Changing lives and the North East landscape; The University of Sunderland is viewed by business, industry and key stakeholders, such as Sunderland City Council and One NorthEast, as a key organisation in the drive to not only revitalise Sunderland and its economy but the whole of the North East.

OVER the past 15 years the university has dramatically changed the face of the city, as well as played a central role in the economic redevelopment of Sunderland and the wider region.

By 2011 it is estimated that around pounds 130m will have been spent making the facilities at the university some of the best in the UK. The pounds 12m new CitySpace is a great example of the quality on offer at Sunderland.

The next phase in the latest pounds 75m redevelopment programme is the new sciences complex. Work began last month on the facility that will provide some of the most up-to-date resources for the delivery of high-end but easily transferable research and teaching in areas such as pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.

These developments are creating new landscapes in the city and speak volumes for the desire to make Sunderland an attractive proposition for quality students and staff.

Over the past few years the university and its staff and students have played their part in the revitalisation and economic regeneration of Sunderland.

The University is leading on key projects for The North East Productivity Alliance (NEPA), whose aim is to improve the performance of the region's manufacturing industry, in particular by boosting the skills, productivity and competitiveness of companies. The University has placed some of its world-class engineering staff in businesses to provide expertise and help firms become more competitive.

The university also works with businesses outside the NEPA project. One of those is Nissan, helping the company deliver in a fiercely competitive global market. A key area where the university has contributed to its success has been the development of skills in the workforce.

Steve Pallas, training manager at the Washington plant, explains: "We knew that we needed a step-change in the use of digital technology in the manufacturing operation to keep ahead of our competitors. Our partnership with the University was critical in raising the skills levels of our employees, enabling them to use digital engineering tools throughout the operations.

"Hundreds of our staff have been trained by the University team and we have seen real bottom-line benefits as a result."

Students at Sunderland have also been helping. Computing graduate Anthony Ofoegbu, has helped TWP Packaging in Gateshead save over pounds 500,000 in just six months. He introduced a new material requirement planning system and within weeks of it being up and running it had saved the company over pounds 250,000 and helped them to secure a pounds 450,000 order.

This year the university won the North East's biggest share of funding for a scheme to help employers and individuals weather the current economic downturn. Sunderland's pounds 1.4m project is the Economic Challenge Investment Fund's biggest investment in the North East.

The university project focuses on supporting businesses and providing tailored support for new graduates.

Creating new industries in Sunderland will greatly help with the city's economic redevelopment. Sunderland Software City is fast becoming a great example, with new businesses attracted by the vision of being part of a new software industry on Wearside.

One of the key partners is the University of Sunderland, which is aligning its academic programmes so that graduates will not only have the skills in software development and IT, but will also be helped and encouraged to become software entrepreneurs - following in the footsteps of Sage and Leighton.

The university will play a role in developing and sharing knowledge with the software companies, enhancing skills and knowledge and adding real value to the industry.

Universities like Sunderland are vital for cities and regions with ambitions of being fit for purpose in what is an extremely competitive global market.

CAPTION(S):

SKILLED Graduate Tony Ofoegbu has been on a work placement at TWP packaging in Gateshead. PART NERSHIPS The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter''s Way, Sunderland. The University works with firms to help them become more competitive and has trained hundreds of staff at Nissan.