the rest of the UK, Europe and Scandinavia. With two international airports, both accepting passenger and freight traffic, the region is well positioned to offer regular 50-minute flights to London and European cities. In addition, there are five deep sea ports and excellent road and rail links, with the region being situated on the East Coast main rail and motorway links.

Culture
Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan city, the commercial capital of the North East. It is a modern, attractive and compact city with a population of almost 600,000 people. The River Tyne runs through Newcastle, which sits some five miles from the mouth of the river. Much of the waterfront in the city has been revitalised in recent years, creating a lively leisure district and modern office setting.

The North East has many historical attractions and areas of outstanding natural beauty, including Durham Cathedral (a World Heritage site), Hadrian’s Wall and moorlands, mountains, castles, miles of protected golden coastline, and many bridges.

Regional Development Agency
One NorthEast offers a sophisticated partnership with clients to facilitate their strategic investment in the global market place. The Agency can give practical advice and assistance to help companies find suitable sites and premises in the region, hire and train a workforce, and apply for local and national government assistance.

In addition, it can match the purchasing requirements of incoming companies with the a qualified list of suppliers through the Supply Chain Management Team’s contact database. One North East is able to offer business solutions that positively impact on the bottom line, making the North East of England the place to do business – globally.

Websites:
One North East
www.onenortheast.co.uk
www.digitallocations.co.uk
North East Chamber of Commerce
www.ne-chamber.co.uk
Universities for the NE www.unis4ne.ac.uk