Newcastle leads the way as a smart and sustainable city, embracing technology and innovation for a better future.
Key to this progress is the Urban Observatory, a unique data monitoring centre that collects and analyses information, tracking floods and air pollution, monitoring traffic flows and even studying the behaviour of bees.
With more than 1,000 sensors deployed across Newcastle and Gateshead, it is the UK’s largest sensor deployment and hosts the world’s largest set of open environmental monitoring data. This wealth of information helps decision makers in Newcastle use data to improve sustainability and quality of life for local residents.
Home to the £30m UK National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), Newcastle brings together highly skilled data scientists to equip organisations with the knowledge to leverage the global data-driven revolution.
Newcastle is also making significant advancements in digital connectivity. The Stellium Data Centre has positioned the city as a leading UK interconnection hub, with a new international subsea cable connecting Newcastle to New York in just 66 milliseconds.
This state-of-the-art facility offers top-tier data and connectivity services, positioning Newcastle as a viable alternative to London for hyperscalers.
Newcastle’s historical ties to the maritime and manufacturing sectors are also being repurposed for the green industrial revolution. As a global port city with a proud shipbuilding heritage, Newcastle plays a major role in the offshore renewable energy sector. The Port of Tyne has become the operations and maintenance base for the world’s largest wind farm, Dogger Bank, and is prioritising energy decarbonisation and ecosystem regeneration through programmes like the Clean Tyne Project and the 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub.
The transition to a low carbon economy is also being driven by a new initiative called Tyne Powered, which leverages 700 years of engineering and manufacturing heritage along the River Tyne in the transition to a net zero future.
Across the North East of England, the low-carbon economy is now valued at £2.7 billion and supports 7,600 jobs. The region has achieved a 56% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2020, with a per capita emissions rate that is 23% lower than the UK average. These accomplishments demonstrate Newcastle’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
Beyond investment, Newcastle is becoming a smart and sustainable city, with data monitoring and digital connectivity centres and emerging strengths in offshore renewable energy, paving the way for a greener, more connected future.
