New frontier - Durham will host the North East Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications conference .
In post – Sarah Slaven has been appointed the permanent managing director of Business Durham .
The council has already secured significant government funding to support economic growth , including £ 33.2m from the Stronger Towns Fund , £ 19.8m from the Future High Street Fund and £ 20m from the Levelling Up Fund . This funding is expected to deliver £ 300m of inward investment for the county in 2022 and beyond .
In addition to this , a further five bids will be submitted to government for up to £ 100m of Levelling Up funding in 2022 . Culture already plays a significant part in supporting businesses in County Durham , but success in gaining UK City of Culture status for 2025 would have a major impact for the entire region .
As the North-East ’ s only contender , Durham ’ s bid to be UK City of Culture could provide significant benefits to the area , offering the opportunity to highlight the fantastic cultural assets of the county .
UK City of Culture has had a major impact on the economy of each of the previous winners , generating as much as £ 100m investment in some areas .
What County Durham has to offer is already well known to many in the region , but the bid provides the opportunity to showcase everything that is good about the area on a national and international stage .
Many businesses have expressed their support for the bid and recognise the investment it can generate .
As well as supporting the visitor economy , winning the bid offers the opportunity to demonstrate how the business community makes a positive impact on the lives and , therefore , the culture of our communities .
In March , Durham will host the North East Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications conference . The New Frontier : North East Space Conference , which is being held on March 2 at Radisson Blu in Durham , will explore the current priorities for the space sector in a series of seminars and workshops .
With the government ’ s ambitions to build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world and the sector growing rapidly in the North-East , businesses are encouraged to attend the event and learn more about this growing sector .
Sarah added : “ The North-East is becoming a major player when it comes to the development of space technologies and satellite applications , with a brilliant capability for research and development , a strong skills market and an extensive supply chain of engineering companies supporting world-leaders in the automotive and energy sectors .”
" The North East Space Conference on March 2 will be a great opportunity for businesses already in the space sector and those that are keen to get more involved to hear first-hand about the very latest developments and opportunities from experts in the sector .”
The conference is taking place the day after Lockheed Martin holds its space skills and supply chain summit , which will see the company ’ s supply chain representatives identify new partners and suppliers in the region .
County Durham is determined to make a big impact in 2022 , with residents and business being encouraged to get involved by responding to the economic strategy consultation , backing the bid for UK City of Culture and exploring the opportunities in the space sector .
Visit businessdurham . co . uk to find out more and to get involved .
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