Northern partnership to drive UK’s bio-based economic future
York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Tees Valley Combined Authority, the University of York and Teesside University have announced a partnership which aims to create around 5,000 skilled jobs across the two regions.
By harnessing their combined strengths, the authorities have developed a bio-industrial consortium of cross-sector partners across academia, industry and local government. The cluster will seek to attract public and private sector investment to unlock new opportunities for clean growth, high-value employment, and global investment, positioning the regions at the forefront of the UK’s transition to a low-carbon, circular economy.
Additional opportunities include growing the regional bioeconomy by £5 billion, launching 100 innovative bio-based start-ups and equipping 5,000 people with future-ready skills through apprenticeships, reskilling programmes, and higher education pathways tailored to the bioeconomy.
By aligning scientific excellence with industrial scale-up, the collaboration will catalyse the UK’s transition to bio-industrial advanced manufacturing in sustainable materials and chemicals – delivering national and global impact for the UK.
In total, 96% of all manufactured goods are made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels, accounting for around 10% of global GHG emissions. These goods include household items such as detergents and shampoos, clothing, cosmetics, and technologies like smartphones and laptops. The bio-industrial cluster brings together world-class facilities, strong industrial and SME bases to focus on developing the next generation of plastics, chemicals, fuels and construction that are huge contributors to the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Today, David Skaith, Mayor of York & North Yorkshire, and Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen welcomed government officials and key stakeholders from academia, business and industry to a roundtable event in Darlington outlining the cluster’s ambitions, including the agreement to host an investor showcase in London in February 2026.
David Skaith, Mayor of York & North Yorkshire said:
York & North Yorkshire is home to national leaders in developing plant and biological alternatives to fossil fuels. Over 10% of the UK’s bioeconomy workers are based in York & North Yorkshire, with more than 7,000 businesses focused on science and technology in agriculture, the production of alternative materials to fossil fuels and sustainable food production. This collaboration with Tees Valley will support growth in York & North Yorkshire with the opportunity of creating 5,000 high-quality jobs, supporting the UK’s environmental ambitions and attracting global investment to our region.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:
This collaboration is another major step in driving forward Teesside’s growth as a powerhouse for industry and innovation. By teaming up with York and North Yorkshire, forward-thinking industry leaders and our outstanding academic institutions, we’re combining our strengths to attract new investment and create thousands of good, well-paid local jobs. This partnership will put Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool at the heart of a new wave of industrial growth in the sector, securing our place as a leader in the industries that will power the UK’s economy for decades to come.
Industry Minister Chris McDonald said:
This will grow the bioeconomy here in Yorkshire and Teesside by £5 billion and create 5,000 new high-quality green jobs in the industries of the future, helping put more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change. By bringing academia and industry together this partnership will double down on our regions’ strengths and help turbocharge economic growth, creating new start-ups and boosting opportunities for thousands of people – which is what our modern Industrial Strategy is all about.
The official launch will take place in February where the authorities will formally present the regions’ investible proposition to government and financial institutions.
Let's work together
We have worked on 1,500 bio-based projects to date
We have several ways to work with us, including business advisory programmes and self-funded commercial options. We even have the option for you to hire our state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and office space.
