TEES TECH AWARDS 2021
TEES TECH UNSUNG HERO
SPONSORED BY TEES VALLEY BUSINESS HUB
FINALIST
STEVE DOUGAN
WINNER
DARREN FALCUS ( SockMonkey Studios )
Director of business development at Middlesbrough ’ s SockMonkey Studios , Darren has been part of the Teesside tech scene since the early 1980s and with SockMonkey since 2018 .
Working tirelessly for the region , and with a vast contact list , it ’ s estimated that over the years , Darren has almost single-handedly contributed over $ 1bn to the worldwide economy via gaming development contracts and job roles within his companies .
It ’ s all a far cry from when , while still an Egglescliffe School pupil , he created his first game , Castle of Doom .
But while he could have moved away from the area for much larger pay and impressive roles , Darren has stuck to his Teesside roots , remaining humble , keeping his head down and getting on with the job
And he was delighted to link up at SockMonkey with Bob Makin and Darren Cuthbert – “ guys I ’ ve known for years and who had a shared vision ”.
Darren said : “ I appreciate this award very much but I ’ m not a ‘ front of house ’ person – I prefer to pull the strings and work behind the scenes .
“ I ’ m not comfortable taking plaudits but it ’ s nice to be recognised for what I do .
“ There ’ ve been chances to move elsewhere – California , Vancouver – but I believe in the Tees Valley . I just want to help create something great around here .”
And he says the desire to create great games remains SockMonkey ’ s driving force .
“ The North-East is a hub for innovative games talent and we ’ ve got a really good set-up at SockMonkey .”
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Winner – Ammar Mirza CBE hands over the Tees Tech Unsung Hero award to SockMoney Studios ’ Darren Falcus .
Ammar Mirza CBE , of Tees Valley Business Hub , said : “ The calibre of finalists and winners was fantastic to see . Every shortlisted individual was a worthy winner , with a clear ambition to showcase the digital strengths of our region . It was a wonderful awards event , platforming the Tees Valley internationally and demonstrating why our region remains one of the foremost creators and delivers of tech talent and innovation across the globe . Well done to everyone who participated . Tees Valley Business Hub , powered by the SME Centre of Excellence , was delighted to sponsor and we cannot wait until next year .”
( Teesside Launchpad , Teesside University ) As head of enterprise at Teesside University , Steve developed the Launchpad Fuel Accelerator Programme after securing funds from a private investor .
The investment money has given people who could easily fall through the funding / investment gaps the opportunity to become self-employed .
The programme has changed lives , with many of our growth businesses ( Wander Films , Radical Forge , Foxbyte ) being as successful as they are because of Launchpad and Steve .
It is fair to say that Steve has had a huge impact on business owner growth , business start-up rates , business survival rates and investment rates . His and his team ’ s legacy will last decades into the future .
FINALIST
PROFESSOR ZULFIQUR ALI
( Teesside University ) Professor at the Healthcare Innovation Centre , Centre for Digital Innovation and Centre for Rehabilitation , Zulf carries out research on state-of-the-art digital technologies and media for health , business , engineering , social science and education .
Zulf has co-ordinated several EU projects , including developing a point-of-care device for deep vein thrombosis . Most recently , he led the Teesside University activity in the Horizon 2020 GateOne project on smart system integration for SMEs , as well as a number of InnovateUK projects .
Behind the scenes , Zulf is designing and producing products and prototypes that will go into the marketplace and benefit the local area – and the world in some cases – without any recognition or publicity .
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