Science committee chair visits two leading north-east tech businesses

The chair of Parliament’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Chi Onwurah, was a recent guest along with the IOP at two of the shining lights of the tech sector in the north-east.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West MP first called at INEX Microtechnology, where after meeting team members at the business, founded at Newcastle University in 2002, she watched a demonstration in the ‘clean lab’ on the production of semiconductors.

Later in the day she met with the chief executive and team from battery energy storage business Connected Energy at its Newcastle Helix HQ.

Following the visit, Tom Grinyer, IOP group chief executive, said: “It was great to join Chi Onwurah for a visit to two of Newcastle’s most advanced and innovative physics-based businesses.

“Businesses based on physics generate around £750bn annually in the UK economy and support 2.7 million jobs and those such as INEX Microtechnology and Connected Energy are part of that success story.

“If the economy of the north-east is to continue to grow and prosper and support growth in the UK as a whole then talking with our politicians about the best ways to support fantastic businesses like these two is incredibly important – it was fantastic to spend some time with Chi talking about the issues they face.”

_{INEX Microtechnology. Image credit: Critical Tortoise LTD}