THE CEO of Dynamo has outlined his vision for a bright and ambitious future for the region’s tech network.
Speaking at a joint meeting with Sunderland Software City which he also leads, David Dunn unveiled Dynamo’s future direction of travel, as well as answering questions which have arisen after last year’s merger of the organisations.
“Moving forward we will refocus on being an influential membership organisation whose focus is to grow the region’s tech sector – and with the combined strengths of Dynamo and Sunderland Software City we are in a great place to do so,” David told a meeting at PROTO in the Baltic Business Quarter, Gateshead.
“We’re in a really strong position to influence public sector spend at a local level and between the organisations and Dynamo’s growing membership we have good connections with both Government and the Opposition.
“Tech has historically been thought of as a sector in and around London and we need to change that assumption. There are such great companies and great success stories here in the north east and we need to aggregate those stories into a compelling and consistent message for people to hear outside of the region – and even outside of the UK,” he added.
He said further growth at Dynamo would be built on three pillars.
“Firstly, we’ll increase the number of events we organise, increasing the opportunities for members to network and collaborate. We know from experience how often this can lead to revenue generation and practical benefits to local tech companies and organisations. And we want more people to attend our events – to create a sense of FOMO, Fear of Missing Out, and the feeling that our events just can’t be missed.
“Secondly, we will create more perks and benefits for members, giving them more reasons to join us. We want members to save more money than it costs to become a Dynamo member.
“Lastly, we hope people will join us through a sense of pride in our brilliant regional tech sector, and because they recognise what we’re doing to promote the sector and want to help us celebrate our success.”
He explained a new, leaner advisory board was being established and a new Chair was being sought to replace founder Chair Charlie Hoult who has stood down.
He added that Dynamo would move away from leading the cluster work it has developed over recent years, but would help and support other organisations “in a better place to lead this work.” This would give Dynamo time and space to develop more strategic conversations regionally and nationally.
The Tech Talent Engine will remain a top priority: “We’ll continue with the vital work the Tech Talent Engine is doing to help develop a pipeline for the region’s tech companies, and encourage everyone within the sector to speak a common language in terms of recruitment,” he said.
David also addressed some common questions that had arisen after last year’s merger. He said the two organisations would retain their identities, with separate governance, arrangements, but there would be some sharing of team members.
He said both organisations would continue to organise and host a range of different activities – but had the same mission, which was to grow the region’s tech sector.
Clare Nicholson, Dynamo Partnership and Engagement Manager, went into more detail about the new perks for Dynamo members.
As well as the opportunities to attend events, dinners and workshops, Clare said membership could lead to a higher profile through regular newsletters, Dynamo’s website, sponsorship opportunities and blog posts.
She detailed three specific new benefits: free BDaily premium membership, discounted event management services through BeaconHouse Events, and discounted team building experiences through GOTO Events.
Dynamo North East is made up of tech organisations, large corporate employers in the region, consultants, technology hubs, education providers, local government and suppliers to the industry. Dynamo relies on the support of the region’s tech organisations to help achieve regional growth in the sector, promote the region externally, develop skills and education, and support regional research and development.