FEATURE
TECH THAT !
How digital sector is Tees region ’ s new infant Hercules
Talking up tech – DigitalCity ’ s David Dixon and Dan Watson of Middlesbrough Digital with Tees Tech Awards organisers Martin Walker and Dave Allan , whose firm also created This Is Tees Valley .
The Tees region once led the world for iron and steel , chemicals and bridge-building . Now its fast-growing digital companies are leading the way with an astonishing range of state-of-the-art technologies .
From games developers working with some of the world ’ s biggest names to leaders in the field of virtual and augmented reality , Tees Valley ’ s tech army is creating thousands of jobs and winning global contracts worth tens of millions of pounds .
Stockton-based e-commerce software and digital marketing agency Visualsoft handles more than £ 1bn of orders annually , while Middlesbrough ’ s Big Bite builds web platforms for huge media organisations such as the New York Post .
With 300 employees , Middlesbroughheadquartered Double Eleven is now one of the UK ’ s top three independent games publishers and developers . Trusted with some of the world ’ s biggest IPs , it is currently collaborating on Minecraft Dungeons with Mojang Studios and projects for Xbox Series S / X and PlayStation 5 .
Another Middlesbrough-based video game development studio , SockMonkey Studios , is also enjoying rapid growth on the back of its work for clients including SEGA , TinyBuild , Sumo and Disney .
Stockton-based energy data specialist EnAppSys – crowned Company of the Year in the 2022 Tees Tech Awards – supplies detailed market insight to some of Europe ’ s biggest wholesale energy market participants .
And a state-of-the-art alarm monitoring system created by Billingham ’ s Tascomp has seen London City become the world ’ s first major international airport to be fully controlled by a remote digital air traffic controller .
David Dixon , digitalisation , scale and investment manager at Teesside University ’ s tech business support organisation , DigitalCity , is understandably excited by the potential of the region ’ s tech innovation and ambition – but believes there ’ s much more to come .
David cites the example of Double Eleven , which is led by founder and CEO Lee Hutchinson .
“ When Lee came along and said he wanted to build one of the biggest games companies in the world on Teesside , I believed him – and we need more entrepreneurs with that kind of bold ambition ,” he says .
He believes Tim Ward , co-founder and CEO of Stockton-based Opportuni , also falls into that category , having developed unique technology to make it easier for small- and medium-sized companies to win public sector contracts .
“ There ’ s no doubt that Opportuni has the potential to be a global phenomenon ,” predicts David .
Dan Watson , Middlesbrough Council ’ s digital manager , reflects on the Tees digital sector : “ I would describe it as an eco-system of creativity . I don ’ t think there ’ s a limit on the potential we have here .”
Thousands of jobs have already been created in the sector but getting local youngsters into those jobs is something that ’ s of huge importance to Dan .
“ People might come from a family who worked in a traditional industry ,” he says . “ That ’ s what Middlesbrough and Teesside was . Maybe the video games industry was in the US or London . Now it ’ s here .
“ Teesside was one of the first universities offering digital degrees , and they ’ re leading the way in producing graduates who can start those innovative new companies or be employable straight away .”
And Middlesbrough College ’ s new multimillion-pound digital facility – home to industry-leading programming suites , cyber labs , video editing suites , a games design suite and a full TV and film studio – is set to bring together ambitious young learners , industry experts , tutors and businesses .
It ’ s no wonder Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston claims that the town should aim to become the digital city for the UK , with the new Boho X development already transforming the town ’ s skyline ahead of its completion in late 2022 as the new headquarters for a leading digital business .
“ We really can make Middlesbrough the digital city , attracting and creating wellpaid jobs ,” he says . “ I believe Boho X will represent the north ’ s very best office space – and at a fraction of the cost for similar space in Newcastle or Leeds .”
The Tees region is truly “ teching ” care of business !
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