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Launch – Zoe Lewis joins Dave Coplin as he officially opens Middlesbrough College ’ s Digital Centre
‘ TECHSPERT ’ HAILS £ 4.5M DIGITAL FACILITY
Tech expert and former chief envisioning officer at Microsoft Dave Coplin officially opened a multimillion-pound digital facility that will transform Teesside ’ s tech scene .
He said the dazzling Digital Centre at Middlesbrough College will be ” transformative for the region , bringing together ambitious young learners , industry experts and tutors and businesses who ’ ll benefit from these unrivalled skills .”
The state-of-the-art facility , which forms part of the college ’ s successful governmentapproved bid to deliver pioneering new technical qualifications , T Levels , is home to industry-leading programming suites , cyber labs , video editing suites , a games design suite and a full TV and film studio .
Dave , formerly of Microsoft UK and now CEO and founder of The Envisioners , visited Middlesbrough College to officially open the
A far-reaching report led by academics at Teesside University , in consultation with industry leaders and government officials , has made the case for a centre for digital trade to be based in the Tees Valley .
The scoping report – Digital Trade Technology and Policy : Barriers and Opportunities – has been prepared for HMRC to investigate the viability of a Tees Valley-based Centre for Digital Trade and Innovation ( C4DTI ).
Advances in technology such as automation and artificial intelligence , coupled with changes to the traditional global supply chain model , accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic , have created multiple opportunities for businesses to evolve their trading practices through the use of digital technology .
Academics from Teesside University , led by Michael Short , professor of control engineering and systems informatics , have looked at how digital technology can be safely deployed to smooth trade processes , and how public and private sectors can work
state-of-the-art facility and inspire the next generation of “ techsperts ” with exclusive insights into the industry .
He said : “ As a technologist and an optimist , I know that the brightest of all our futures belongs to a world where humans and machines don ’ t compete with each other , but instead complement each other ’ s unique strengths and abilities .
“ I think it is this , more than anything , that excites me most when I look at the opportunities being created by the college ’ s new Digital Centre .”
Staff , students and guests from around the region – including Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston , who also spoke at the event – welcomed Dave to the £ 100m college campus .
Go to page 33 to see our 20-page special supplement on the 2022 Tees Tech Awards .
Report makes case for Tees digital centre
Focal point – Middlesbrough could be central to a Digital Trade Centre .
together to ensure the potential benefits of such deployment are spread as widely as possible .
The report investigates the UK policy context , digital trade technology , international comparators and also provides summaries from consultations with a range of stakeholders , including leading Tees Valley businesses , ports and freight operators , public sector organisations and law enforcement officials .
SEAJACKS ’ TEES DEAL Teesport operator PD Ports has entered into a long-term deal with offshore solutions world leader Seajacks .
Formerly based in Amsterdam , the new agreement will see Seajacks use the Cargo Fleet Wharf at Teesport Commerce Park to berth up to three of the world ’ s most advanced and capable self-propelled jack-up vessels while not out at work in the North Sea .
NEW HOMES AND JOBS Miller Homes says it will launch two new Teesside sites , bringing a total of 512 new homes to the region this year .
As a result of the projects – one in Middlesbrough and another in Ingleby Barwick – the builder says the region will see more than 321 new on-site jobs created , to support the forecasted demand for the homes .
OFFICE ’ S NEW LEASE OF LIFE An eye-catching office block once deemed “ surplus to requirements ” by a housing group has welcomed it first new occupier .
WSP , one of the UK ’ s leading engineering professional services consultancies , has moved into new office space at Northshore One in Stockton . The space provides stunning views along the River Tees and is owned by Thirteen Housing Group .
EXTRA E-CYCLES A popular scheme to help people access work and training has been given a boost after it secured an extra 60 e-cycles - almost doubling its vehicle fleet .
Wheels 2 Work was established in 2018 and , to date , has helped around 200 people across the Tees region who do not have easy access to public transport or a private vehicle secure affordable transport , so they can get to their job or education .
The programme has now branched out into electric bicycles after it was awarded £ 161,000 of funding from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority .
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