Paul McEldon OBE, chief executive of the North East BIC.

North East business hub unveils new vision to support “the workplace of tomorrow”

A leading provider of business space and support has unveiled a bold new vision as it looks to help North East businesses embrace “the workplace of tomorrow”.

The North East BIC helped hundreds of businesses across the region adjust and adapt during the pandemic and believes a new global business culture, centred on work-life balance and employee wellbeing, will change the way the region’s businesses operate for generations to come.

Not only has this inspired the BIC to re-imagine how it supports its own staff, but also the thousands of businesses it supports, leading to the introduction of a new strategy and service offer aimed at helping the region’s businesses embrace the workplace of the future.

Underpinned by a new brand identity, which reflects its commitment to do “business for good”, the changes will see the BIC revamp its startup support offering and place a heavier focus on social entrepreneurship, with the introduction of its Innovate for Good programmes and AMIF, a unique project helping refugees harness their skills to set up in business.

The organisation has also made a commitment to continue investing in wellbeing and wellness by improving its green spaces, embracing and encouraging coworking and hybrid working and developing a Net Zero strategy which includes investing in EV charging points and Pollinator Parks.

Paul McEldon OBE, chief executive of the North East BIC, commented: “The pandemic illuminated so many problems with modern day working cultures, such as the aged-old perception that workers must work 9-5 and be glued to their desks, and this has caused a real momentum shift in how organisations the world-over do business.

“The introduction of hybrid working has opened our eyes to life outside of the 9-5, white-collar office routine, and the plethora of benefits it offers means businesses must now focus harder than ever before on their employees if they are to attract and retain the best talent.

“One thing is for sure, while the workplace will undoubtedly continue to be a staple of everyday work life, the way we utilise our workspaces is set to change forever and there is absolutely no reason why this can’t be seen as a huge opportunity for the North East, with its fantastic life opportunities, to turn this into a huge competitive advantage to attract more and better talent than ever before.”

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