62 | Tees Business
A CGI of how the new National
Horizons Centre may look.
NEW
HORIZONS
A
STATE-OF-THE -ART NATIONAL HORIZONS
CENTRE SET FOR SPRING OPENING
new facility which is set to place
the Tees Valley at the heart of the
emerging bioscience sector will
open its doors in the spring.
The National Horizons Centre (NHC) is
a state-of the-art education, training and
research facility run by Teesside University at
its campus on Darlington’s Central Park.
Aligned to the needs of industry, the
centre will deliver industry-informed
programmes to address the growth
challenges faced by the bioscience sector.
The National Horizons Centre will
concentrate on developing the technical,
innovation and management skills and
knowledge needed for the sector to continue
to grow and generate jobs and wealth in Tees
Valley and the UK.
It is being established to support the
bioscience sector, which includes biologics,
biomedical sciences and industrial
biotechnology. It will play a key part in
driving STEM skills and economic growth
in the Tees Valley, through industry-focused
education and training and collaborative
research and innovation. Applying digital
technologies to delivery of training,
products and processes will be an integral
part of NHC provision.
The centre has been financially supported
by the Local Growth Fund, via the Tees
Valley Combined Authority, and the
European Regional Development Fund. The
Local Growth Fund contribution of £17.5m
represents the single biggest investment by
the fund in the Tees Valley.
When work started on the centre earlier
this year, the minister for the Northern
Powerhouse and Local Growth Jake Berry
described it as a facility which will, “train
our young people to become the scientists of
the future and continue to drive forward the
Tees Valley as a leader in research, science
and innovation in the UK and the world.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen added:
“The new economy will be built on biologics
and digital – key sectors we need to support.
This massive £17.5m commitment is
testament to the importance we have placed
on securing jobs for the future.
“Helping Teesside University to achieve
academic excellence is a major strand of
my wider education and training plans. I
look forward to continuing to work with the
university and its partners as they deliver the
high-quality skills training needed to build a
Tees Valley fit for the future.”
The new centre will form a natural synergy
with other buildings at Central Park, including
the university’s Centre for Professional and