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Inaugural Northern Powerhouse Business Summit to be held this summer

A three-day summit bringing together northern leaders and decision-makers to discuss the future direction of the Northern Powerhouse has been announced as part of the Great Exhibition of the North.

The Northern Powerhouse Business Summit will take place at Newcastle’s Boiler Shop from 4-6 July - the first event of its kind ever to be held by government. The event will bring together small businesses, government ministers, northern mayors and business leaders from across the north.

From the Industrial Revolution to the government’s Industrial Strategy, themes of discussions across the 3 days will include how the Northern Powerhouse can be at the forefront of the Strategy, including the role of the North in the government’s ‘Grand Challenges’.

These challenges are: growing the Artificial Intelligence and data driven economy, clean growth, the future of mobility and an ageing society.

Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry said: “The Northern Powerhouse is a top priority for our government and it is right that it should be central to the Great Exhibition of the North. The last Great Exhibition was in 1851, when the north was powering the industrial revolution. This summit is about making sure that the Northern Powerhouse is creating a Northern economy fit for the future with the north at the forefront of a fourth industrial revolution.”

More than 300 delegates are expected to attend each day with the summit set to feature speakers, workshops and showcases.

Leader of Newcastle City Council, Nick Forbes, added: “The Northern Powerhouse Business Summit will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase all that is great about our region and we are delighted to be hosting this event in NewcastleGateshead as part of the Great Exhibition of the North. Building a stronger northern economy and maximising opportunities for investment is crucially important – not just for our region but for the whole country.”

The Northern Powerhouse Business Summit is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and will be free to attend.

If you would like to contact Ryan Tute about this, or any other story, please email rtute@infrastructure-intelligence.com.