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CENTURY CELEBRATIONS A sliding door gear manufacturer is celebrating its 100th year in business .
Bowburn-based PC Henderson – founded by Percy Cecil Henderson on February 24 1921 – now has offices in the UK , Ireland , Holland and China , exports to over 70 countries worldwide and is firmly positioned as a leading provider of sliding door gear .
5G technology will be used as part of a £ 4.9m development at Nissan .
5G FUTURE
Pioneering new 5G pilot confirms Sunderland ' s place among global leaders in advanced logistics
BREAKING GROUND A leading fertiliser manufacturer investing millions in a new hub at a Wear port has officially broken ground on the site .
Brineflow , a leading maker of liquid nitrogen fertilisers , has started work on the construction of a purpose-built terminal at Port of Sunderland .
Gateshead-based civil engineering and construction specialist G & B has been appointed to lead the project and is working with the firm to ensure as many local contractors are involved in the development as possible .
A
groundbreaking multi-millionpound pilot into the future of driverless vehicles has been unveiled in Sunderland .
The project will see pioneering 5G technology used in an operational automotive environment for the first time in the UK and underline Sunderland ’ s position as a world leader in the field .
North , the UK ’ s leading Internet of Things ( IoT ) service and solutions provider , will design , build and support the £ 4.9m operations , which will take place close to Vantec at the Nissan test track .
The pilot will explore the next innovation challenge of last-mile logistics – the automation of a 40-tonne heavy good vehicle .
This giant leap in technology will be tackled by North in partnership with the world ’ s leading manufacturer of 5G solutions , Nokia .
The development establishes Wearside as a global leader in advanced logistics .
Importantly , the project has the potential to support the continued revolution in Connected Automated Logistics ( CAL ) and provides a 5G core for the region - positioning it for further investment and growth .
As the prime contractor , project manager and systems integrator , North will put the infrastructure in place to test and demonstrate the operational 5G-enabled autonomous delivery .
The pilot will allow the removal of the driver from the process and allow remote teleoperations to control the vehicles , which can carry up to 40 tonnes of materials . This project will showcase how network providers and industry can come together to design and develop automated logistic solutions that address industry challenges with innovation .
Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics will be used to review , stress test and hone the application of the technology . Throughout the test period , which will be around 12 to 18 months , the consortium will ensure the system is fit for purpose , protected from threats such as security breaches and will create a blueprint for similar projects .
Sunderland was named UK Smart City of the Year for 2020 , recognising digital innovation and transformation .
Patrick Melia , chief executive at Sunderland City Council , said : “ The combination of our renowned industrial ingenuity with new 5G technology positions Sunderland extremely competitively in the global marketplace .
“ And the collective expertise across the 5G CAL consortium is primed to make great progress in this field .
“ It will encourage further private and public sector investment , representing a major opportunity for us here in Sunderland and the wider North-East region .”
TRAVEL FIRM ’ S EXPANSION Cruise specialists Now Lets Travel has unveiled ambitious expansion plans for the year ahead as it looks to leave a pandemic-hit 2020 trailing in its wake .
The independent cruise travel agency has extended its head office and contact centre in Sunderland and opened a new store in Newcastle city centre , despite operating in one of the headline industries most hit by the Covid-19 pandemic .
The firm – which is headquartered at the North East Business & Innovation Centre ( BIC ) and reported an annual turnover of £ 4.5m before the crisis – has remained operational throughout the pandemic despite seeing its entire business grind to a halt .
START-UP CHART-TOPPERS Sunderland has been rated the best city in the north of England , and second best in the country , to launch a business in .
In a study by online business magazine StartupsGeek . com , researchers reviewed a spectrum of business-related data ranging from the cost of office space to average internet speed to create rankings in terms of which city is the best in the UK to start a company .
The data was assessed over a five-year period and one of the findings highlighted in the final report was that Wearside was up there with the best of them .
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