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Tees Valley
Technology spurs growth
Tees Valley has one of the largest and most important clusters of process industries in Europe. The area provides a base for some of the world’s leading chemical companies and is home to 58% of the entire UK petrochemical industry.
A vast complex of chemical companies is based at Wilton International near Middlesbrough. Within the complex, at Wilton Central, is the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) – one of the North-East’s Centres of Excellence driving the commercial potential of ground-breaking technologies.
Cutting edge R&D work is being co-ordinated by CPI in the fields of printable electronics, nanotechnology, functional materials, low carbon energies such as fuel cells and advanced biotechnology processes. This activity has made Tees Valley a major international centre for pioneering developments in molecular engineering.
CPI has some enviable resources to pursue this work. These include the National Industrial Biotechnology Facility and NanoCentral, which is harnessing expertise in nanotechnology for commercial opportunities being created by innovative companies.
The digital media and the creative sector is another important feature of the Tees Valley’s economic development. With Teesside University’s DigitalCity initiative at its heart, a growing cluster of businesses are benefiting from its mentoring and networking activities.
Students from around the world have been attracted to digital media courses at the university. Many of its graduates are encouraged to develop their ideas in business ventures. They and other entrepreneurs drawn to the area can locate to BohoZone, a town-centre hub with incubator facilities and excellent support services.
The comprehensive infrastructure of the Tees Valley includes Teesport, one of the UK’s three busiest ports.
Companies based in Tees valley include:
The Ensus Group has built Europe’s largest biofuel refinery at Wilton International. The plant, developed at a cost of £300 million, uses locally grown wheat as its principal raw material. It can produce over 400 million litres of bio-ethanol a year, for use in ultra low sulphur motor fuels.
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Lucite has two major sites in Tees Valley at Billingham and Wilton Central, acting as a hub for the company’s research and development. It is a global leader in the design and manufacture of acrylics used in everyday products such as baths, mobile phone screens and vehicle lights.
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SABIC UK is a subsidiary of the fifth largest global petrochemical company, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation. The company has built the world’s largest low density polyethylene cracker plant at Wilton International. The material made at the facility is used in packaging applications across UK and European markets.
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Darchem Engineering designs and manufactures lightweight insulation systems, airframe assemblies, energy absorbing systems and components. It is located at the Durham Tees Valley Airport business development park, and among its customers is Rolls-Royce, for whom it supplies parts for the BR 725 engine.
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