Serving the Teesside Business Community | 33
FOCUS ON T E E SSID E’S CREATIVE AND DIGITAL SECTOR
Boho Five –
Middlesbrough Council’s
eye-catching building
at Middlehaven, built
especially for the
creative sector.
Middlesbrough’s digital
cluster buoys Tees economy
By Martin Walker
M
CREATIVE
LICENCE
iddlesbrough mayor Dave Budd has
likened the town’s thriving creative
and digital industry to Henry Bolckow
and John Vaughan’s industrial revolution of
the mid-1800s.
And while there may be some way to go
before the sector emulates Bolckow and
Vaughan’s achievements in terms of job
creation and longevity, our creative agencies
are certainly leading the way for Teesside.
Middlesbrough was this year named as
one of the leading digital clusters in the UK
by Tech City UK, the government-backed
organisation tasked with accelerating the
growth of digital businesses.
The town’s Boho Zone currently employs
around 1,000 people, with flagship buildings
like Boho One, Four and Five awash with
fast-growing creative businesses of varying
shapes and sizes.
In Boho One, there are web designers,
film makers and branding experts – including
the likes of The Creative Alchemist, Ithica
Films, Big Bite, Calm Digital, Animmersion,
Appamondo, Double Eleven and Virtual
Armour – all thriving off each other while
winning contracts around the globe.
And over at Boho Five – Middlesbrough
Council’s eye-catching building opened in
2016 – agencies including Mabo Media, TAD
Web Solutions, Cloudview and Sock Monkey
are outgrowing their space.
And the area is set for further expansion,
after Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen
announced £100,000-worth of funding from
Tees Valley Combined Authority to kick-start
the next phase of Middlesbrough’s Boho
Zone.
Boho Next Generation will provide
another 10,000 square metres of space
– a development which could eventually
Tees mayor Ben Houchen (centre) met
Annimersion staff as he announced
funding for the next phase of
Middlesbrough’s Boho Zone.
accommodate more than 800 new jobs.
The investment will be used to fund
feasibility work, concept drawings and site
surveys.
“The digital sector is a key business
area for Middlesbrough, and our existing
cluster of high-tech companies have already
established a fantastic reputation, as well
as a pipeline of skills in partnership with
Teesside University and local colleges,” said
Houchen.
“There is not enough space in this quarter
to accommodate demand, and this is leading
to a bottle-neck, which means that affordable
space for younger businesses is unavailable.
“Digital businesses have told us that they
are keen to explore the opportunity for long-
term ownership of new premises. This would
let them put down stronger roots in the area.
“This means a new model is required that
will attract businesses, deliver new jobs
with a long-term accommodation solution,
financed through a combination of lease
income and eventual sales, possibly on a
lease-to-buy model.
“Teesside needs high-tech, highly skilled
jobs and this development will create a range
of work spaces in our thriving digital cluster,
which supports the strategic investment and
future ambitions of Digital City.”
Dominic Lusardi, managing director at
Animmersion said: “This is a welcome
announcement and clearly demonstrates
the combined authority is taking the digital
sector very seriously.
“It is vital our area retains the very
successful growing cluster of indigenous
companies whilst supporting business start-
ups.
“Animmersion and the digital sector are
absolutely behind this proposal and I look
forward to working closely with the council
and combined authority to develop the
detail.”
See pages 34-37 to read more
about two of the companies
making names for themselves in
our creative and digital sectors.