Member Article

Digital Catapult Centre to launch in Sunderland to help startups and local SMEs

The Digital Catapult, a national centre set up to rapidly advance the UK’s best digital ideas, has today announced that it intends to appoint an LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) led consortia in the North East to establish one of three local Digital Catapult Centres.

Due to open in March 2015, the Digital Catapult Centre North East & Tees Valley will be located in Sunderland and will provide a physical space for startups and small businesses in the creative and technology sectors to develop and showcase their digital ideas and products.

They will also be able to use it to connect and collaborate with larger businesses, universities and public sector organisations.

With a united aim of generating thousands of new jobs, driving innovation at a local level and creating millions in linked investment and future funding by 2025, the three local centres will support the London King’s Cross Digital Catapult Centre which was opened today by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for the Digital Economy.

The Digital Catapult Centre North East & Tees Valley will host a high bandwidth connection linking it with two additional centres planned for Brighton and Bradford and also with the Digital Catapult Centre London.

The North East based consortia led by the North East LEP and Tees Valley LEP was selected following an open call for partners in July 2014 and chosen from 17 LEP and local consortia bids involving more than 50 business, local authority, SME and university partners.

The project will be led by Sunderland Software City on behalf the North East LEP and Tees Valley Unlimited.

The consortia will focus specifically on the controlled delivery and security of data so as to increase information sharing amongst businesses and organisations and to open up new business models and revenue streams.

Other key partners involved include Newcastle University, Durham University, University of Sunderland and Teesside University.

Activity will run until March 2018, and the consortia will also be tasked with initiating and collaborating with the Digital Catapult on a range of innovative projects, designed to be accessible to start-up and SME businesses to use and learn from.

Tasks will also include creating links between universities and the local business community as well as creating networks that enable university led R&D in the Digital Catapult challenge areas to be converted into commercial market opportunities, which can be prototyped and piloted by start-ups and SMEs.

Minister for the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey MP, said “It is an exciting time to be a tech business in the UK. Our digital economy is already one of the strongest markets in the world, valued at more than £100 billion.

“Growth areas including the Internet of Things and digital creative industries are opening up a range of new opportunities for companies in the sector.”

“The new Digital Catapult Centre will provide a thriving, state-of-the-art hub for some of the country’s most innovative digital companies and entrepreneurs.”

CEO of the Digital Catapult, Neil Crockett, said: “The truth is the most exciting digital innovation is happening in local communities, like those across the North East and Tees Valley, who are bringing together new ideas, businesses, universities and the public sector.

“As a national centre, it is important we support and collaborate with these local innovation communities who are doing amazing things in our focus areas.

“The open call has only reinforced our view that there are many brilliant digital innovation communities across the UK, and we hope it is the start to building a whole range of exciting future relationships.”

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