It was uplifting when I heard the announcement that more jobs are to be created right here in the heart of Sunderland.
This is the news that the University of Sunderland’s Enterprise and Innovation Hub is expected to deliver 650 new roles, a joint venture devised from collaboration from the cities businesses, Sunderland City Council and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
For once the news in our city is not focusing on negativity but rather looking more and more positive. Tying this in with the Sunderland BID which will see more than 3.4 million invested into the city over the next five years Sunderland really is a city to be excited about.
Our city has a proud past and when the shipyards and mines closed their doors for the last time there was a concern that the area should not become too dependent on heavy industry again and rather an entrepreneurial spirit should be encouraged in the region.
For 20 years the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) has been focused primarily on nurturing established businesses to grow and start ups achieve self employment. During the last two decades we have helped create over 3,500 start ups as well as being home to over 600 businesses at the site and those businesses in turn have gone on to create 8,000 jobs for the region. This also generated a combined turnover is 750 million in that period and the majority of that is spent in the North East.
The BICs aim has never changed, though we have seen many changes both politically and economically, one thing that remains is that the BIC is here to help businesses succeed in the region and with such a successful past we know the future will continue down the same road.
Therefore it really is wonderful to hear how others are also investing in Sunderland to create a busier city centre with a more vibrant economy.