Newcastle
UK
Discover Newcastle upon Tyne’s impact tech ecosystem, the city’s innovation priorities, and who your allies are in this market.
Located in the North East of England, Newcastle upon Tyne has a rich history dating back to Roman times, and has played an important role in the Industrial Revolution. From its iconic Tyne Bridge to renowned educational institutions and a lively arts scene, Newcastle is a city that offers a diverse range of experiences and opportunities as a center of innovation and technology.
Established in 2000, NewcastleGateshead Initiative is a public-private partnership supported by Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, and over 170 private sector partner organizations across North East England. Its mission is to inspire people to visit, and to live, learn, work and invest here.
Introducing The North East
The North East region of England, bordering Scotland, has a population of 2.7 million people. It is home to innovative hubs, such as Newcastle upon Tyne, with centers like the Helix and Newcastle Science City. Other hubs in Sunderland and Middlesborough also drive economic growth and job creation. The region ranked high in job creation from foreign direct investment in 2022, with growth in the tech, healthcare, energy, and sustainability sectors.
The establishment of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority in May 2024, following a devolution deal that covers seven local councils, is set to significantly enhance the regional governance. This new authority replaces the previous North of Tyne and North East Combined Authorities and will oversee an ambitious £4.2 billion investment aimed at bolstering transport, digital infrastructure, housing, and regeneration initiatives across the North East.
(since 1990)
(Source: Dealroom)
(Source: Dealroom)
*Almost half of the region’s funding over that time period went to two companies: Britishvolt (Blyth) and Atom Bank (Durham)
Governance
Newcastle upon Tyne is part of the newly established North East Mayoral Combined Authority, which was formed in May 2024.
This new authority replaces the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and the North East Combined Authority, integrating the governance of seven local councils including Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland County Council along with Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, and Durham.
Green Regulation
Newcastle is the first city in the world to have three anchor institutions (local authority, hospital trust, and university) declare a Climate Emergency and make Net Zero commitments through the development of climate strategies in the city’s sectors since 2019.
The city is establishing itself as an international climate leader, recognized as such by international climate research provider Carbon Disclosure Platform (CDP) through the award of ‘A’ grade status – one of only 95 places globally to receive the top rating.
The Net Zero Newcastle 2030 Action Plan sets out Newcastle’s long-term strategic vision to be net zero carbon emissions by 2030. An ambitious program of Net Zero interventions will deliver the action plan, focusing on energy, the transportation sector, climate adaptation and sustainability.
Ecosystem Overview
Newcastle's investment proposition is built upon its strong research and innovation capabilities, prestigious universities, and prime development sites. With its forward-thinking approach and supportive business environment, Newcastle is well-positioned to attract investment, drive inclusive economic growth and create exciting opportunities for many years to come. Over the last 5 years, Newcastle-based startups have raised over $380M in funding, accounting for roughly a third of VC investment activity in the North East region.
At the heart of this ecosystem is Newcastle Helix, an urban innovation district that brings together academia, industry, and the public sector to create a collaborative hub for research and development. It is home to the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing and National Innovation Centre for Data, making it a world-leading center for research and innovation in the fields of healthy aging and data science.
Newcastle's two prestigious universities, Newcastle University and Northumbria University, produce the highest proportion of STEM graduates in the country, offering a wealth of talent and knowledge for businesses.
In addition, Newcastle boasts key development sites, offering a unique opportunity for businesses and investors to establish themselves in the heart of the city.
Hot Topics and Innovation Priorities
Home to the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing, Newcastle is playing a key role in research around healthy ageing and longevity.
With one of the fastest growing technology clusters in the UK, Newcastle is at the forefront of innovation and research digital transformation and how we use data to improve quality of life for residents.
As a leader of the first Industrial Revolution, Newcastle is driving forward the Green Industrial Revolution through innovation and research, connecting up with the North East coast, which has a highly developed offshore sector made up of world-leading companies.
Startup Support
Ignite is an early-stage accelerator program for start-ups with high-scaling potential (usually tech). Established in 2011 it’s supported more than 500 founders, who between them have raised hundreds of millions in investment and created hundreds of jobs.
Open to businesses across North East England, we help you develop innovation pathways, tap into new markets, launch innovative products and secure finance.We’re here to help you scale and grow. To be eligible to access digital support you must be a small or medium-sized enterprise based in the North East – North of Tyne area.
Land In is a free service designed to make it easy to enter the UK & European market and is exclusively for overseas businesses wanting to establish a long-term presence here.
The Growth Hub is delivered by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP). The LEP works to make the North East a place where more businesses invest, grow and prosper, to deliver more and better jobs for everyone. The North East Local Enterprise Partnership area covers County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
The TIGGOR program has been established to support the acceleration of businesses in the North of Tyne and wider North East England region. Funded primarily by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), the program is designed to boost supply chain growth and productivity in the region’s burgeoning offshore wind and subsea sectors, as well as encourage market entrance of companies that currently do not operate in these industries.
Nic Palmarini
Director
National Innovation Centre Ageing
Innovation Districts and Testbeds
A vibrant 24-acre district that brings together a community of industry leaders, businesses, and top researchers in an internationally renowned innovation community. It’s a collaborative ecosystem for public and private bodies that’s unlike anything else in the UK. Hundreds of innovators, businesses and progressive homeowners living and working side by side, along with great food, drink and entertainment venues. Businesses who co-locate here benefit profoundly from being in the centre of one of the most important innovation hubs in Europe.
Newcastle Science Central Management LLP
The Core
Newcastle Helix
Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5TF
The first digital production facility of its kind in Europe offering virtual production, 3D scanning, motion capture and sound recording. PROTO is part of the Digital Catapult NETV network, and is also home to the North East Tees Valley Immersive Lab (one of only four in the UK).
Advanced Media Production
Abbott's Hill
Baltic Business Quarter
Gateshead NE8 3DF
Promising Startups
Breakthrough energy storage systems using ‘second life’ electric vehicle batteries
Matthew Lumsden
CEO and Founder
“Newcastle is the natural home for Connected Energy. The city – and our location at the Newcastle Helix - has provided us with everything we need on our scale-up journey. From high-spec, flexible office space, links to two universities and the talent and learnings they provide through to being surrounded by like-minded innovative companies who are working on future energy and climate solutions.”
CellRev is a biotech company focused on process intensification in cell manufacturing applications.
Digital platform enabling households to get paid for saving energy at peak times.
Breakthrough plastic recycling technology which separates the components of mixed plastic waste.
Experts in the production of induced pluripotent stem cells.
Estelle Blanks
CEO
Innovation SuperNetwork
Relevant Ecosystem Players in Newcastle
Innovation Center
The National Innovation Centre for Data was created in 2019 with £30 million in funding from UK Government and Newcastle University. Their mission is to transfer data skills to the UK workforce, ensuring that organizations across the country are equipped to reap the benefits of the global data-driven revolution, led from the North East.
Data Skill Training
Business Opportunities
Innovation Center
A world-leading organisation supported by initial investment from UK Government and Newcastle University. Together with VOICE, a global citizen network, they have developed a novel approach to Ageing Intelligence®, which brings together data-driven insight and human experiences to help bring new products, business models and services to market that support ageing populations.
Webinars
Consulting
Research Center
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is a leading research and development center located in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. The center focuses on accelerating the growth of the offshore renewable energy sector through innovative technological advancements. Their work spans across various fields, including wind, wave, and tidal power, and they collaborate with businesses, academia, and governments to create a sustainable future for energy. The center is equipped with world-class facilities and a team of experts, making it a key player in the region's energy innovation hub.
SME Support Program
Research Center
The International Centre for Connected Construction (IC3) is a research center based at Northumbria University in Newcastle. The center focuses on driving innovation and digital transformation in the construction industry through research and development, education and training, and industry partnerships. IC3 leverages emerging technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create sustainable, connected, and efficient built environments.
Consulting
Business Opportunities
Research Center
The Faraday Institution North East is a research center based at Newcastle University in North East England, dedicated to developing cutting-edge energy storage technologies. The center focuses on developing new materials and technologies to enable the transition to a low-carbon energy system, with a particular emphasis on improving battery performance and longevity. Their research spans across various applications, including electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage, and portable electronics. The Faraday Institution North East collaborates with industry, academia, and governments to drive innovation and create sustainable solutions for the energy sector.
Network Access
Research Program
Innovation Alliance
The North East Battery Alliance is productively convening academic researchers, battery manufacturing companies, suppliers and local government. facilitating collaboration , galvanising the NE region's assets into a cohesive group.
Network Access
Industrialisation Centre
Part of the UK Government’s, Driving the Electric Revolution challenge, DER Centres are positioned to help businesses across numerous sectors, including transport and energy, to invest and work together to capitalise on the UK’s strengths in electrification technology. Newcastle University are heading up the DER Centre North East at International Advanced Manufacturing Park in the North East providing a northern home for virtual product development, digital manufacturing and advanced assembly techniques.
Funding
Business Opportunities
Consulting
Research Centre
Part of Newcastle University, the Urban Observatory produces the largest set of publicly available real-time urban data in the UK.
Data Analysis
Data Repository
Innovation Alliance
Dynamo was established in 2013 and is an industry led membership organisation with the core mission to ‘Grow the North East Tech Economy’ through collaboration, innovation, skills.
Network Access
Co-working
Floe Hub is a co-working space in the city for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs. It offers services and resources to support business growth. The space is partnered with Barclays I Eagle Labs, a global network of co-working spaces and innovation hubs. Members can connect with a collaborative community and find the resources they need to develop their businesses.
Office Space
Business Opportunities
Innovation Alliance
Supported by 60 partners, including all five North East universities and high-profile organisations across the public and private sectors, Innovation SuperNetwork brings together the innovation ecosystem to support economic growth.
Funding
Business Opportunities
Funding Landscapes
