Hitachi deal is a great example of what our region does best
Date published:
The Chamber’s latest column for The Journal by Rhiannon Bearne, deputy CEO and executive director of policy and representation at the Chamber.
Despite the grey skies and a keynote political speech that might not have landed exactly the way the Prime Minister wished, there was some bright news for the region’s economy last week.
On Friday the immediate future of Hitachi’s railway assembly plan in Newton Aycliffe was secured with a deal to produce 14 state-of-the-art trains at the site.
Safeguarding 750 jobs and a much wider supply chain in the North East and beyond, the agreement also includes the leasing of a further 13 five-car trains by rail company FirstGroup, should its plans to expand its East Coast Main Line Lumo services be successful.
This is good news for people and businesses throughout the North East. It is also a great example of what the region does best, working in partnership to maximise its existing strengths – and crucially, working together.
Hitachi and Lumo, both members of the North East Chamber network represent two sides of the same coin: the makers and the operators driving the connectivity which delivers growth not just for the North East but for much of the UK beyond.
Coming back to the Prime Minister’s speech on the government’s Plan for Change, this was delivered the day before Hitachi’s news. It was described as setting out Labour’s blueprint for decade of national renewal, including milestones for how the government intends to deliver on its national missions and drive real improvements for working people.
Milestones, missions and blueprints… It’s perhaps not a surprise that a lot of the subsequent commentary went into trying to explain how all the details fitted together.
The basic idea that government needs to join up more across areas like skills, health and investment to drive growth and economic stability is sound.
That’s where the partnership between Hitachi and Lumo comes in.
This is a great example of two strong, established regional companies, both with global impact and reach, delivering exactly the kind of joined up thinking the government’s talking about.
Working together they are making plans for the future, safeguarding jobs, driving investment and ultimately delivering growth right here from the heart of the North East.
As the son of a toolmaker himself the PM might want to return to his roots – and look to the North East’s great example of partnership happening in practice.