Over the last few years, the North East has started to show its untapped potential when it comes to UK tech innovation. Already home to some of the UK’s largest organisations across sectors including travel, transport, and finance, the focus has now turned to the role startups and SMEs are set to play in turning the region into an economic and tech powerhouse.

In the third quarter of last year alone, the number of new startups in the region grew 29%. And with the announcement that a large part of the Treasury is set to move to Darlington earlier this month, it only confirmed the region’s exciting possibilities for rapid growth and innovation.

When I founded Made Tech in 2012, it was with the mission to help startup technology businesses get to market fast. But since 2016, we’ve been committed to helping the public sector to improve the lives of millions by empowering them to modernise their working practices, drive better decisions through their data and improve their digital services through technology.

As a purpose-driven organisation operating in the public sector, we believe the outcomes we create are more important than the technology we deliver. As a result, we continue to scale our business where we think we can deliver the best outcomes, both for the public sector, and for its people.

Over the past couple of years, we have embarked on a ‘levelling up’ approach. We have established new offices close to key public sector organisations in locations such as South Wales and the North West, so that we can continue to fulfil our mission and empower public sector organisations to improve lives and expand their capacity using technology. This is why the North East is the natural next step for us, and we are sure that many others will follow.The North East is not only home to the future Treasury, the HMRC and many other public sector bodies and government departments, but it’s also home to a promising talent pool for the next generation of innovative thinkers in tech.

At Made Tech, supporting learning and knowledge development has always been a core part of our strategy and mission — and it’s something we want to play a key role in as we expand our operations to the North East. This is why we have plans to create approximately 25 new roles across the region, providing new opportunities for skills development for those starting or changing careers and experienced employees alike.

As the North East continues to thrive both within the public sector and beyond, it’s truly an exciting time for the region, and we’re excited to explore its untapped potential as we call it home. We may be among the first, but we certainly won’t be the last.