Creation of the Tees Maritime Cluster formally announced with ambition to achieve Teesside’s economic potential

A new regional partnership that will champion and grow Teesside’s maritime sector has been officially confirmed by the Department for Transport.

Picture caption: (from left) Chris Shirling-Rooke, chief executive of Maritime UK; Emma Crocher, managing director of Elite Consult; Scarlett Black, head of programmes at Maritime UK; and Kirsten Donkin, head of communications at PD Ports, following a meeting of the Maritime Cluster Network in London ahead of the formal announcement

The Tees Maritime Cluster, a private sector-led initiative, supported by industry body, Maritime UK, is dedicated to accelerating economic growth in Teesside by harnessing the strength and vision of the region’s burgeoning maritime sector and championing efforts to become a leading hub for the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.

The Tees Maritime Cluster will be run by an independent board and will, after initial start-up funding from the Government, become self-financing through the development and delivery of a commercial strategy.

The initial Project Delivery Group to lobby for the cluster’s creation was facilitated by PD Ports, as the River Tees Statutory Harbour Authority, with support from AV Dawson Limited (Port of Middlesbrough), the Tees and Hartlepool Port Users Association (THPUA), Elite Consult, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, Steel Benders UK and Clive Owen LLP, along with a number of other key regional stakeholders.

The announcement of the Tees Maritime Cluster is a further development in the ambitious Regional Cluster Development Programme, led by industry body Maritime UK, as it looks to achieve priorities set out in its long-term strategy, Maritime 2050: Navigating the Future.

Teesside is home to the UK’s sixth largest port and England’s largest export port by tonnage, the UK’s largest freeport and a range of industries and major renewable energy projects that depend on the maritime sector.

The Tees Maritime Cluster will have a focus on training and skills, aiming to create a diverse and highly skilled workforce that will help the region deliver its economic potential, enable the energy transition and support social development in an area where 18.5% of the population is classed as living in a deprived area, compared to 4% nationally.

The cluster will help to encourage collaboration and develop international links to support business growth, while providing a direct link to Government, supported by Maritime UK.

It is anticipated that further organisations will join the Project Delivery Group once the cluster is established, broadening its reach across the sector. The cluster is further supported by organisations representing around 4,000 businesses: Tees & Hartlepool Port Users Association, the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC) and North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC).

Liz Law, PD Ports’ chief financial officer, who is one of the first to be named to the Tees Maritime Cluster board, said: “Teesside has endless potential, with the River Tees at the heart of its ambitions.

“There are so many businesses, organisations and individuals doing great things across the region, and the Tees Maritime Cluster will offer a framework for us all to work together, pulling in the same direction towards shared objectives; future proofing the industry, creating jobs, enhancing productivity, boosting international trade, and securing inward investment.

Chris Shirling-Rooke, chief executive of Maritime UK, said: “I am personally delighted that the Tees Maritime Cluster has been awarded this incredibly impactful funding. We have been working with the team there for years and to see everybody’s efforts rewarded with support from the Department for Transport is testament to all of their hard work and collaboration.”