North East England is a region where boundaries have constantly been pushed back. Through the industrial revolution, the region was a powerhouse of engineering innovation, leading the way through the age of coal, iron, shipbuilding and electricity.
Today, the region nurtures a new generation of innovators and business people attracted by the pace of progress. From breakthroughs in the life sciences and nanotechnology to developments in renewable energy and ageing & health, the pioneering spirit remains the lifeblood of North East England as it has been for many centuries.
When it comes to quality of life, North East of England was named as one of the top 30 must-see destinations in the world by popular travel guide the Lonely Planet Bluelist 2008, which identified it as one of the most up-and-coming destinations in the world and described it as "the most exciting, beautiful and friendly region in the whole of England".
The spirit of innovation with which North East England is synonymous, is infectious. Here people approach life with passion and look to the future with optimism.
Facts and Figures
- North East England is home to 2.5m people and has a £38.8 billion economy
- Companies in North East England are consistently the most optimistic about the general business situation*
- The region enjoys strong domestic orders and achieves consistent growth in output*
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Area of 9,000 square kilometers
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Gross Value Added (GVA) per head of £14,048 (in 2005) and is growing above the national average, exceeding the growth levels of both London and the South East
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Home to 588 overseas companies from 32 countries, employing over 27,000 people
- Five universities, with over 50 RAE 5 or 5* rated departments, and 18 further education colleges, together attracting almost 96,000 full and part-time students
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Third highest graduate retention rate in the UK, at 59%
- Only London has a higher rate of technology start-ups than North East England
- Expenditure on R&D by the region’s businesses is rising year on year, with the latest levels of spending reaching £281m
- North East England attracts over half a million overseas visitors each year, in 2006 reaching 650,000
*Figures from The Experian six-monthly Regional Survey of UK Economic Trends 2007.
