AN organisation which brings defence contracts to the region believes it will have a £500,000 turnover by 2005.

Northern Defence Industries (NDI) brings a range of skills from companies across the North-East and Yorkshire under one organisation for the benefit of defence procurement contractors.

The past year has been a period of rapid growth for the organisation, and its turnover is expected to rise to about £300,000 this year, which would be an increase of more than 200 per cent on last year's figure.

Last year NDI moved to new headquarters at the Business and Innovation Centre, in Sunderland, and has expanded its membership dramatically during the past year.

The organisation has more than 150 members and hopes to increase that to more than 200 by the end of the year.

NDI is the key business development organisation for the defence and aerospace industries in the region.

It has worked closely with Middlesbrough chartered accountants Keith Robinson and Co to revise its forecasts to take into account its substantial growth since it became a limited company in April 2001.