DigitalCity is a Teesside-based cluster of digital media and technology enterprises now celebrating its tenth year. A joint project between Teesside University and Middlesbrough Council, DigitalCity was established to stimulate digital entrepreneurialism in the Tees Valley.

Ten years after the project was launched its effect on the community is tangible. Middlesbrough’s economy is now worth £62m annually and the value of digital to the whole of the Tees Valley is £174m annually. According to a report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Middlesbrough is currently the only UK digital economy cluster north of Birmingham. DigitalCity’s success has had a huge impact on local economy; driving business and providing employment opportunities.

When the project was first conceived Teesside University already had a strong reputation for computing and digital. DigitalCity provided talented students with the opportunity to convert their skills into profitable business. It launched fellowships to support fledgling businesses and offered support and access to mentors in the business and digital sphere.

David Jeffries, head of DigitalCity, says, “We’ve seen over the past 10 years DigitalCity grow from an idea into a project that is making a massive difference to the economy of the Tees Valley and the North East region as a whole. DigitalCity companies are developing cutting-edge technologies used in medicine to save lives; they are creating independent games studios with an international reputation and supporting hundreds of jobs regionally. We’ve got plans to grow even further though and hopefully the next 10 years will see DigitalCity’s reputation continue to grow. The first students involved with DigitalCity are already today’s digital leaders and that influence is continuing to spread out and grow globally.”