More than 150 people from across Teesside’s port-enabled economy came together at the Riverside Stadium this week for Tees Maritime Cluster’s latest supply chain event.
Bringing business, education and government into the same room, the morning focused firmly on opportunity: the investment coming into the region, where the potential for growth sits, and what businesses need to do to be part of it.
Strategic Committee Members shared insight from across the supply chain, while Tees Maritime Partners showcased some of the capability, innovation and expertise that already exists here in Teesside.
And there is a lot to be excited about.
A region built for opportunity
Teesside is home to an extraordinary concentration of industry.
Ports and logistics sit alongside engineering, manufacturing, energy, construction, technology, marine and professional services, creating a supply chain with the capability to support major projects both here and much further afield.
The message throughout the morning was clear: there is significant opportunity ahead, but making the most of it requires businesses to understand what is coming, where they fit and who they need to connect with.
That is where a strong cluster can make a difference.
Connecting growth with people
Realising that potential also means making sure we have the people and skills to grow with it.
A panel discussion brought together perspectives from education, industry and employment support to explore routes into the sector for young people, the barriers that can make those routes harder to navigate and what can be done collectively to remove them.
For Tees Maritime, the two conversations are intrinsically linked.
Supporting business growth while building stronger connections between employers, education and the next generation helps ensure that the opportunities being created across Teesside can translate into long-term economic growth and good careers.
Turning conversations into connections
Events matter because of what happens in the room, but their real value is often what happens afterwards.
Throughout the morning, businesses met potential customers, suppliers and collaborators. Employers connected with education and skills organisations. Introductions were made between people who had a reason to know each other but had never previously crossed paths.
Those conversations have already continued beyond the event, with introductions, follow-ups and new connections being made in the days since.
That is exactly what Tees Maritime Cluster exists to facilitate.
We champion the industry and capability that exists across Teesside, but we also connect it: linking businesses with opportunities, employers with skills, problems with potential solutions and organisations that can achieve more by working together.
Made possible by our members
The event was free to attend, helping businesses from across the supply chain take part and make connections without cost being a barrier.
That is possible because of the businesses and organisations that choose to become members of Tees Maritime and invest in the work of the cluster.
Their support enables us to create opportunities like this not only for our membership, but for the wider maritime and port-enabled economy, strengthening connections and helping to drive growth across Teesside.
And the bigger that network becomes, the more we can do with it.
If your organisation is part of Teesside’s maritime supply chain and you want to be part of what comes next, join Tees Maritime Cluster.
Collectively stronger.