Two of County Durham’s most influential institutions have committed to strengthening their already successful partnership, by making their joint working agreement even more ambitious for the county’s economy and communities.

Durham County Council and Durham University have been working together for the good of the county for decades, and first signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2017. Through this they agreed to work together to raise the national and international profile of County Durham and Durham University, with governments, businesses and others to attract talent, money and businesses and benefit local communities.

Since then, the partners have worked together on:

  • Economic regeneration and development, including the Durham University Enterprise Zone ‘Orbit’ at NETPark, Sedgefield; the development of the Aykley Heads site in Durham City; and the Durham City Incubator business growth hub
  • Many cultural events and festivals, including Lumiere Light Festival, Durham Book Festival, the Durham City Run Festival and Durham Vocal Festival, as well as County Durham’s recently shortlisted bid to be UK City of Culture 2025, in which both the council and the university are principal partners
  • Using the university’s world-leading research expertise to enhance quality of life for County Durham residents, particularly focusing on energy; poverty reduction; educational attainment; sports, wellbeing and exercise science; inclusive economic growth; using data analysis and modelling to inform policy making and delivery; and public health and inequalities.

Now the council and university have refreshed and strengthened the MoU, to reflect current opportunities and facilitate the county’s economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic. Both organisations value the close working relationship, this being demonstrated by the re-signing for a further three years.

Pooling the skills and areas of expertise of the two institutions, behind a shared set of goals to the benefit of County Durham, will continue to strengthen the economy and raise the profile on a regional, national and global stage.

The partnership between the council and the university offers the opportunity to leverage the scale, capability and capacity of our organisations and associated partnerships to make a real, positive difference in the county and on the global stage.

The MoU, signed in April this year embodies the overarching principles of inclusivity, diversity, and inclusive growth, particularly in the context of economic recovery post Covid-19 and the Levelling-up agenda, represented by the following six objectives:

Objective 1 Economic Development: Identify opportunities for closer collaboration to encourage the economic development of County Durham, delivered by:

  • Supporting the development of NETPark and the wider innovation landscape
  • Working together to catalyse the realisation of key economic development sites, with a strategic priority being the development of Aykley Heads
  • Working together to catalyse and support grass roots start-ups and entrepreneurship
  • Raising an enterprising and entrepreneurial culture supporting the development of incubator space for University student and staff spinouts, through Durham City Incubator (DCI) and the University Enterprise Zone (Orbit)
  • Building sustainable mechanisms to foster stronger relationships between the University and local businesses to improve productivity, through close working of the University Partnerships and Engagement Team and the Business Durham Operations Team
  • Supporting inward investment activity through existing strategic partnerships and demonstration of research excellence
  • Harnessing the purchasing power of the two organisations to generate social value and local supply chain opportunities to assist with the economic recovery

Objective 2 Research: Leverage research expertise to improve the quality of life for the communities and people of County Durham, through collaborative and participative research with a particular focus on:

  • Energy
  • Anti-poverty
  • Educational attainment
  • Sports, physical activity and wellbeing
  • Inclusive growth
  • Economic growth
  • Data analysis and modelling to inform policy making and delivery
  • Public health and inequalities

Objective 3 Culture and Heritage: Work together to be a focal point in the northeast for culture and heritage, working closely with a wide range of partner organisations to develop our offer and promote the region.

Objective 4 Place: Work together to build sustainable communities for residents and all visitors within Durham City, maximising the opportunities for the University’s activities to bring mutual benefits for its neighbours.

Objective 5 Education and Skills: To work in collaboration with regional educational providers ensuring the needs of regional existing and prospective employers are clearly articulated to improve the ability for the learning and skills provision to meet this demand.

Objective 6 Public Relations: We will work together through strategic communications to raise the regional, national and international profile of County Durham, in the interests of and to the benefit of the County.

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