46 | Tees Business
TEES TALK
Paul Booth OBE, chairman, Tees Valley
Unlimited, and chairman, SABIC
“Teesside can continue to reinvent
itself through a number of means. We are
diversifying our process industries—Sirius
Minerals are investing considerably and with
the new biomass power stations, we will bring
big energy suppliers into the area.
“Tees Valley can also become famous for
being the hub of the circular economy by
redefining what waste is. For example, we
can create cheap power from biomass from
products that would normally go to landfill and
recycle five million tonnes of steel annually that
would normally be exported because we can’t
process it.
“Ultimately, it can become the right place to
bring waste materials from the North West, the
South East. Tees Valley can be at the heart of
the circular economy in the UK.”
Iain Sim, chief executive, Coast & Country
“We may have lost our steel but we will
never lose our fire; Teesside now has the
opportunity to rise from the ashes and show
everyone that we really do mean business.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge to compete
with the reputation, reach and respect that
the steel industry on Teesside had built, but
with the right direction and determination we
can look to enhance economic growth and
regeneration in our region. You only need to
look at the potential on offer for areas such as
chemical production, transport and tourism,
plus the integrated chemical producers and
Teesport.”
Peter Broome, partner, Python Properties
“Teesside has long been associated with
major industries such as steelmaking, ship
and bridge building, and manufacture of base
chemicals.
“In recent years we’ve seen the emergence
of new ‘clean’ industries which have harboured
the huge skill-set that exists in our region. I call
them our ‘best kept secrets’- companies like
Fuji and Johnson Matthey are developing new
and innovative processes in the chemical and
pharmaceutical sectors.
“There is the development of clean energy
sources, such as biomass and wind farm
technology which are happening on an industrial
scale. And, of course, we have the burgeoning
digital sector.”
Karl Pemberton, managing director, Active
Chartered Financial Planners
“As hard as the demise of steel making has
b