Sarah Newbould, Associate Director at the British Business Bank, explores the North East’s growing innovation economy and why access to finance will be critical to turning the region’s strengths into long-term growth. The North East has a strong track record of innovation.

York Minster has been announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as the winner of the Client of the Year Award 2026, for the York Minster Centre of Excellence.

Family-run York business The Hearing Place is celebrating after being named a finalist in three categories at the Yorkshire, Humberside and North East Family Business Awards 2026. The independent hearing specialist is shortlisted for Consumer Services, Small Retailers & E-tailers and the People's Choice award, with judges describing the standard of this year’s entries as ‘outstanding’.

Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the CBI is calling on the Chancellor to give firms ‘breathing space’ by delivering a decisive set of measures that bolster business confidence, unlock investment and turn the government’s growth ambitions into action.

Leaders from the UK’s accredited Chambers of Commerce came together in Westminster, today, to urge the Chancellor to back business, cut costs and deliver growth in his Budget. They gathered near the Treasury building, to highlight the growing cost pressures facing firms across the country and call for action to rebuild business confidence and investment.

Employers across the North are being warned to be fully compliant with new third party harassment laws which come into force later this month or face severe consequences. Changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 on October 30 require employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent employees being harassed by third parties.

The proportion of exporters reporting increased orders rose to 21% in Q3 2026 from 16% in Q2 2026. But the balance of firms reporting increased orders remains negative at -3%, with 23% of businesses reporting a decrease. Services exports have been flatter with just 19% reporting increased orders, against 24% for manufacturers.

Job opportunities for young people risk coming under further pressure as firms become more cautious about hiring and training, the latest CBI/Pertemps Employment Trends Survey 2026 warns ahead of the Milburn Review’s final recommendations.

A global cable management systems manufacturer has tapped into the power of additive manufacturing to transform its end-of-arm tooling capability. HellermannTyton, which employs 100 people at its factory in Wythenshawe, switched from a traditional manufacturing process to creating its tools on a Stratasys Fortus 450 3D printer from SYS Systems.

A Westminster communications group has bought Social, the Manchester-born agency with offices in Leeds and Liverpool, betting that the devolution drive will pull decision-making away from Whitehall. A Westminster communications firm has bought one of the North’s best-known agencies, in a deal it says is driven by power moving from Whitehall to the regions.

Brent crude edges down to around $104 a barrel but remains more than 40% higher than before the conflict with Iran began. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia heighten concerns over regional stability and energy supplies, despite Trump's deal with Putin on Russian diesel exports. Wall Street looks set for a brisk start as earnings season gets underway, with big banks and mega-cap tech in focus. AI investment continues to support growth, but inflation, borrowing costs and government debt remain key concerns. UK bond markets will be watching closely ahead of Chancellor John Healey's crucial Autumn Budget.

Only 26% of UK small businesses say they are forecasting growth for the final three months of 2026, with 50% forecasting no change in trading outlook - and 23% of enterprises fearing they will either contract or struggle to survive the winter months, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

The phrase ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast', attributed to management guru Peter Drucker, stresses the importance of organisational culture in achieving strategic goals. Corporate culture has swiftly moved from being a “soft” notion discussed in workshops to a strategic priority for modern organisations.

Nearly half of firms expect turnover to rise over the next 12 months but investment intentions are stuck at a post-pandemic low. The latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey also shows that, with the Budget just weeks away, inflation remains firms’ top concern, followed by taxation.

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey signalled concurrent growth in the recruitment of permanent and short-term staff. Both rates of expansion were slightly above their respective long-run averages and the strongest among the four monitored English regions.