NETPark’s Kromek secures $17 million agreement

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A technology firm known for helping thwart terror plots has secured a contract worth more than $17 million.

Sedgefield’s Kromek Group is supplying detection equipment to a US-based international operator.

It says the seven-year deal follows progression of a development programme announced late last year, which saw NETPark-based Kromek provide a cadmium zinc telluride-based (CZT) detector solution that helped its client identify contaminants during production processes.

The firm says CZT detectors enable higher quality of imaging with the ability for more accurate and reliable identification of materials.

Dr Arnab Basu, Kromek chief executive, said: “Our customer is dedicated to introducing bestof- breed solutions in their next generation products to ensure we can live healthier and safer lives.

“We anticipate developing further products to support their ambitions.”

Customer Experiences. Digital Design for A Lifetime of Loyalty

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Customer-centric experiences that harness the power of data, creativity, and the latest technologies are gradually becoming the norm as consumer expectations rise. Potential disruptors know this and use it to their advantage to drive successful business performance.

In this workshop, our expert panellists from Mediaworks explained how you can use data, creativity, and the latest technologies to create a future proofed digital experience. How immersive web and digital experiences can support commercial objectives and audience needs. These can be blended to reimagine your customer experiences, drive business efficiencies, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Chris Coulson, Mediaworks Marketing Director.
Luke McLeary, Mediaworks Head of COnversion Rate Optimisation.

Chamber launches digital hub to support business growth

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North East England Chamber of Commerce research showed a huge potential for digital technology to boost regional business growth and has launched a digital hub to help as a result. 

The work was led by the Chamber’s digital steering group, chaired by Gill Hunter, managing partner who is a specialist in technology law at Square One Law, with information from the Chamber’s quarterly economic survey and roundtable discussions with business leaders.  Findings revealed that almost all participants and respondents believed digital transformation was more important for them following the pandemic. Results also showed the reasons for this view was to improve business agility, customer experience and operation efficiency. 

Gill Hunter said: “The last 18 months has been meant that businesses have really appreciated the differentiating role technology can bring to their business. This has led to increased focus on the business’s digital strategy, ensuring it aligns with their overall business strategy. From the conversations I have had, it is clear business leaders are grappling with a multitude of issues, so this initiative is to sign post relevant information to business leaders to support their digital transformation and develop their digital leadership skills.” 

The research also showed 40% of business respondents are currently forming a digital transformation strategy. 25% already have a strategy in place which is being followed but 25% are only implementing digital transformation on an ad-hoc basis and have no formal strategy.   

As part of its campaign to help create a well-connected and Stronger North East the Chamber’s digital hub on its website will have tools, tips and advice on how a business can grow, or create efficiencies using technology. It will also include links to digital skills and leadership training resources, funding available and businesses who can help. There will also be case studies detailing how companies have overcome challenges with the help of digital technologies. 

Amber Burney, Chamber policy and engagement executive said: “We believe it is ever-more important companies are encouraged to adopt technology and digital processes. They play such a significant role in increasing business productivity, reaching customers, reducing a carbon footprint and futureproofing businesses to make them more competitive.”  

Simon Michie, chief technology officer, Pulsant said: “The UK is in the midst a major technology transformation that is creating new opportunities for businesses is the North East of England. It used to be that businesses closer to technology hubs in the Southeast were at an advantage but the emergence of edge computing is breaking down the barriers of location. We’re now seeing regional businesses leverage UK-wide edge computing platforms to gain immediate access to the cloud-based services they need to innovate and grow.” 

The Chamber will be running a campaign on social media from mid-September to showcase the digital hub and businesses which can help with digital transformation. 

Visit the Digital Hub here.

Evolution or extinction?

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The last year has been a turbulent one, and every business has been forced to adapt to changing circumstances, and changing demands from customers. In many cases, social distancing, remote working and restrictions to combat the Coronavirus pandemic have pushed digitally-able businesses to the top of pile while more traditional bricks and mortar or in-person businesses have had to move quickly to catch up and survive.

In this session, experts from Mediaworks – an award-winning digital marketing agency based in Gateshead – will discuss what impact the pandemic has had on commerce, consumer behaviours and the acceleration of digital behaviours. They will explain the commercial, technical and practical aspects of how to grow your digital presence. The guest panellists will focus on how to analyse your current digital activity and which projects will deliver the biggest results to your bottom line.

The price of not going digital

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Why is it important to digitise and harness data? Chamber Assistant Director of Policy Rachel Anderson gives her thoughts as part of a project with Square One Law.

Anyone who is over 40 or who has a 9-year-old will know that there are certain aspects of the technology revolution which have passed them by. Once you displayed a natural killer instinct for playing Jet Set Willy on a Commodore 64 whilst your bemused parents looked on. But now, it is a challenge to keep up with the latest graphics requirements and social media platforms where you too can watch bemused as your 9-year-old watches videos of other people playing computer games.It’s the inexorable march of technology, it is, honest.

If technology in the home can leave us bemused and feeling a bit out of the loop then the same applies to the roll out of new technology infrastructure, if we fail to understand it, we leave ourselves open to falling behind. Most people see superfast broadband as a necessity these days and will generally demand it of builders constructing new housing but what about the next generation of technology? As we move towards more flexible and homeworking, how will houses be valued which don’t have the latest connection technology? Will mortgage lenders or insurers view houses without connectivity in the same way they view those without mains gas or water connections? What about places with transport connections that don’t offer wifi, will people want to travel there? When the region is in competition with the world for the best and brightest, stuff like this matters.

And what about all that data? When your fridge tells you helpfully that your Gorgonzola is a day past its use by date and tries to order three kilos, that data has to go somewhere. As the moment it is held in either London or Norway. In truth, the contents of your smart fridge aren’t going to be that interesting to international espionage but why should someone in a datacentre in Norway get to know you like kimchee on your cornflakes? The North East is not that resilient in terms of data storage and we don’t have a datacentre located here. There have been enquiries, but they take a huge amount of land, a LOT of power and employ about 3 people. However, whilst datacentres in themselves aren’t big job creators they do tend to cluster other tech businesses around them who are data and speed hungry who do employ a lot of people.Inward investors will look for data resilience as a requirement even more when looking for new locations and if the North East hasn’t kept up it will be watching bemused as other areas steal its clothes.

This isn’t just a problem for those in the tech industry, everyone has a part to play from Elected Mayors and Local Authorities to planning teams, builders and transport providers. All of them know technology is important but like many parents, haven’t yet grasped just how important it is.

Rachel Anderson
Assistant Director – Policy