OVERSEAS investment has created or safeguarded 6,673 jobs in the North-East over the past year, it was revealed yesterday.

Nearly 2,900 jobs were created and just under 3,800 safeguarded by 68 projects, such as Nissan’s announcement that it is to build its new electric car in Sunderland from 2013.

The takeover of the former Artenius plant at Wilton by Lotte UK, a subsidiary of Korean Lotte Group, is creating 132 jobs and safeguarding a further 43, while global engineering and construction provider Aker Solutions is recruiting up to 100 staff in purpose- built offices in Stockton, both with grant support from regional development agency One North East.

About 82 per cent of all the inward investment into the North-East in 2009-10 came through the Inward Investment team at the agency.

One North East head of business investment, Dr Simon Goon, said: “It has been an extremely successful year for the inward investment and aftercare team with a succession of large-scale announcements from companies attracted to the North-East.

“We have had notable successes in the fields of healthcare, life sciences and creative industries.

“By putting the renewable energy and the low-carbon agenda at the heart of our economic development plans, we have created a green energy hub, which has helped us attract companies such as Clipper Windpower, see established regional firms such as TAG invest heavily in offshore wind engineering and bring the Nissan battery plant and the Nissan Leaf to North-East England.”