Support the growth of the digital economy by creating and supporting initiatives to improve infrastructure, support cyber resilience and promote growth.

The Digital sector contributes £1.9billion to the North East economy, employs 27,000 people and has an above national average number of businesses in specialist emerging sub-sectors with future growth potential, such as gaming, immersive tech, FinTech, MedTech, robotics and software as a service. Continuing to support the growth of existing and start-up technology organisations will be essential to grow the North East economy.

Most, if not all, business in the North East utilise technology to operate their business with over £400M spent on ICT equipment in 2020 with only 37% of that being purchased by the digital sector. However, when non-tech business lack the skills to leverage technology for growth, this can limit the growth potential of businesses.

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority councils play a significant role in the digital economy of the North East.  Between them the councils’ Digital and IT departments

• Support services used by, and manage the data of, 2.6m residents, 1.2m households and 181,000 businesses
• Provide services to 1,000 corporate sites and support 30,000 office and remote-based internal users
• Support services used by 65.6m visitors
• Employ around 1,000 IT & digital staff
• Influence annual spend in the region of £40m on IT goods and services, working with around 3,500 suppliers.

With a full stack of IT and Digital roles, the councils support services from bin collection and social care to business centres and inward investment, city Wi-Fi and ground-breaking 5g investments, through 200-300 line of business applications in each council.

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority’s Digital Leads have identified the following goals to contribute to building the North East digital economy:

• Organisations can access high quality, affordable connectivity.
• Non-digital organisations can access support to help them grow their business using digital technology.
  • Organisations are aware of cyber security and digital resilience risks, and are able to take steps to reduce this risk.
• Organisations can access a digital workforce to help grow and sustain their business.
  • The North East is an attractive place for businesses to digitally innovate and grow.
• Organisations can showcase digital innovation and digital products to support public sector reform

Initiatives by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority councils include:

• Improving digital connectivity across the region
• Encouraging digital talent development across the region
• Hosting and operating the North East public sector cyber security Warning, Advice and Reporting Point (WARP), ISNorthEast, and its community, liaising with other regional WARPs and national bodies such as NCSC and other Government bodies, the Local Government Association and Socitm.
• Careers talks in schools including online appearance and awareness of social engineering. 
• Supporting schools involved in CyberFirst Schools scheme, a National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) initiative that formally recognises secondary schools and colleges demonstrating excellence in cyber security education.
• Supporting schools involved in CyberFirst Girls, a UK wide NCSC competition designed to inspire girls to explore cyber security through fun, team based challenges.
• Supporting schools involved in CyberFirst Horizons, a fully funded, three week summer programme for Year 12 students, designed to give them real world experience, industry insight, and hands on skills in cyber security and technology.
• Developed a cyber themed escape room game / app created for school children to help teach cyber security that can also be used for businesses.
• Adult digital and cyber courses.
• Membership and participation in Dynamo North East, aimed at growing the North East’s digital economy, a private-sector led initiative
• Membership and participation in CyberNorth, aimed at growing the North East’s cyber capability, a private-sector led initiative
• Membership and participation in the North East Cyber Resilience Centre, a Home-Office funded, Police-led cyber initiative
• Liaison on cyber matters with the three Local Resilience Forums that serve the North East Area.
• Development of resources to support growing businesses, schools and charities with cyber resilience.

Contact

marcus.rees.harris@northeast-ca.gov.uk