The North East has all the right ingredients to become the country’s ‘capital of innovation’, the Conservative candidate to become North East mayor has said.
And Guy Renner-Thompson says he will champion the region as a world leader in digital technologies, pharma and life sciences and automotive and advanced manufacturing.
“The North East is absolutely the right place to lead the way and become a capital of innovation, our part of the world is already at the forefront in a range of specialisms including advanced manufacturing, digital technology and life-sciences. Newcastle was recently described as the smartest city in the UK and one of the smartest in the world.
“We have the brains here to lead the way, and if I become Mayor, I will make it my mission to ensure everything is in place to continue to be world leaders. I will intervene to boost existing and future economic clusters and I’ll be an ambassador for the area at home and abroad. I want to the world to see we have some of the brightest minds living and working here and some of the country’s most innovative and exciting companies working on groundbreaking technologies across a wide range of industries.
I will go out and encourage more of those companies and people to bring their talents to the North East, as well as producing our own, to the benefit of everyone living and working in the region. It is clear to me the North East should become the UK’s capital of innovation.”
Guy was speaking after a meeting with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan MP, who visited Wooler in Northumberland as part of the Government’s Project Gigabit roll-out.
She said “I’m really excited about Guy’s plans to boost the local economy and drive forward innovation. The North East is an area of the country which has so much potential and that could be realised if the energy and enthusiasm demonstrated by people like Guy is unlocked.”
Photo - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, left, talking to Conservative North East mayoral candidate, Guy Renner-Thompson
