Insights from David Dunn, CEO of Dynamo North East C.I.C., reflecting on a tour of the region’s tech ecosystem with North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.
On Wednesday this week, I was delighted to be able to take North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, on a tour of our North East Tech Ecosystem. Given that Kim has been a long-term advocate for tech as both a sector in its own right and an enabler of wider sectors and indeed society, the pitch to use five plus hours of her day wasn’t hard!
First port of call was Dynamo Advisory Board Chair and Leighton CEO, James Bunting’s office, where we had a roundtable with nine tech companies, ranging from the fairly new Circadacare (thanks for the pronunciation help, Tallie) and the always passionate Mitch from SQCDP, to stalwarts of tech in the region, Scott Logic and Opencast. We covered the good, the bad, and the future (no ugly here) of the industry in a traditionally northern fashion. Some highlights for me:
- We’re leaders in our desire to support one another – you ask for help, and you’re very likely to get it from your peers
- Getting grant money is hard, and spending it is just as tough (red tape, reporting, and admin time); the £30m devolution of innovation funding to the region should build on lessons learnt
- Going global should be in the plan – lessons from Serios Group (and recently Inflo at the TechNExt Industry Dinner) are there to be shared
A swift(ish) drive to Gateshead then took us to Recite Me, Coatsink and XR Therapeutics for some war stories and brilliant opportunities. Ross (Recite Me) reiterated that international expansion just needs desire and a bit of Northern charm – the new offices are looking amazing, by the way.
Rich at Coatsink shared how major (major) brands trust Coatsink implicitly with their IP – “here you go, just build Jurassic Park in VR” was perhaps not a direct quote, but it shows the level of trust they’ve built. The span of jobs in one office is amazing – from storyboarders to testers to the comms team – hats off to what they’ve built. Press packs for YouTubers I’ve never seen before – wow!
Finally for Gateshead, XR Therapeutics. Within a minute we weren’t in Gateshead – we were in a London Underground, looking at how those who struggle with public spaces, packed trains (and the associated sweaty armpits) can be supported through a pioneering blend of tech and cognitive behavioural therapy. We also noted that the speed at which the NHS can procure innovation is slower than glacial – one for Jim Mackey and Wes Streeting there!
On to Sunderland, hosted by the wonderful Taya Reynolds at Hays Travel’s tech centre. The purpose of this roundtable was to understand what makes a good tech ecosystem, and given that the guests included Darren from NHS Business Services Authority and Vickie and Tim from Greggs, we’d already established that tech departments are often overlooked players in a successful ecosystem. Great input came from Carl – who despite imposter syndrome among Greggs and Hays’ £2bn revenues – told the story of how the music industry needs technology to change, and how his business is leading the way. Lessons from this one:
- Big tech departments are here to help the whole ecosystem – they’re team players and already support skills development in schools and supply chain opportunities. We just need to get the mechanisms right to enable more of it (enter Sunderland Software City and Dynamo stage left!)
- We need to support people to be ‘sticky’ to the region, creating more opportunities by recruiting in different ways. Take a bow, NHS Business Services Authority; you are leading the way on this
- We need a story to tell about all the good work happening, to overcome some of the myths about tech in the region, or the supposed lack of it. We did: #TechHappensHere – love it!
Wrapping up a day spent exploring the North East’s tech scene with Kim McGuinness left me feeling genuinely excited for what’s ahead. From established practitioners to fresh startups, and from local collaboration to global ambition, the region’s tech ecosystem is full of energy, talent, and drive. Sure, there are challenges, from funding headaches to procurement speed, but the passion and determination on display are undeniable. With strong leadership, community spirit, and a shared commitment to telling our story (#TechHappensHere!), our region is creating more opportunities to become a more vibrant and innovative tech hub. Can’t wait to see where we go next!
Photo credit: Kim McGuinness
