Teesside Taskforce Journal showcases place-based leadership, green growth and a new national model for renewal

The Teesside Taskforce today (February 26) announces the launch of the first edition of the Teesside Taskforce Journal.

This new publication captures progress to date and sets out an ambitious, forward-looking programme to accelerate a fairer, greener and more prosperous future through place-based leadership.

Produced through the Teesside Taskforce Programme, established under the UK2070 Commission mission to tackle entrenched regional inequalities, the Journal is designed as a practical platform; showcasing delivery, convening partners, and inviting new ideas that strengthen local opportunity while contributing to national renewal.

The launch acknowledges the legacy of the late Lord Bob Kerslake, while placing clear emphasis on what comes next, positioning Teesside at the forefront of innovation, clean growth and inclusive opportunity.

At the heart of the programme is Teesside University, highlighted in the Journal as a civic anchor and catalyst for change, advancing research, skills and enterprise in active partnership with industry, government and communities.

The first edition sets out Teesside’s emerging role as a ‘Green Growth Corridor’, where world-class research, industry capability and civic leadership align to unlock investment, inspire innovation and deliver practical outcomes for people and place, supported by a strong focus on digital capability, skills and applied innovation.

Professor Michael Henson, UK2070 Commissioner and Chair of the Taskforce Programme, said: “As a UK2070 Commissioner and Chair of the Taskforce Programme, I welcome this first edition as a clear statement of intent: turning place-based leadership into practical delivery, widening opportunity, and accelerating a fairer, greener and more prosperous future. This Journal is an open invitation to partners to shape solutions together - local to global - for Teesside, the UK, and our wider international collaborations.”?

Professor Stephen Cummings, Teesside University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Knowledge Exchange), said: “This publication is more than a record of progress, it is a statement of intent. It demonstrates how Teesside, through vision and collaboration, is taking a leading role in shaping the fairer, greener, and more prosperous future our country so urgently needs.”

Professor David Hughes, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in Teesside University’s School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, added: “Teesside’s next phase of green growth will be powered by digital, through world-class computing and engineering, practical innovation, and the skills pipeline our region needs. This Journal signals how we turn expertise into real-world impact: accelerating clean technologies, strengthening industrial competitiveness, and ensuring opportunity is built into the transformation from the start.”

The Journal is intended to be a living platform building momentum, connecting partners, and strengthening the evidence base for place-led renewal that benefits communities in Teesside, across the UK, and internationally through wider collaboration.

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