Digital Media and Technology
More than 1,000 software and technology companies are based in North East England. They include Sage, the global leader in accounting and financial management systems for small and medium-sized businesses.
During the past three years the region has had the highest number of new technology start-ups in the UK outside London. This is helped by the fact that North East England is the first region to have full broadband coverage.
Teesside University’s School of Computing has more students and staff of any UK university in the field of virtual reality visualisation, which includes computer animation and games development. It is leading the development of Digital City, which is a focus for software design. This has incubator facilities for exciting new businesses.
In Hartlepool, Qurios Entertainment has made a big impact with its work for the television and advertising industries. This has included working with concept artist to visualise the interior of Tardis for a ‘Dr Who’ series for the BBC.
Codeworks is the region’s Centre of Excellence for the digital media and technology sector. It is leading efforts on industry support and securing finance for digital businesses, as well as promoting innovation through research and development.
Nisai provides live interactive teaching through a Virtual Academy. The company has invested £1.7m in transferring the educational technology part of its business from India to Middlesbrough. This is the largest investment in North East England by a company operating in this high-tech field. It has been driven by the desire to establish a skilled and stable workforce. Nisai has created 30 jobs initially and has plans to establish 150 more over three years. It has outsourced more than £100,000 in contracts to the Graduate Business Unit at Teesside University, and it is pursuing joint research with Sunderland University.
Digital Media and Technology Fact Sheet [pdf]
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