Technology cluster is vital to Durham's business success

A THRIVING technology cluster has developed in Durham in recent years and it is the strength of that like-minded community which has been key to the success of aXenic, a company producing high-speed modulators for telecoms markets.

Chief executive officer Steve Clements says the company has gone from strength to strength since choosing NETPark, at Sedgefield, as its base seven years ago.

Mr Clements points to the strength of the local technology cluster as a core benefit of being located in the county, along with the proximity of high-quality universities and the attention to detail of Business Durham.

Big players such as Fujitsu and RFMD UK Ltd at Aycliffe led the way for a cluster of smaller technology companies to take root in the county – and that has led to a vital network of support.

“A huge amount of expertise has grown in the shadow of those bigger companies and that means small companies can get easy access to first-rate facilities and support staff,” said Mr Clements.

“NETPark itself has become a significant hub and that makes it a really great place to be. When you are a small business, you can’t do everything yourself. You need professional sub-contractors, consultancies and technical services, and that’s all readily available at NETPark.

“The odds are stacked against you as a small company. You need help to overcome those odds and that’s what we’ve had.”

Another positive has been the strong relationships which exist not just with Durham University but Newcastle University, too.

Short-term working arrangements have led to full-time jobs and, while aXenic spreads its recruitment net nationally, the talent available within the region has proved invaluable.

Mr Clements is also full of praise for the pivotal role played by Business Durham, describing it as flexible and “incredibly thorough” in researching what individual companies need.

“What really stands out is that everything is so well thought through. A lot of time is spent finding out what support needs to be put in place to help different businesses succeed.

“They do their homework down to the finest detail which makes life so much easier. If we need a consultant, they do the research and find the right one so we don’t have to worry.”

Mr Clements also describes the facilities at NETPark as of a world-class standard.

aXenic tests and helps to manufacture extremely precise components. As these can be destroyed by tiny particles entering the process, a fundamental requirement when it first moved to NETPark was for a clean room – an air-filtered, temperature-controlled, humidity-controlled environment – for its high-tech work.

That’s precisely what Business Durham provided and backed it up with a flexible financial arrangement that helped the company to get established.

With aXenic now employing ten people directly, plus the same number in sub-contracted work, its stock continues to rise. Its latest focus is on getting fibre-optic products into space, so even the sky isn’t the limit.

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