A manufacturing zone is set to be created in South Tyneside, thanks to a £500,000 boost.
The funding has been secured to create the 8,600sqft zone within Jarrow Business Centre to support high growth businesses in the advanced manufacturing and offshore energy supply chain.
South Tyneside Council has been awarded almost £500,000 from the Government’s Local Growth Fund through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), to develop the zone within re-purposed space at the Jarrow centre.
The scheme will provide manufacturing space and incubation support for high growth potential SMEs operating in the advanced manufacturing and energy sectors in South Tyneside.
The new area, which is due for completion in June 2021, is a few miles away from the new Equinor and SSE Renewables Operations and Maintenance base at The Port of Tyne in South Shields, which is expected to create significant supply chain opportunities in supporting the development of the new Dogger Bank Wind Farm.
The facility will provide bases for new and growing companies and support the advancement of the South Tyneside offshore cluster and those operating within the wider North East offshore supply chain.
It is hoped that, longer term, as companies develop and grow, they will move on to larger accommodation in the North East.
Coun John Anglin, lead member for regeneration and economy at South Tyneside Council, said: “The North East is a leading location in England in the offshore energy sectors, particularly offshore wind which is where the future lies. With its River Tyne location, the Manufacturing Zone at Jarrow Business Centre is suitably placed to support local supply chain SMEs to benefit from the significant opportunities in the offshore wind sector including the eagerly awaited Equinor and SSE Renewables Operations and Maintenance base for Dogger Bank Wind Farm in South Shields.
“The refurbishment of the space will provide SME businesses from within and outside the borough with the affordable, high quality manufacturing space they need, while providing new job opportunities to the residents in the region in the key sectors of advanced manufacturing and offshore energy.”
Andrew Moffat, chair of the investment board at the North East LEP said: “One of the aims of the Local Growth Fund is to support the development of economic infrastructure in the region. The Manufacturing Zone at Jarrow Business Centre will offer high quality advanced manufacturing space.
“This will provide the ideal base for smaller businesses wishing to serve larger tier 1 and tier 2 manufacturers across a range of manufacturing sectors, enabling them to benefit from manufacturing supply chains operating from two of the North East’s strategic economic assets, the River Tyne, and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in South Tyneside and Sunderland.”