THESE are turbulent times for one of the region’s iconic heavy industries. The future of the Teesside steel sector could become a lot clearer in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow, Tata Steel announces its results amid speculation the firm is gearing up to offload some of its UK sites.

It employs about 1,500 workers at plants across the North-East and supports hundreds of local contractors and suppliers.

After writing-off £1bn from its balance sheet recently, the group, which has its headquarters in India, is expected to reveal another major loss, following a pre-tax deficit of £846m last year.

It’s not the only steel firm battling sluggish demand, falling prices, and the threat posed by cheaper product from China.

Redcar-based SSI UK has faced myriad problems since production restarted in April last year. But a coal injection plant will start up next month that should finally ensure the plant makes a profit for its Thai owners.

The successful campaign to rescue the works proved how much people in this region care that Teesside iron and steel has a future as well as a proud past. Let’s hope better times lie ahead.

CONGRATULATIONS to Cleveland Bridge for finally tying up a £35m deal to make hundreds of bridges in the jungles of Sri Lanka.

The deal secures jobs at the Darlington firm for the next three years or so – a deal that’s worth celebrating.

It’s also a perfect riposte for all of those pub bores who claim that we don’t make anything these day. Cleveland Bridge is the latest example that North-East manufacturing is alive and kicking.

IF you know a young entrepreneur who needs cash, point them towards a Government fund managed by a consortium including Newcastle-based Virgin Money.

More than £700,000 of funding is still up for grabs to support North-East start-ups.

To find out more, go to startup loansnortheast.co.uk

MORE PR gobbledygook in a release I received about a new underwater remote-operated vehicle (ROV) which: “Will be the first work class system in operation in the industry, which utilises step change technology in advanced auto function and control…offering a range of precision auto position controls, this system will enable greater accuracy in ROV positioning throughout the water column, including high current reactive control.”

So, basically it is more controllable than other models.

THE awards season now seems to run from January to December.

It is great to see firms from our region winning acclaim but some of the awards are somewhat obscure.

This week, I’m handing a prize to Peter McCusker for making us aware of the role played by Gateshead vehicle control makers Sevcon in helping a firm in Norway scoop the coveted Norwegian Design Council’s Honourable Design Excellence Award for 2013.

Forget Eurovision, this was the event that grabbed the attention of Europe last week. Gratulerer, as they say in Oslo.