Talking Point: A new era for North East innovation

A region shining in the cyber world

Jon Holden

Lead for cyber and fintech

CyberNorth

The North East has always been a region that builds things that genuinely matter; it’s in our DNA.

We went from the power of the shipyards and steelworks to the innovation of software, and we’re now building the future with artificial intelligence.

We don’t just sit around and talk about innovation here: we get on with it.

The announcements – the AI Growth Zone, the huge investments from players like Nscale, OpenAI, NVIDIA and QTS – are proof of that spirit.

They are also proof that the rest of the world is finally seeing what we’ve known all along: the North East has the talent, the space and the spirit to drive this next industrial revolution.

This is our moment.

But let’s be absolutely clear: none of this works without cyber.

You can’t build trust in artificial intelligence, or resilience into data, without rock-solid security at its core.

Cyber is what makes the whole thing real, safe and scalable.

And that’s where our region already shines.

We’ve quietly built one of the UK’s strongest cyber communities – we’re skilled, collaborative and fiercely proud of our roots.

This isn’t just about some new tech, it’s about our legacy.

It’s about taking the same fire and determination that built the greatest ships and steel structures, and focusing it on building a secure and intelligent future.

I couldn’t be prouder to see the North East leading the charge, and doing so in our way: bold, secure and built to last.

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Leading the next industrial revolution

Mac McEldon

Founder and chief executive

CiberAI

I recently quoted NVIDIA founder and chief executive Jensen Huang at an event: “Agentic artificial intelligence is the automation of automation – the single most powerful force of our time.”

I firmly stand by that statement.

I also spoke about how the UK – and by extension the North East – is in a ‘Goldilocks position’ for artificial intelligence: the right mix of talent, research, industry and infrastructure at precisely the right time.

The announcement of the £30 billion AI Growth Zone, along with projects such as Stargate UK and QTS’ £10 billion data centre in Cambois, validates that position and accelerates our momentum.

These developments are not just about infrastructure or economics, they are about regional, global and human potential.

The North East is rapidly securing a front and centre place within the world’s artificial intelligence future.

Why?

Because it has qualities that are both rare and sought after globally:

• Access to abundant low-carbon energy, which is crucial for sustainable high-performance computing.

• A network of world-class universities producing fundamental research and a steady stream of talent.

• An existing tech ecosystem already strong in robotics, advanced manufacturing and space technologies.

The direct impact of these investments – new infrastructure, data centres and jobs – is significant.

But the indirect benefits could also include:

• Tech business concentration and clustering: With greater focus on the North East, we will not only see infrastructure investment, but the rapid growth of artificial intelligence-driven businesses, from start-ups to scale-ups and multinationals setting up regional bases and fixing a spotlight on our region not seen since the industrial age.

• Global exposure and credibility: As international attention turns to the North East, our region becomes a showcase of what responsible, large-scale artificial intelligence adoption can look like.

• Talent attraction and skills development: Initiatives such as the OpenAI Academy – with its ambition to upskill 7.5 million UK workers by 2030 – will disproportionately benefit regions where the infrastructure, partnerships and opportunities already exist, and the North East will not only retain more graduates but attract skilled workers nationally and internationally.

• Innovation culture: The North East has a proud industrial heritage built on coal, steam, steel and shipbuilding, but we are writing a new chapter – defined by data, algorithms and agentic automation – which will drive a culture of artificial intelligence and shape industries as diverse as healthcare, law, logistics, financial services and advanced manufacturing.

This is, in every sense, the next industrial revolution.

But unlike the age of steam and steel, it is powered by intelligence, automation and collaboration between human creativity and machine capability.