North hub of electronics revolution gets £20m

Jul 29 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

PLANS to create thousands of jobs in the region by placing it at the forefront of technology which will transform the electronics world have received a huge funding boost.

The Government has put £20m behind the North East’s effort to become a global leader in printable electronics in a move which will initially create 250 jobs here and 1,500 nationally.

Printable electronics are seen by many in the industry as the biggest milestone since the invention of the microchip and will allow the manufacture of flexible lights, displays and even solar panels on paper-thin plastic sheets. The investment will fund the expansion of the Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC) in Sedgefield, County Durham, as it gears up to supply a market expected to be worth £15bn by 2015.

Initially, jobs will be generated through the setting up of a printable electronics supply chain with links across the UK and internationally.

However, in the longer term it could prove the catalyst for the growth of a new mass-employing manufacturing sub-sector which attracts electronics firms from all over the world.