North East England’s advanced manufacturing sector is exceptional.
Companies moving to the North East will benefit from our unmatched operating costs, superb access to UK and overseas markets, and a highly-skilled workforce renowned for its outstanding productivity.
Our well-established advanced manufacturing sector is home to global giants such as Nissan, Hitachi Rail, Caterpillar, GSK and Technip FMC. We have specialisms in automotive manufacturing, rail, aerospace, electronics, pharmaceuticals and subsea engineering, plus a well-connected supply chain.
We have a large skills base that supplies a productive, innovative and highly-developed workforce. More than 116,000 people work in manufacturing roles, including 58,000 specialist workers employed in advanced manufacturing.
Over 120,000 students study at the region’s five universities, with more than half studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. The North East has one of the highest proportions of students studying STEM subjects out of any UK region, and the 3rd highest proportion of students studying engineering and technology subjects in all UK regions.
The North East has exceptional sites and transport infrastructure. Over 2,000 acres of space is available at low-cost development sites close to major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with superb access to our ports, airports, rail and road networks.
Our advanced manufacturing sector is paving the way for the future. Innovations in technology, robotics, automation, electrification and artificial intelligence have been cemented in some of the region’s largest manufacturers, including Tharsus, Nissan, Turntide Technolohies and Komatsu. This is supported by the region’s world-leading research and development (R&D) facilities, such as the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (CESAM) which provides a catalyst for manufacturing productivity improvement.
The digital sector in North East England is also playing a major role in the future of the advanced manufacturing sector. Industry 4.0, automation and robotics, and autonomous vehicles are key to the future of the automotive sector and companies located in the North East are already engaged in collaborations to develop this cutting-edge technology.
To support a smooth transition to the region, Invest North East England can provide a range of services, including property searches, data on skills and guidance on incentives, as well as making introductions to specialist networks that can offer guidance and links to potential customers, opportunities and R&D support.
