LORD Andrew Adonis allocating leading businesses as North East Economic review gains momentum

Lord Andrew Adonis, as chair of the North East economic review commissioned by the North East LEP, is visiting private and public sector organisations across the North East LEP area for a week of discussions and tours from Monday 29 October to Friday 2 November to inform the economic review, which will be published in 2013.

He will meet senior representatives from the region’s offshore and subsea engineering, automotive, manufacturing, life sciences, rural, food and drink, digital, creative, property and finance sectors to talk over sector-specific concerns and prospects.

He will also discuss current issues and opportunities in regional transport, training and skills provision across the North East with a number of local organisations, training providers, colleges and universities.

The locations for the discussions include British Engines at St Peter’s on the Tyne, Nissan in Sunderland, Egger at Hexham, NETpark in County Durham, Cobalt in North Tyneside, Live Theatre in Newcastle, Churchill School in Wallsend and the Gateshead Business Quarter.

On Tuesday Lord Adonis will visit British Engines where he will meet leading figures from the offshore energy and manufacturing sectors before moving on to OGN Group to tour the offshore oil and gas company’s plant.

Live Theatre is hosting a discussion on Monday with leading figures from the North East digital and creative sector including Mark Dobson, Tyneside Cinema; Paul Callaghan, The Leighton Group; Philip Bernays, Theatre Royal, and Paul Fallon, Creative Space Management

Lord Adonis said: “This visit gives me a chance to meet many of those who know better than anyone else what is needed to make the most of chances to grow employment and productivity in the North East over the next 18 years, and what barriers to growth need to be addressed.“

The North East economic review was launched in September to provide a framework and create a clear, cohesive strategy to propel long-term growth in the North East, and channel future investment most effectively.

The economic review team is meeting to review progress next week. The review team, chaired by Lord Adonis, also includes Will Hutton, former editor in chief of the Observer, now chair of the Big Innovation Centre and principal of Hertford College, Oxford. He was the keynote speaker at NECC’s annual dinner at Newcastle Civic Centre on Thursday 25thOctober. Other members of the team are Heidi Mottram, CEO Northumbrian Water and member of the CBI’s national infrastructure panel; Lord Don Curry, leading businessman and chair of NFU Mutual; Bridget Rosewell, economist and chair of Volterra Partners; and the Right Reverend Justin Welby.

The vision and remit of the economic review has won the support of Deputy Prime Minister the Right Hon Nick Clegg and Lord Michael Heseltine. It will be submitted to Nick Clegg and cabinet colleagues in 2013.

Further information from Christine Holland, Holland PR & Marketing Ltd. Tel 01670 790246 or 07711 698246.