Newcastle is one of the UK’s core cities and sits at the heart of the North East region. Located on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city is defined by seven bridges over the riverscape which give it a dramatic and unique atmosphere. Described by Ian Nairn, Britain’s leading 20th century architectural critic, as one of the finest cities in Europe, Newcastle is more visually reminiscent of Glasgow or even Northern European Baltic cities than other nearby conurbations.
As well as being a beautiful place to live, Newcastle is also a superb place to study and work. Newcastle University has approximately 25,000 students enrolled in its courses and enjoys a retention rate of more than 50% following graduation – one of the most impressive in the country. Its specialisations in areas as diverse as agriculture, medical science and engineering filter outwards into the wider city economy and have helped to make Newcastle a leading 21st century city with the sort of high quality jobs which are incredibly attractive to young professionals.
Population – 268,000 (National Census, 2011)
Number of students – 24,980 (Newcastle University, 2016/17)
Economy – £19.7bn GVA (Centre for Cities, 2019)
A modern economy
Newcastle is home to more than 7,000 registered businesses, with the wider region hosting approximately 60,000 more on top of that. Many of these operate in sectors which are defining the future and providing the sort of high class jobs which attract students and young professionals from around the world. These include:
Digital and technology
Newcastle possesses a dynamic digital and tech cluster which grew by 30% between 2011 and 2015, making it the fastest growing such area outside London over that period. The sector accounts for almost 3,000 businesses in the city which, combined, employ approximately 27,000 people in Newcastle and its surrounding region. This includes Sage, one of the only software companies to be listed in the FTSE 100.
Life sciences
Newcastle is one of the UK’s Science Cities and it has a particular specialisation in medical science. The International Centre for Life and the Newcastle University Institute for Ageing both produce world class research and are among the largest facilities of their type in Europe. In addition, the government has awarded the city £20m to found a National Centre for Ageing Innovation. Finally, the wider North East pharmaceutical cluster is centred on Newcastle and is worth more than £630m annually.
Offshore marine technology
Like many places along the North East coast of Britain, Newcastle has a heavy focus on offshore and energy technologies. The city is home to the National Centre for Subsea and Offshore Engineering and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, the country’s flagship centre for research into offshore wind, wave and tidal energy generation. These are exactly the sort of industries which provide the sort of high quality, modern jobs that are so attractive to young people, and they help to explain why Newcastle is so attractive to students and workers from around the world.
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