Sage the market leader in cloud business management solutions, today announces that it will invest £40m in the North East of England in the next three years, creating an improved experience for colleagues, customers and partners, and strengthened technology and customer facing capabilities.
The new workspace for colleagues in Newcastle will be part of a wider UK investment of over £300m by the end of 2020.
The investment underlines Sage’s commitment to North of Tyne and the North East as a hub for UK colleagues working in product development, innovation, sales and customer service, supporting small and medium sized businesses navigating digital transformation and regulatory change. As part of this transformation, Sage will be moving its flagship UK offices from North Park to Cobalt Business Park, the UK’s largest business park.
Sage is also announcing that it is hiring to fill around 500 roles in product engineering, data science, support and sales. These roles, alongside other investments in technology and training take Sage’s total investment in the UK’s thriving digital economy to over £300m by the end of 2020, with investment focused in and around Newcastle, Manchester, Reading and London. This planned investment reflects the company’s SaaS strategy, and its focus on customer success, colleague success and innovation.
By occupying two existing buildings at Cobalt Business Park and investing in a complete re-fit, Sage will provide a world class experience for colleagues, customers and partners who work and visit its offices in the North East.
From late 2020, nearly 2,000 Sage colleagues and all new hires will benefit from the newly refurbished hub. Sage will continue to work in partnership with business leaders and government in the region, including working towards a new data-driven SME growth plan focusing on trade and digital skills.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Steve Hare, CEO of Sage said:
“The UK’s tech sector is fast becoming a centre of global excellence, and Sage is particularly proud to be part of this, and to have such a significant home in the North East.
‘Our colleagues are one of our main strengths, and I’m pleased that this investment will create a great experience for them and a fantastic environment for innovation– both are crucial to our vision of becoming a great SaaS company.”
Sage was founded over 30 years ago, in Newcastle, as the brainchild of local academics and has grown into a global company with around 13,000 colleagues worldwide, supporting millions of customers.
Today, recognising the changing demands on the workforce as technology speeds change, Sage is planning to spend £1.6m to ensure that all colleagues receive training in leadership and innovation to help them grow professionally. Sage will also continue to grow our apprentice programme, with over 150 new apprentice and graduate opportunities, as well as roll out the next phase of the Future Makers workshops to inspire students to use AI technology for good. Both initiatives will support the development of a diverse and healthy pipeline of tech talent.
Secretary of State for International Trade, Dr Liam Fox MP said:
“The UK boasts one of the strongest tech industries in Europe, attracting more investment than any other European country and Sage is one of the UK’s best tech success stories. Their technology plays a vital role in enabling UK companies to do business each day and facilitates exports to markets overseas.
My department is committed to attracting investment from across the globe to ensure that we remain the number one destination for investment in Europe. Sage’s investment shows a firm commitment to the UK and will help create high-quality jobs and drive prosperity into local communities in the North East.”
Commenting on Sage’s move to Cobalt Business Park, Sabby Gill, UK & Ireland Managing Director, Sage said:
“Sage’s heart lies in the North East, the region is our spiritual home. Over the past three decades we’ve grown into a global technology leader, supporting over a million UK businesses directly or through our accountant partners, improving their productivity through digitisation.
Sage continues to grow. Right now, we are recruiting for more than 200 open roles in the North East. It’s an exciting time for Sage, the North East and the UK.”
Mayor of the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said:
“This really is excellent news. Sage is a global business and a global leader in technology. To invest another £40million in a new world-class technology hub is a great vote of confidence in the North of Tyne. There’s also an apprenticeship programme to give youngsters a route into well paid work.
Sage is one of our flagship home-grown businesses. They’re a real driver of innovation and skills in the North of Tyne. And as a digital company, Sage will be key in delivering prosperity in the modern, low-carbon economy, based on good quality skilled jobs. We’re working together to boost sustainable growth in our region and to support our whole small and medium enterprise sector.”