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Shaping the future, our future
If you are thinking about a career in science, engineering or technology, Tees Valley and the rest of the North East is certainly the place to be. Opportunities in the process industry across the region are burgeoning. With almost 20% of the UK’s production capacity based in the North East, the sector already employs 34,000 people directly and plans to see the market grow by 50 per cent by 2015, creating 12,000 new jobs.
Much of recent growth can be attributed to the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Cenamps, the Centre for Nano and Micro and Photonic Systems, and the innovative work they are undertaking. Working closely with global industry partners and leading research universities, CPI and Cenamps operate as a catalyst, helping to translate scientific research into commercial reality – balancing the responsibilities of regional wealth creation with commercial success along the way.
With innovation high on the national agenda, CPI and Cenamps have had a pivotal role in developing new technologies for sustainable success. They have done this by increasing exchanges of knowledge; identifying needs within research or business and coordinating the development of programmes to meet these demands; both regionally, nationally and internationally. Often this involves boosting the supply of skilled expertise.
The organisations have become a magnet for process industries, championing development and capabilities and attracting a high calibre of scientists from around the globe to work on exciting projects of national and international significance.
2008 will see CPI and Cenamps becoming one, with the aim of focusing on exploiting the innovation end of the scientific innovation cycle.
Nigel Perry, the CEO of the new organization said:
"We’re building on our shared knowledge and asset base within the process industry to focus on four key technology sub-sectors: advanced processes; low carbon energy; functional materials and polymer electronics. We believe these sectors hold the most potential for both regional wealth creation and commercial success. It is our ambition to lead the UK, and eventually the world, in these specialist areas. Only by being ambitious can we convince investors that North East England is a risk worth taking when it comes to technology innovation."