North East England’s established ecosystem gives cyber security businesses in the region a competitive edge. With strong networks promoting collaboration and best practice, pre-startups, startups and trading businesses are supported to innovate and grow. The creation of a new AI Growth Zone in the North East will further accelerate job creation and economic growth.
Key support organisations include:
Cyber North, the cyber security cluster for the North East of England, working to support the growth and development of the regional cyber security sector. The cluster organisation works with businesses, academia and industry to collaborate and strengthen the sector. They hold regular events and networking sessions as well as advocating for the region.
Cyber North’s commitment to the cyber security sector has supported skills initiatives such as
- CyberFirst
- Flexi job apprentice schemes
- Supporting ex-forces into cyber employment
- Cyber leadership training (upskilling)
CyberNorth also runs the North East’s biggest cyber security festival – CyberFest – which takes place every October across the North East.
Reinforcing the collaborative approach in the region, CyberNorth and Sage UK recently announced a new partnership to support North East England’s cyber security sector and promote the region as a centre of technological innovation, helping to attract more businesses to locate to the North East.
Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley is an organisation supporting the digital sector and encouraging the growth and adoption of advanced digital adaptation. It has a focus on digital innovation, emerging tech (IoT and 5G), as well as supporting the cyber security sector. It helps demonstrate and explore the impact that technology can have on productivity, efficiency and performance.
AI Growth Zone
North East England’s AI Growth Zone will generate growth opportunities, capitalising on access to the UK’s largest source of low carbon and renewable energy, world class universities and the region’s emerging tech ecosystem in areas including advanced manufacturing, robotics and space.
Investing in North East England’s AI Growth Zone will provide access to a pipeline of talent from the region’s universities; a community of high-growth businesses supporting the AI ecosystem (including data centre construction, operations, data engineering, software development, and AI research); and sustainable sources of clean and reliable energy from the North East’s strong offshore wind infrastructure, emerging solar capacity, large-scale battery storage, and new-generation nuclear innovation.
It will also accelerate the growth of key sectors in the North East including manufacturing, life sciences, energy and professional services. And by collaborating with local schools, colleges and universities, it will create bespoke training programmes and apprenticeships that develop the local AI and data talent.