20 YEARS OF DIGITALCITY

Professor
Craig Gaskell Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Business Engagement), Teesside University

Over the last 20 years, a flourishing digital sector has been a key part of the economic resurgence of the Tees Valley.

DigitalCity, the university and a whole host of local organisations have played a part in this – sharing expertise, creating a thriving community, and guiding fledgling business leaders through the difficult first steps on their entrepreneurial journey.

It’s those business successes – born, raised, and scaled here in the Tees Valley – which deserve celebration.

There are some familiar faces and stories in this summary of the past two decades of work forging a DigitalCity, but there are many previously untold stories too, alongside recollections of the rollercoaster ride of success and sacrifice which every founder goes on.

It’s because of those founders, and the wide range of talent that we have on our doorstep, that this region has the thriving digital sector it does.

I am immensely proud that Teesside University has a role in enabling it, and although on a personal level I’ve only been in this post a relatively short period of time, my predecessor the late Prof Jane Turner OBE was instrumental in that – driven by her passion to create opportunities for everyone and see the best for the whole of the region.

We now have a Tees Valley which, through collective effort, creates digital content for global consumers, develops ground-breaking games and makes real technical innovations in fields like industrial controls and process management.

Now, Teessiders get their head down and get on with the job in hand, but it’s important we don’t forget to stop and celebrate our successes. Just because it’s your day job doesn’t make it any less worthy of note; your business as usual can still be remarkable – it was a delight to read so many stories in this collection which prove that’s the case.

We need to shout about those stories from our digital sector, the people behind it and their aspirations for the future. We don’t do that to be big-headed, or because the job is done, but because it helps attract the talent we need to this region and to raise the aspirations of our people.

This book is a collection of some of these fantastic stories, dedicated to the people and digital powerhouses that we have here in the Tees Valley.

Lynsey
Robinson Director, DigitalCity

You don’t often get the chance for nostalgia when working with cutting edge businesses, so reflecting on how far DigitalCity has come and the tremendous achievements of the businesses we’ve worked with was a rare pleasure.

Reflecting on the past allows us to learn about the future and it is a very bright one for the Tees Valley.

Like every vision of the future, it contains uncertainties, but one thing which is unquestionable is that our tech and digital sector will be at the heart of it – not just as stand-alone successes, but supporting more traditional businesses to adapt and grow.

I’ve been with DigitalCity for a little over five years, but I inherited an already thriving and impactful community and so I must offer a special dedication to Janice Webster, who founded the organisation and initially suggested a ‘DigitalCity’.

Her energy, passion and enthusiasm made it all happen, and she was our greatest supporter even into retirement. Janice sadly passed away in 2022, but her legacy will always live on. For two decades, DigitalCity has been a collective effort, shared between our team, our colleagues at Teesside University and our outside supporters.

There are simply too many people to mention, but they all contributed to putting Teesside’s digital cluster on the map. When I think back on just the last few years, the breadth of what has been achieved has been remarkable.

Our Accelerator programme has helped earlystage businesses launch or bring new products to market.

Our SCALE programme has helped established businesses grow rapidly

Our Bricks and Clicks programme is helping businesses with a physical presence expand their digital profile and e-commerce offer.

I’m proud of what has been achieved and know that we can look ahead to the cluster continuing to evolve and grow, thanks to the support and energy of the community that’s grown up around it.

I look forward to working with you all in the future to tell new stories of fresh businesses, innovative digital products and services, and homegrown talent.

In putting this publication together, we loved hearing about the brilliant stories in the local digital sector and we hope this has inspired you to tell yours.