From coalfields to data fields

SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND IS UNDERGOING WATERSHED TRANSFORMATION, WITH HEADLINE DEVELOPMENTS REDEFINING ITS INDUSTRIAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IDENTITY. HOW IS THE REGION PLACED AS IT HEADS TOWARDS A FRESH CALENDAR YEAR?

Winds of change are sweeping through South East Northumberland.

Where colossal coalfields and roaring iron and steel mills once fuelled historic change, the small pocket of England’s most northerly county today stands at the forefront of a fresh industrial revolution.

From a headline-grabbing £10 billion data centre development to world-leading offshore energy innovation, multi-million-pound education investments, flagship town centre regeneration projects and a momentous rail renaissance, the area is ready to propel a powerful new era of growth.

The catalogue of conversion includes the £95 million Energising Blyth programme.

Led by Northumberland County Council and backed by Whitehall funding, the venture is rolling out a blueprint to create 7500 jobs, bolster training and skills provision, enhance transport links and refresh the town’s residential, cultural and retail landscape.

 

• Sarah McMillan, Northumberland County Council director of economic development and growth

 

And aligned to further moves, which include a £30 million-plus project to revive Blyth’s coastal neighbour Ashington through additions such as a five-screen Portland Park-based cinema, Sarah McMillan, Northumberland County Council’s director of economic development and growth, said the area is tracking an upward trajectory.

She said: “This really feels like an optimistic time for South East Northumberland.

“We have worked with the community over a number of years to understand regeneration needs and link them to the industrial strengths we have.

“Through programmes such as Energising Blyth – which recently delivered the Market Pavilion cinema and events space – and the Ashington investment, our plans are rooted in opportunity.”

 

THE REGION’S COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE WILL SOON BE AUGMENTED BY QTS’ £10 BILLION CAMBOIS-BASED DATA CENTRE DEVELOPMENT. HOW TRANSFORMATIVE WILL THAT INVESTMENT BE TO SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND’S FUTURE?

The days can draw in dark at Cambois.

Abutting the North Sea just north of Blyth, the former colliery village is often the place where many a menacing weather front meets land.

For a while, though, it wasn’t just the meteorological cycle casting ominous shadows.

When Britishvolt’s much-vaunted plans to create a 3000-job electric vehicle battery-making plant on the former Blyth coal-fired power station site foundered, not even the bright teals, lilacs and primroses decorating terraced homes along Cambois’ Unity Terrace could lift the melancholic feel.

The clouds, though, have parted, with technology firm QTS embarking on a £10 billion endeavour to create a ten-building data centre campus on the 250-acre plot.

Bosses say the move will take Cambois from cleaving coal to mining the artificial intelligence-led moves of tomorrow.

And with earthworks having officially begun in October, roundtable members were unequivocal in the venture’s potential for South East Northumberland and the wider North East.

Andy Lawson, director of pre-development at QTS, which operates as a portfolio company within private equity firm Blackstone, said: “The site will have an IT capacity of 720 megawatts, making it one of Europe’s largest data centre campuses.

“It is a really exciting project, especially for the legacy a £10 billion investment will leave.

“Years from now, people will still be thinking about the opportunities and benefits that continue to arise from such a level of investment.”

That impact stands to be augmented by the campus’ place within the recently-unveiled North East AI Growth Zone.

Heralded by the Government as a spark to “ignite the next industrial revolution”, ministers say the Westminster-backed move promises more than 5000 jobs and will increase productivity and innovation across sectors including manufacturing, healthcare and energy.

QTS’ development will supplement work by technology firm Nscale alongside OpenAI and NVIDIA to create Stargate UK, which will develop a platform to boost British artificial intelligence adoption alongside computer chip production at Newcastle’s Cobalt Park.

And Thomas Wildsmith, head of commercial at Blyth-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, which works with industry partners to test and develop green technologies, said AI Growth Zone status affords “huge innovation opportunities”.

He said: “We support many wind farm operators that employ a lot of people working offshore.

“We can use machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to manage this better,  and through greater understanding of weather patterns and damage prediction, we can achieve more green electrons per year and deliver a higher yield from wind farms to help reduce energy costs.

 

• Andy Lawson, QTS director of pre-development

 

“The AI Growth Zone could also help with attracting further inward investment.

“It provides a beacon to say, ‘come and work with us – look at the sectors we’re supporting, and the employers and innovators already here’”.

Sarah concurred, highlighting the potential afforded by a previously-announced £110 million growth pot created by QTS’ arrival in the region and the importance of the recently-founded AI Growth Zone Taskforce – co-chaired by science, innovation and technology secretary Liz Kendall and North East mayor Kim McGuinness – in broadening its impact.

She added: “The £110 million fund has been ringfenced for job growth and investment, and we’re working on a long-term investment approach.

“The AI Growth Zone provides Government recognition for what we’re doing in the region, and the task now is to look at how we maximise its impact more widely into the region’s ecosystem and economy.”

Jarek Rosinski, founder of Cramlington-based data acquisition and condition monitoring solution system firm Transmission Dynamics, said the AI Growth Zone can strengthen South East Northumberland’s global reach.

He said: “The recruitment landscape is challenging, and it is much easier to attract talent when you are building new facilities.

“People are naturally drawn to places known for disruption.

“The AI Growth Zone is fantastic news for the region, and with a disruptive mindset and the right people, we can compete on a global scale.”

Richard Hogg, founder and chief executive of Newcastle-based recruitment and outsourced HR services provider Jackson Hogg, agreed.

He said the AI Growth Zone could help the region tap into a new employment phenomenon, wherein firms are seeking interim workforces, rather than permanent teams.

He added: “We have start-up companies saying they want fractional, task-based staff anywhere in the world, rather than full-time people.

“That is disruptive.”

 

HOW WILL QTS’ DATA CENTRE INVESTMENT COMPLEMENT SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND’S WIDER GROWTH STORY?

A matter of metres from QTS’ planned data centre site, newly-erected steelwork shines under autumn sunlight.

Soon to be home to subsea power line maker JDR, the £100 million-plus plant overlooks Blyth Estuary and will, say bosses, complement an existing Hartlepool site by expanding the business’ product range in the rapidly-growing global renewable energy market.

Hailing its potential, Martin Lawlor, Port of Blyth chief executive, said: “The factory will operate as the first high-voltage cable maker in the UK, which is not just exciting for South East Northumberland, but exciting for UK PLC too.”

He said the development could be complemented by the expansion of the port’s four-berth-strong Battleship Wharf terminal, which is used to support wind farm and offshore decommissioning projects.

He said: “A feasibility study is looking at extending the terminal by creating new berths and adding an extra three hectares of land.

“Doing so would help us attract fresh inward investment in the offshore wind sector, as well as other industries.”

Martin also highlighted the West Hartford development, which stands close to the port and offers up to one million square foot of commercial space.

 

• The roundtable took place at Blyth’s Energy Central Learning Hub

 

He added: “It is the largest remaining strategic development site left in Northumberland, and there is already firm interest from inward investors.

“It is likely to be a key catalyst for economic growth in South East Northumberland over the next few years.”

The positivity is echoed along the river, said Thomas, with ORE Catapult developing a world-leading wind turbine blade and drive train testing base.

Backed by £85.6 million UK Research and Innovation funding, he told roundtable members the hub – earmarked to be operational by 2028 – will aid “the next generations of wind technologies”.

He said: “It will support innovative companies de-risk smaller scale technologies and boost skills development.

“Our facilities are presently set up for 15-megawatt wind turbines, but the investment will allow us to accommodate turbines between 23 and 28 megawatts.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for the North East, and a big investment from a UK perspective.

“It holds great potential to be another catalyst, just like QTS and JDR, to bolster regional innovation across the offshore wind sector and create opportunities to support businesses in areas such as clean technology and electrification.”

 

A STRONG SKILLS BASE IS CRUCIAL TO ANY COMMERCIAL BLUEPRINT. WHAT MEASURES NEED TO BE TAKEN TO ENSURE SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND HAS A WORKFORCE PIPELINE TO COMPETE NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY?

As the world continues to shift to a more sustainable and technologically-focused future, the clamour for a workforce equipped with skills to match the pace of that evolution has never been more critical.

Yet for too long, the relationship between industry and education has existed in a somewhat fissured state.

And to ensure South East Northumberland achieves its truest potential, roundtable members called for action to heal the fracture.

Jeff Hope, UK and Ireland manufacturing director at Ashington-based paint maker AkzoNobel, urged greater collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Citing measures taken by the Dulux manufacturer to strengthen its skills base, he said: “We need to create learning environments that support industry.

“The education sector can’t do it alone: the private sector must be more involved.

“We have spent the last ten years working with the education sector – from primary schools to universities – to understand how it is working.

“And we are now one of the few businesses with no skills gaps.

“We’ve worked with Northumberland College and Newcastle University to improve curriculum content.

“Through that meaningful collaboration, we’ve been able to employ SEND staff and develop our skills base and learning pathways.

“If you get the backbone of the education system right, colleges allow children and adults a second chance to learn.”

Jeff also emphasised the importance of practical learning, and was backed by Jarek, who said such moves must be accompanied by pathways leading to refreshed innovation ideology.

Jeff said: “We need a cycle of earlier intervention to expose learners to real industry from a younger age.”

Jarek added: “How can we generate a climate for ideas that will allow us to compete with places like Silicon Valley?

“How can we think differently, so we’re not just innovating per se but disrupting unconventionally?”

 

WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING ROLLED OUT ACROSS SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND TO STRENGTHEN SKILLS PROVISION, AND HOW ARE INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION COALESCING TO MEET PRESENT AND FUTURE RECRUITMENT DEMANDS?

Peering over Port of Blyth’s waters and surrounded by vast industrial sheds, the £15 million Energy Central Learning Hub is training the renewables workers of tomorrow.

Owned by Energy Central Campus, it is supporting the spectrum of staffing needs, from school leavers to those retraining from industries such as oil and gas, through a partnership between Port of Blyth, Northumberland County Council and ORE Catapult.

Part of the Energising Blyth programme, it will soon be joined by the town centre-based Energy Central Institute, which will provide training at degree and PhD level.

Martin, who combines his Port of Blyth role with time as Energy Central Campus chair, said: “Industry’s voice informs everything the campus does.

“The last thing we want is to invest for talent coming through over the next four years, only for industry to say it wants something else.

“Energy Central Campus’ foundation was always around science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and we’ve had a huge amount of engagement from primary school upwards – this year, we’ll have done 3500 STEM engagements.

 

• Thomas Wildsmith, Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult head of commercial

 

“They visit the site, tour the port, see the ORE Catapult facilities and some of the kit being created by companies around the Blyth Estuary, and go away with a totally different view of what is available to them.”

Such early engagement, said Martin, also engenders employee loyalty, which removes staff transiency and lays foundations to create homegrown leaders.

He added: “Crane drivers are a key skill for any port operator.

“We previously recruited people, who came in for two or three years and then moved on.

“But through our apprenticeship programme, we are recruiting people who are staying much longer, buying into our values and, in a number of cases, going on to become supervisors and operational managers.”

Andy reiterated the value of industry’s voice in the skills conversation, highlighting the 50-plus different roles that will be needed to operate and maintain QTS’ data centre development.

He said: “A data centre requires skills from landscaping and security to mechanical and electrical engineering and beyond.

“The Cambois site will create 400 operational jobs and 2500 indirect jobs, and support 1200 construction roles.

“There is a huge emphasis on understanding what artificial intelligence can do for UK PLC, but we must also concentrate on how we get a data centre out of the ground.

“And that comes by ensuring the right skills are in place from the outset.”

 

HOW CAN SUCH INITIATIVES BE SCALED TO ENSURE SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES ACROSS SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND CAN SECURE THE TALENT NEEDED TO MEET GROWTH GOALS?

From iced drink maker Polar Krush to electronics manufacturer Arian EMS, lighting firm Raytec and healthcare product maker Viveca, Ashington’s Wansbeck Business Park boasts a diverse commercial scene.

And its portfolio will soon expand further, with work progressing at pace on a £54 million Northumberland College campus.

Overseen by Education Partnership North East, and set to be completed in late 2026, it will nurture students across a range of sectors including electrical and mechanical engineering, robotics and automation, civil engineering and groundworks, automotive and green transport, and housing and modern construction.

Crucially, said Iain Nixon, the education provider’s vice principal for partnerships and business solutions, it will act as a pivot to drive further collaboration between industry and the learning sector, delivering training for people across entry level to degree level courses.

He said: “Much like Energy Central Campus, the Ashington development will feed the skills pipeline with what employers need.

“And we must scale such delivery to help SMEs in South East Northumberland, which are so critical to the economy, access the talent they need.”

Iain said such moves must be complemented by a reworking of larger organisations’ frameworks to help downstream operators better plan for recruitment.

He added: “We must join the dots.

“If key contractors could give supply chain firms a line of sight to work over the next five or ten years, that would provide security contracts-wise, and allow them to pass that down their supply chains.

“If a company only has three months’ line of sight, they aren’t likely to invest in skills.

“But if they have five or ten years, SMEs would be much more likely to consider recruiting and develop the skills of their workforce.”

 

HOW IMPORTANT ARE TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS THE REOPENING OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND LINE, TO THE AREA’S GROWTH AMBITIONS?

Lost for more than 60 years following Beeching’s swingeing cuts, the Northumberland Line reopened to great fanfare late last year.

Reviving passenger services between Ashington and Newcastle, the route’s renaissance has created new stations at places including Blyth Bebside and Seaton Delaval.

And Sarah said its return is already having great impact on South East Northumberland’s employment landscape.

She said: “The line is providing great opportunities around jobs and learning for the communities living alongside its tracks.

 

• Jeff Hope, AkzoNobel UK and Ireland manufacturing director

 

“Industry and businesses around the Blyth Estuary are benefiting from a workforce now able to travel by train, and more people are making life decisions around learning opportunities because of the Northumberland Line.

“It is also boosting leisure and cultural opportunities.”

Richard added: “There was a time when we couldn’t get top graduates to leave Newcastle and come to Blyth or Cramlington.

“But that isn’t the case any longer – the new line is a real game-changer.”

 

HOW CAN DEVOLUTION HELP SOUTH EAST NORTHUMBERLAND DRIVE GREATER BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH?

Twelve months. Multiple policy pledges and announcements. One local growth plan.

A significant amount of groundwork has been laid since the North East Combined Authority’s inception more than a year ago.

And with those foundations now in place, roundtable members urged the regeneration body to use its future years to deliver tangible industrial impact.

Iain cited changes to education funding mechanisms, highlighting how devolution holds great potential to flex funding pots – previously bound by centralised rigidity – to better help tailor training to regional industry needs.

Jeff agreed, but suggested the watershed political moment should be further harnessed.

Citing the cost of machinery and associated equipment needed to nurture tomorrow’s workers, he said: “Companies usually using rigs and apparatus are SMEs, and they don’t have the scale to solve the problem.

“There is a gap that needs the public sector to support the provision of the things needed to enrich learning and make it more suitable for industry.

“That’s where the combined authority and public sector could provide solutions.”

Martin added: “We have to fight on a national and global scale – and we can only do that through a strong North East.

“And through the North East Combined Authority, we have greater political clout to create such an environment.”