invest north east england

Many rapidly growing industries in the North East depend on the vital support provided by the area’s knowledge intensive business services (KIBS).

The quality of the service provided ensures that the industries can compete effectively in increasingly complex national, European and global markets.

The North East workforce has an enviable reputation for low staff turnover and low rates of absenteeism. This has not only enabled the KIBS sector to generate around 25% of the area’s wealth but also act as a magnet for incoming firms – particularly in the contact centre field.

Rapid expansion has taken place and the strong growth potential of the sector in the North East has been recognised in data gathered by the OECD.

In fact the impressive expansion of contact centres means they now provide a greater proportion of jobs in the North East than in any other part of the country apart from the North West.

The extensive infrastructure of KIBS and call centres has led to networking and support groups such as the Service Network, in which hundreds of firms are involved. The network offers market intelligence, events, training activities and opportunities for businesses to collaborate.

Another expert provider of contacts and connections within the sector is The Bridge Club, which attracts high level speakers to its regular knowledge-sharing events.

To discuss investing in this sector contact our Inward Investment Support Team

• During the decade up to 2014 the North East’s professional services sector is expected to add 20,000 jobs – a growth rate of 14.8% that is higher than almost any other sector of the economy.
• Knowledge intensive business services generate about 25% of the wealth added to the North East economy every year.
• The UK’s leading broker of farm and estate insurance, Lycetts, has its head office in Newcastle.
• Barclays Bank employs more than 1,400 people in its UK flagship centre at Doxford International Business Park in Sunderland.
• The North East hosts more than 140 contact centres with around 38,000 agent positions.
• Low staff turnover and low absenteeism have helped stimulate rapid call centre development in the North East.
• Dickinson Dees in Newcastle is one of the Top 50 law firms in the UK as well as being the largest in the North East.
• Legal industry guide Chambers & Partners lists Newcastle-based Ward Hadaway among the top-ranked law firms in the UK.
• Hundreds of firms are involved in the Service Network, which provides support, market intelligence and collaboration opportunities.
• Integrated marketing solutions firms Robson Brown in Newcastle is the fifth largest media buying point outside London.

North East England has measures in place to help promote the region as a location for contact centre inward investment. For example, in Contact Babel’s operational review of contact centres the North East has consistently scored well both as a location for investment and with regard to support from regional development agency One NorthEast.

In addition, a virtual strategy for contact centres exists – in the form of a regional, industry-led Call Centre Advisory Board – with many of the significant operators within the region represented.

The contact centre industry is also able to take advantage of the North East Strategic Account Management programme, a service for both UK and foreign-owned companies that have been pre-identified as being strategic to the region. The service provides an all-encompassing approach to business support to help these companies maximise their growth and investments, maintaining an ongoing relationship and acting as a point of contact.