Incubators continuing to grow businesses in city
Sunderland’s business incubators are rearing the city’s firms of the future, according to a new study.
A new report analysing the impact of three Sunderland City Council owned incubators has shown tenants have continued to grow their businesses and invested in the city over the last year.
Thirteen businesses at the three hubs continued to expand last year – despite the pandemic – creating an extra 13 jobs.
Evolve at Houghton-leSpring, Sunderland Software Centre at Tavistock Place, and Washington Business Centre on Turbine Way, were established to increase Sunderland’s ability to attract high-quality jobs and businesses to the city.
One such business is Clixifix® – based at Evolve – a defect and repair resolution software application which opened its Houghton office in 2018 and has since grown from two to 22 employees.
The firm’s technology platform is currently used by housebuilders, landlords and property managers throughout the UK and abroad, to identify defects during and post construction.
Coatsink, a games development company, relocated to Sunderland Software Centre with just a handful of employees in 2013 and has recently been acquired for £65million by a Swedish gaming giant.
Powerroll has, since setting up at Washington Business Centre, raised over £8million for the development of its innovative solar panel film and is now constructing its own production plant.
Cllr Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “While the pandemic has been challenging, it’s pleasing to see that businesses at each of our three business centres have continued to create jobs.
“While the nature of incubator hubs mean that businesses grow and move on, we are delighted that our centres continue to create jobs for local people and will continue to ensure Sunderland continues to be a destination of choice for forward-thinking entrepreneurs.”
For information on doing business in Sunderland, go to https://www.mysunderland. co.uk/business-and-investment or follow @InvestSundUK on Twitter.