Tees Valley @ SXSW

One of the most exciting developments in Tees Valley is its emergence as the fastest growing digital cluster outside of London, set to be boosted by a £160million Investment Zone targeting the sector. The region has rapidly become a tech powerhouse, attracting investment and talent that is driving innovation across the sector.  

Tees Valley’s thriving digital ecosystem benefits from cutting-edge innovation hubs, a growing number of tech start-ups, and a highly skilled workforce, thanks to the region’s strong focus on education and training. With easy access to top universities and digital skills programmes, Tees Valley is positioned to continue scaling up its digital sector in the coming years. 

The Tees Valley region is rapidly establishing itself as a rising hub for the film and TV industry, with key developments shaping its growing reputation. Central to this evolution is the Northern Film and TV Studios, a state-of-the-art facility located in Hartlepool, which offers expansive soundstages, dry-hire studios, green screen facilities and advanced production services, attracting major projects, including the Netflix film Jackdaw starring Jenna Louise Coleman, the Royal Television Society award-winning Smoggie Queens and TV favourite Vera. 

The studios will be at the heart of the under-development Production Village in Hartlepool, creating the climate for an expanded centre for the town’s education and creative industries cluster.  

Artists, promoters and venues are being supported like never before thanks to a new multimillion-pound programme to develop a thriving and sustainable local music scene. 

Sonic Futures, led by North East music industry specialists Generator, and Tees Music Alliance will develop new local talent, support the area’s live music venues and make it a hotbed of music creativity. 

Alongside this, Tees Valley Artist of the Year has been launched to support the next generation of musicians, filmmakers and writers at critical points of their careers to develop. 

The Boho Zone is the heart of the digital sector, home to major gaming, VR and AR firms. Joining us at SXSW is standout success story Double Eleven, a world-renowned game development studio based in Middlesbrough. Known for their work on popular titles such as Harry Potter, Minecraft, Red Dead Redemption and Fallout.  

Double Eleven exemplifies the thriving gaming community in Teesside, which is supported by a strong infrastructure of universities, creative hubs, and industry networks. The region’s collaborative spirit, alongside its talented workforce, makes it an attractive destination for both established gaming studios and emerging developers 

Teesside University also hosts the annual Animex festival, a globally significant event drawing some of the games and animation industries’ brightest lights and future stars to share their knowledge with the next generation. 

Complementing our Hartlepool and Middlesbrough Development Corporations, which are driving our digital and film sector, is a £160million Investment Zone for the digital and creative industries.   

It promises to transform the region into a global business and investment hub. Designed to drive economic growth, the Investment Zone is a collaborative effort between government bodies, local councils, and private investors. The goal? To attract cutting-edge industries, create thousands of jobs, and offer incentives for businesses looking to thrive in a forward-thinking, dynamic environment.  

Tees Valley is putting itself forward as one of Government’s AI Growth Zones, a new centre for development of AI technology and infrastructure presenting an exciting opportunity to position the region as a leading hub for cutting-edge artificial intelligence innovation. 

With a unique combination of world-class research institutions, access to skilled talent, and a thriving business ecosystem, the zone would build on our existing digital and technological strengths and promises to accelerate the development of AI technologies that can transform industries. 

We have the expertise, we have the land, and we have the experience to deliver huge projects at-pace and we have the vision for sustainable, high-tech growth. Tees Valley is poised to become the heart of AI advancement in the UK, attracting investment, creating jobs, and driving economic growth for years to come.