A new direction for North East tech economy champions Dynamo following its merger with another sector body will include more events and benefits for company members.
David Dunn, CEO of the membership body, which last spring merged with Sunderland Software City which he also leads, said Dynamo had refocussed to exert more influence. In a meeting at Gateshead's PROTO, Mr Dunn said the two organisations were well placed to influence public sector spending at a local level and had established good links with the Government and the Labour Party.
He said: "Tech has historically been thought of as a sector in and around London and we need to change that assumption. There are such great companies and great success stories here in the north east and we need to aggregate those stories into a compelling and consistent message for people to hear outside of the region – and even outside of the UK."
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The comments come as Charlie Hoult, co-founder of Dynamo along with business partner Mike O'Brien, stepped down from his role as chair as a replacement is sought as part of a "leaner" advisory board.
Dynamo - which counts large corporates, consultants, education providers, SMEs and local government among its membership base - will now "move away" from its work leading the North East's tech cluster and Mr Dunn said its support would be given to other organisations better placed to carry out the role. Mr Dunn also set out three components of Dynamo's future, including an enhanced number of events to encourage networking and collaboration; more perks and benefits for members, and attempts to get more people to celebrate the successes of the region's tech sector.
Meanwhile the Tech Talent Engine - a Dynamo-run project to promote digital career paths available in the North East - was said to remain a "top priority". Mr Dunn said: "We’ll continue with the vital work the Tech Talent Engine is doing to help develop a pipeline for the region’s tech companies, and encourage everyone within the sector to speak a common language in terms of recruitment."
Separately, Sunderland Software City welcomed the creation of the new Department of Science, Innovation and Technology created in this week's government reshuffle. Mr Dunn said: "It is welcome news that the Government is prioritising a greater emphasis on supporting the growth of the UK’s world-leading technology sector.
"Yet it remains imperative that this new department is set up in a way which is first and foremost reactive to bespoke regional needs. Only then can levelling up become a reality and will regions like the North East be able to achieve their potential.
"We look forward to working closely with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology to share our insights ahead of next month’s Budget and shape a strategy that ensures the region is listened to, understood and ready to take advantage of proposals to ensure inclusive economic growth is realised."
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