Developing an Innovation Ecosystem: Policy, Skills and Operations: Report by the North East Innovation Observatory for the North East Local Enterprise Partnership

This report builds on previous work aligned with the North East
Economic Review (Adonis, 2013), and more specifically the North
East Local Enterprise Partnership Economic Strategy (2017)1 that
acts as the most recent benchmark of the earlier Economic Review,
as well as reports aimed at stimulating North East2 economic growth
through initiatives such as promoting the region as an economic
corridor3. Using an analysis of wide-scale secondary data, North
East firms show proficiency in innovation in some respects, mostly
depending upon specific sector and organisational contexts. These
innovation indicators are presented in more detail later in the
report. Mainly, it is expected that these indicators do not function
solely in isolation, but rather in combination will lead to a better
predictor of innovation success.
An integration of the 2017 Gartner hype cycle of emerging
technologies4 with the competencies and industries of the North
East is also presented, to look ahead to opportunities and threats
to the region’s companies from a rapidly developing, increasingly
tech-focused dynamic world marketplace. Findings show that
some sectors within the North East are much more affected by
this development than others. Where some will be quick to adopt
to change, others may need increased support in taking up new
technologies in order to survive.