One year of Tees Maritime: Building momentum, creating opportunities
A year ago, Tees Maritime was little more than an idea.
An idea that the Tees Valley’s maritime sector would be stronger if businesses, education and the public sector had a single organisation dedicated to bringing them together. An idea that the region needed a stronger collective voice. An idea that collaboration, rather than competition, would create more opportunities for everyone.
Twelve months on, that idea has become a network of 89 member organisations spanning 15 sectors, united by a shared ambition to champion one of the Tees Valley’s greatest strengths.
It has also become a year that exceeded every expectation.
Since launching in May 2025, Tees Maritime has delivered 17 industry-led projects, engaged (meaningfully) with 1,576 young people and contributed to ten pieces of government policy. We’ve established our Youth Board, strengthened relationships with maritime clusters across the UK and internationally, and built partnerships that are creating clearer pathways between education and employment.
Those headline figures tell part of the story.
The real achievement has been bringing people together who may never otherwise have worked alongside one another.
Over the past year we’ve worked with businesses of every size, schools, colleges, universities, local authorities, government departments and industry bodies. We’ve facilitated conversations that have led to new partnerships, supported funding applications, influenced regional and national policy, and helped ensure the Tees Valley’s maritime sector has a seat at the table whenever decisions affecting our industry are being made.
That has meant representing the region in Westminster, contributing to All-Party Parliamentary Groups, responding to Government consultations and working closely with Maritime UK and the Department for Transport. It has also meant spending just as much time in classrooms, careers fairs, workshops and boardrooms, connecting young people with employers and helping businesses engage with the future workforce.
Programmes such as Learning About the River, Freeport Futures, our Youth Board and a growing portfolio of employer engagement activities have demonstrated what can be achieved when industry takes an active role in inspiring the next generation.
Alongside this, we’ve supported businesses through collaborative projects focused on innovation, decarbonisation, skills, investment and regional growth, ensuring members benefit not only from stronger networks but from practical opportunities to work together on shared challenges.
Our reach has extended well beyond the Tees Valley. During the past year we’ve built relationships with maritime clusters across the UK, joined global cluster networks and established connections that are opening new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing and international engagement.
Perhaps most importantly, we’ve built credibility.
Credibility with industry, because businesses know we listen before we act.
Credibility with education, because we understand the importance of creating opportunities that genuinely benefit young people.
Credibility with government, because when we speak, we do so on behalf of a growing network of organisations with shared priorities and a collective voice.
None of this would have been possible without our members.
Every project delivered, every partnership created and every opportunity developed has been made possible by organisations that believe our sector achieves more by working together than working alone.
Membership of Tees Maritime is about far more than attending events or expanding professional networks. It is about shaping the future of our region’s maritime sector, influencing the conversations that matter and investing in initiatives that create lasting value for businesses, communities and the next generation.
We’re incredibly proud of what has been achieved in our first twelve months, but even more excited about what comes next.