evolve Business Centre

Geni-us Business Idea

evolve Business Centre — 12/08/2009 13:54:40

Chris & Heather Baxter recently launched their business coaching and specialised people finder service - ‘geni' - good enough never is.

GENI's performance and leadership coaching and team development programmes are delivered either in teams through a series of training workshops on issues such as delegation and behavioural attitude, or via one to one coaching with business owners, directors, and managers.

Chris has recently returned from Toronto after yet more coach training with the Adler School of Coaching.

Chris said: "GENI is dedicated to helping businesses learn how to be brilliant. We help people to produce excellent performance at work, because every organisation will only ever be as good as the people who work there.

"I have a ‘fearless thinking' approach in that great performance only comes from great people working together to produce great results."

Sunderland software firm continues to grow

evolve Business Centre — 12/08/2009 13:56:12

A Sunderland software provider is enjoying rapid growth after launching a series of innovative software solutions.

Business Performance Optimiser (BPO), based at Sunderland City Council's e.volve business centre at Rainton Bridge, is the latest addition to the city's growing software industry.

The BPO software developers and management team have spent 18 months creating a range of web-based solutions that boost business performance.

The solutions help clients to monitor, report on and improve key business functions including health and safety, training and HR in a user-friendly real time format. They can also be used to survey key stakeholders, collate and manage customer feedback to maximise customer satisfaction and retention.

BPO has already secured major clients including South Tyneside Council and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (Washington Wildfowl Trust) and is now targeting new business around the UK in sectors including the leisure industry, public sector, NHS, construction and charities.

Director Steve Shaw leads a team of experienced professionals. He said: "The software is simple to use and anyone with basic I.T skills, a broadband connection and a PC can use it. It enables clients to manage their activities more efficiently, reduce costs and identify areas for improvement.

"It's relevant for all businesses, though particularly those that need to monitor and report on performance or legislative compliance - such as Councils, Education Facilities and Leisure Groups or Trusts.

"We developed a bespoke contact report solution for South Tyneside Council to help them meet new Government legislation. The legislation is now something all councils have to meet so the public sector is a key market for us."

Part of the Leighton Group, BPO is one of many young ICT companies emerging in Sunderland as the city aims to develop a globally competitive software sector through its Software City initiative. The company is based at the e.volve business centre, a dynamic hub for start-up companies and a key Software City facility, where it has been able to tap into support from Sunderland City Council.

Steve added: "The facilities, skills, support and opportunities that are available to software firms in Sunderland made it an easy choice to base the business here.

"We have a fantastic relationship with the City Council which has been hugely supportive. The set up at e.volve is ideal for developing businesses, providing excellent on-site support, flexible space for growth and excellent connectivity."

Besides providing a home at e.volve, Sunderland City Council's Business Investment Team has also helped BPO with marketing support.

Neil Clasper, senior business development officer with Sunderland City Council, said: "We're delighted BPO has chosen to locate here. They are one of a growing number of exciting software businesses in the city which are helping to carve out Sunderland's reputation as a real hot-bed for innovation. BPO has identified a growing market and we wish them every success in developing the business.

"Sunderland City Council Business Investment Team is working hard to provide support to businesses across Sunderland at this time."

For further information about Business Performance Optimiser's services, please visit www.businessperformanceoptimiser.com or phone 0191 305 5166.

A design for a cleaner life

evolve Business Centre — 12/08/2009 13:57:44

An easy-to-clean bedside table could soon be at the forefront of the fight to tackle bugs in hospitals.

Kinneir Dufort, which has an office at Sunderland's e.volve business centre, has designed an innovative plastic moulded cabinet that is one of the winners of a national competition run by the Design Council to ‘Design the Bugs' out of the NHS.

Made from one seamless piece of injection moulded plastic, the cabinet has no corners and is simple, quick and more cost effective to clean than traditional tables, making the spread of germs less likely.

Kinneir Dufort, a product design and innovation consultancy, was established in Bristol in 1977 and opened a new office at Sunderland City Council's e.volve business centre at Rainton Bridge South Business Park three years ago.

The company worked in partnership with Hospital Metalcraft, a manufacturer of hospital equipment, to come up with the concept.

Ian Jobling, senior consultant at Kinneir Dufort, said: "Bedside tables are an important interface between the patient and the hospital. Medicines, food and belongings all come into contact with them at different times so it's essential that they are kept as clean as possible.

"We recognised that traditional tables could sometimes be difficult to clean with hard-reach-corners and surfaces that could potentially harbour germs.

"The new design overcomes this comprising one seamless piece of plastic with wipe clean surfaces and removable drawers that make cleaning easier."

Kinneir Dufort is one of five winners of the competition which set out to encourage innovation in the design of hospital equipment in categories including: hand hygiene; bedside furniture and patient transport.

A prototype of the cabinet is now being showcased at hospitals around the UK with manufacture expected to begin soon to meet anticipated orders.

Ian added: "The Department of Health (DoH) has been delighted and feedback from hospital purchasers has been excellent. We're hopeful that it will become a standard purchase in UK hospitals."

Kinneir Dufort was the first tenant to move into the e.volve centre when it opened its Sunderland office in 2006. The building is managed by Sunderland City Council and provides flexible space, business support and excellent IT facilities to growing businesses.

Since moving into e.volve, the company has gone from strength-to-strength picking up new business and now employs 45 people in Sunderland and its base in Bristol.

Cllr Bryan Charlton of Sunderland City Council said: "It's great to hear about Kinneir Dufort's success - a Sunderland business making a real impact on the national stage. They were the first tenant to move into the e.volve centre and one of a growing number of design-based businesses locating in the city.

"The new table is an exciting concept with great potential to combat a problem that's increasingly prominent today. We're delighted to have been able to support the company's growth over the last few years and wish them every success."

East comes West - Seeds of friendship blossom

evolve Business Centre — 16/09/2009 13:21:08

A high level delegation of business and civic leaders from China visited Sunderland this week to extend the hand of friendship between east and west.

The delegation arrived on September 13 for a two-day fact finding mission aimed at exploring business opportunities as part of Sunderland’s emerging friendship with the city of Harbin.

Back in May, Sunderland City Council chief executive Dave Smith visited the 10th largest city in China to sign a Friendship Agreement with Harbin’s mayor Zhang Xiao Lian, to promote business, educational and cultural links between the two cities.

The visit to Sunderland is one of the latest milestones in the growing relationship. It will build on the positive and productive talks already held between Chinese and North East businesses during a trade mission at the time of the signing in May, and offer an in-depth insight into Sunderland’s economy with the aim of building long-term trade links.

Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said “We are delighted to welcome the delegation from Harbin to Sunderland and North East England. Since they arrived on Sunday they've had an opportunity to build up a much clearer picture of Sunderland and its economy and this will help to build on the excellent relationship we’ve already established to foster long-lasting commercial relations and build economic ties that will benefit the people of both cities in the years ahead.”

The delegation led by the head of Harbin Foreign Affairs Office, Harbin’s Economic Co-operation and the Promotion Bureau and senior representatives from key industries and sectors ranging from construction to manufacturing.

During their stay, the delegation toured key sites including the Doxford International, Rainton Bridge and Turbine business parks. They also met with officers from Sunderland Software City initiative, visited the Evolve Software Business Centre, and had talks with employers from key sectors including automotive, financial and customer services.

To develop future trade opportunities and joint ventures between Chinese and North East Businesses an investment seminar was held at the Evolve centre on Monday September 14. Representatives of the China Britain Business Council, UK Trade & Investment, North East Chamber of Commerce, China Business Association, One NorthEast, Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Software City were all in attendance as were local business people.

Director of Foreign Affairs for Harbin Mr Zhang Tianbo said 'It is my first time in Sunderland. I am deeply impressed by the hospitality and friendliness of the local people and the beauty of the city. I am very happy to see the co-operation between our two cities is becoming productive. I believe, under the framework of sister city relations, the citizens in both cities will benefit much.'

Councillor Watson added: “Harbin is a great city with huge economic potential. We’ve already seen our friendship make an impact, particularly with our school partnerships and this is another important building block.

Nine schools in Sunderland have begun working with schools in Harbin as part of the friendship agreement involving children in primary, secondary and special schools.

Harbin is the 10th largest city in China with a population of 10 million people. It is a recognised centre for power generation, chemicals, aircraft, automotives and heavy machinery with developing industries in food processing, electronics, ICT, pharmaceuticals and environment.

Sunderland and Essen mark Diamond Jubilee

evolve Business Centre — 28/09/2009 11:37:39

Sunderland is celebrating the success of a 60 year partnership with its German twin town.

The city has welcomed guests from the town of Essen, the 2010 European Capital of Culture, to mark the diamond jubilee of the twinning of the two towns back in 1949.

The German party, which is led by the Mayor of Essen, Dr Wolfgang Reiniger, is in the city for a three-day visit to build on the close bonds of friendship forged over the last six decades.

One of the highlights is a special exhibition taking place at the City Library and Arts Centre. It commemorates the anniversary with information on both cities as they have developed over the years and some of the activities which have taken place under the umbrella of the relationship. This includes a display of photographs, memorabilia, and the official declaration of friendship signed in 1979, on the 30^th anniversary of the establishment of the link.

The exhibition, displayed in both German and English, is open to the public for two weeks and was officially opened by the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Dennis Richardson, in the presence of the Mayor of Essen on Monday 21 September.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Wolfgang Mössinger, German Consul General, and Peter Ramsay from Fulwell, who donated a painting he received in Essen during a football tournament back in 1976. Lauren McQuire and Amy Coburn from the Springwell Youth Project, who have visited Essen, also attended.

Councillor Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council, said: “This is a friendship that stretches back many years and has brought many benefits to the people of both cities. Historically, there are many similarities between Sunderland and Essen and, while big changes have taken place since 1949, there is still a lot that we share in common so the relationship is still very much alive today.

“It’s a great achievement to celebrate our diamond jubilee and is testament to the strength of the relationship. We’re looking forward to the celebrations and the opportunity to develop further areas of shared activity during the visit and delighted to be welcoming our friends from Essen once again.”

Essen is in northern Germany’s Ruhr Valley, the country’s industrial heartland, and is home to many multi-nationals including the giant ThyssenKrupp steel works.

During the visit, the delegation will share experience in economic development exploring areas for co-operation with the City Council and Sunderland Software City representatives and will visit the Evolve centre, at Rainton Bridge.

Representatives from both cities will also be looking to the future. Discussions will take place on plans for Sunderland to be involved in Essen’s celebrations during its time as European Capital of Culture on behalf of the Ruhr Valley. A TWINS 2010 initiative has been set up to encourage the Ruhr area’s international partners to take part in a range of events as part of the celebrations.

Councillor Watson added: “It’s an exciting time for Essen as it prepares to become the European Capital of Culture on behalf of the Ruhr Valley. We hope that this visit will provide another opportunity to build on ongoing activity AND continue to develop benefits for the people of both Sunderland and Essen through international co-operation.”

Christmas Arrangements at Evolve

evolve Business Centre — 14/12/2009 16:09:44

We will be open as normal on the following days:

Monday 21st December until Wednesday 23rd December 2009

On Thursday 24th December the centre will close to the public at 2pm

The following week the centre will be closed to the public and will open as normal on Monday 4th January 2010

A sincere Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our clients and hope to see you in 2010

Sunderland flies the flag for England 2018

evolve Business Centre — 18/02/2010 11:35:20

Sunderland AFC star Darren Bent and Sunderland City Council Leader Paul Watson proudly raised the England 2018/2022 flag today, as the Sunderland 2018/2022 team takes aim at the biggest goal in football – the chance to host the FIFA World Cup. The flag is now flying at Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light, one of many venues around the region that will have a role to play if England wins the right to host the event.

Sunderland is one of 12 Candidate Host Cities included in the Football Association’s bid which will be presented to FIFA in May. The city’s bid team is now working closely with The FA and the other cities to ensure that England presents the strongest possible case to FIFA. Part of that process involves ensuring that the bid effectively showcases Sunderland and North East England’s world class facilities, passion for football and huge desire to host FIFA World Cup matches.

The deciding votes of FIFA’s executive committee are due to be cast in early December, so the next 10 months will be crucial in England’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. After the bid has been submitted, there will be a series of meetings during which bidding nations will have the opportunity to engage with FIFA representatives. There will then be a number of other key dates in the diary, before FIFA announces the successful host nations for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals.

In June and July there will also be the small matter of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The tournament is Africa’s first and will be a chance for everyone involved in or supporting the Sunderland bid to appreciate the magnitude of what is at stake for all of the current bidding nations and potential host cities. The FA will also use the opportunity to lobby members of the FIFA executive committee and Sunderland will offer any assistance that it can.

Then, in August and September, FIFA representatives will visit each of the 2018 and 2022 bidding nations to conduct crucial detailed inspections. With the North East identified as a key hub in England’s bid, there is a strong possibility that a FIFA delegation will make their way to see first-hand what the region has to offer before casting their votes in December.

From the start, Sunderland’s bid has been characterised by its involvement of people, organisations and facilities from throughout the North East and even Cumbria. Very strong partnerships have been formed with Middlesbrough FC, Durham County Cricket Club, Hartlepool United FC, Darlington FC and Carlisle United FC and all are integral to the Sunderland offer. The Sunderland 2018 bid team has also worked closely with local authorities and accommodation providers to deliver a compelling case for the region as part of England’s bid.

Now that Sunderland is a Candidate Host City, The FA needs the city and the region to continue to voice its support, this time for the England bid. If that is successful, hosting World Cup matches in Sunderland and North East England will provide huge opportunities for local communities and businesses alike.

Potentially hundreds of thousands of fans will fill Sunderland’s two official Fan Fest sites, various Live Sites and the centres of the North East’s towns and cities, to experience a fantastic spectacle of football, and bring millions of pounds to the local economy in the process. And a key element of Sunderland’s 2018 bid is also to leave a long lasting football legacy after the last ball of the tournament has been kicked, that will light up lives for communities and businesses regionally, nationally and internationally, for generations to come.

Community based football tournaments will be an important element of Sunderland’s programme of activity in the build up to the World Cup in 2018, and will also continue for long afterwards providing part of a larger, sustainable legacy. Led by the renowned Sunderland AFC Foundation, if England is successful the Sunderland team will also focus on using the power of football to build communities and business in a variety of other ways, developing public sports facilities, providing educational opportunities for children and adults, and helping to increase the opportunities for minority groups to benefit from participating in the ‘beautiful game’.

Sunderland has developed a hosting concept, ‘Lighting up Lives’, and that underpins everything that it offers the World Cup and was the core message of its bid to The FA. The city has already started to live up to that message by generating remarkable support from the public and the business community in the North East. The FA indicated at the outset of the bidding process that public support would play a crucial role in its assessment of candidate host cities. In less than six months last year, Sunderland received more than 50,000 ‘back the bid’ messages of support via signing registers, emails and text messages, with support coming from over 120 countries worldwide. Crucially, communities and institutions from across the North East and Cumbria united in their support of Sunderland’s bid, with many pledging exclusive, practical assistance to strengthen Sunderland’s technical bid and in doing so engage and unite communities.

In addition, national and international companies have got behind efforts to bring World Cup football to the North East, including Nissan, Caterpillar, Berghaus and Gentoo. Schools and universities have also been heavily involved in the bid and young people are at the heart of much of what Sunderland can offer the World Cup. Last year, thousands of school children entered a special competition to showcase their vision for a World Cup in Sunderland. In addition, students at colleges across the region and at the University of Sunderland have thrown their weight behind the bid, getting involved and showing their support by signing ‘back the bid’ registers on their campuses.

Sunderland AFC chairman Niall Quinn, said: “It is a great honour for Sunderland to be included in England’s World Cup bid but now the final crucial effort to convince FIFA that England is the most worthy candidate to host either the 2018 or 2022 tournament is really going to reach fever pitch. The Sunderland team is determined to do everything possible to make the dream of hosting the World Cup on these shores a reality.

“Should England be successful in winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup, the impact on the nation will be huge, and Sunderland and North East England will play a central role in that. But England needs to win the rights to host the tournament first and our ongoing support is vital. I urge everyone in the region to show their support now for this massive campaign and get behind the England 2018 host nation bid.”

Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council, added: “The people and businesses of the region have got a genuine opportunity to help bring the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup to England by demonstrating how passionately they want to be involved in what is the greatest sporting event on Earth. To realise the opportunities and benefits that hosting the World Cup would bring, through tourism, business and community development, we all need to stand together and back England’s bid now and in the months ahead.”

Darren Bent added: “To play in a World Cup is the pinnacle of any footballer’s career and to see the tournament held in England in 2018 or 2022 would be absolutely amazing. Last year, I was more than happy to support Sunderland’s campaign to be part of the England bid. Now that we are a candidate host city, I know that everyone in Sunderland and the North East will be getting behind The FA as they try to bring an incredible event to this country.”

Individuals and businesses can register their support for the England FIFA World Cup bid at http://www.england2018bid.com/support/the-world-invited.aspx.

Region plugs-in to funding for electric vehicle charging

evolve Business Centre — 26/02/2010 14:42:22

An £7.8m fund to roll-out electric vehicle charging points across North East England has today been announced by Regional Development Agency One North East and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

A total of 1,300 charging points will now be installed across the region over the next three years on streets, in car parks, at residential and commercial locations and at retail and leisure facilities, after OLEV confirmed funding of £2,978,000 for the regional project through its Plugged-In Places programme.

The Government has named the UK's two other Plugged-In Places as London and Milton Keynes, which will join the North East as trailblazers for this ultra low carbon technology. The regional bid, coordinated by One North East, has been financially supported by more than 40 regional partners from the public and private sector, who have in total pledged more than £1m for charging points to be installed at their premises.

These forward-thinking organisations stretch across the region from Berwick to Redcar and from South Tyneside to the Wylam, and range from garden centres and hotels to major housebuilders and supermarkets, and all 12 of the North East's local authorities.

Support from the business community has been generated with the help of CBI North East and the North East Chamber of Commerce, both of whom have been strong advocates of the region's ambitions to become a global leader in the development of low carbon vehicles. The regional response to the Plugged-In Places initiative has been so enthusiastic that One North East is to leave open the fund which offers regional companies and organisations match-funding for charging points - effectively enabling them to install charging points at their premises for half the standard price (around £2,500 instead of around £5,000).

Regional partners to have pledged money to the project include:

Northumberland: Battlesteads Hotel, Berwick CoRE, Berwick Garden Centre, National Trust, Northumberland County Council, Northumberland National Park Authority, Sustainable Allendale, Wylam Green Street.

Tyneside: Cobalt Business Park, Eaga, Gateshead Council, Groundwork South Tyneside & Newcastle, MetroCentre, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle City Hospitals, Newcastle International Airport, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, North Tyneside Council, Northumbria University, Quorum Business Park, South Tyneside Council, Your Homes Newcastle.

Sunderland: City Hospitals Sunderland, evolve Business Centre, Land Securities (The Bridges), Nexus (Park Lane Interchange), Nissan, Sunderland Business Innovation Centre, Sunderland City Council, University of Sunderland.

County Durham/Tees Valley: Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Durham University, Hartlepool Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Simon Bailes Peugeot, Stockton Borough Council, Tees Valley Housing Ltd, Teesside University.

Regional: Banks Developments Ltd, Barratt Homes North East, RWE npower, Tesco, Narec, Northumbria Police.

The One North East board will next month be asked to confirm Agency funding of £3.8m towards the project, which will help One North East to meet its commitment to install 619 charging points this year, which was made in the historic Definitive Agreement the Agency signed in December with Nissan. Installation of the first phase of 40 charge points in Newcastle and Gateshead is due to be completed in the coming weeks.

Alan Clarke, Chief Executive of One North East, said: "We are delighted the Government has chosen to support our bid and that we will help lead the national infrastructure programme. The roll-out of 1,300 electric vehicle charging points across our region now begins in earnest.

"The backing we have received from regional partners shows just how much enthusiasm there is in our region to grasp the opportunities available in the low carbon vehicle sector. We are fortunate in North East England to have such forward-thinking local authorities and a business community which has recognised the immense potential offered by this industry."

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said: "Decarbonising transport isn't an aspiration it's a reality. By this time next year motorists will be on the roads with new electric cars they've purchased because of our help. And thanks to the Electric Car Hubs we will have in place infrastructure to support this growing market.

"Transport has a huge part to play to help the UK meet its stringent emission reduction targets, and today's announcement is another step on the road to putting the UK at the global forefront of ultra-low carbon vehicle development, manufacture and use."

Business minister Pat McFadden said: "Low Carbon vehicles are an important part of the broader shift to a low carbon economy. We have already committed £450m to delivering our ambitious vision of supporting suppliers of low carbon technology, encouraging demand from consumers and enabling lead UK cities and regions to switch on charging infrastructure.

"The Government is focusing on this sector as a priority and we are committed to helping British businesses take advantage of the growth potential and job opportunities this presents."

Cllr Paul Watson, Chair of the Association of North East Councils, said: "The fact that all local authorities in the region have plugged in to this exciting project is testament to their commitment to reducing carbon emissions and in demonstrating their support for developing low carbon vehicles in the North East. Accelerating the volume introduction of electric vehicles has been identified as a major opportunity for the North East and this regional funding support is a major step forward in helping achieving our ambitions."

One of the companies to have pledged money to the Plugged-In Places scheme is Eaga, which already counts electric vehicles among its fleet and is to install extra charging points at its new offices in Gosforth. This will accommodate growth in its own fleet and provide convenient charging bays for visitors with electric cars.

Mitesh Dhanak, Eaga Business Development Director, said: "Eaga is delighted to be working with One North East and the Association of North East Councils on this exciting opportunity.

"As a leading company in the green agenda, we support the use of electric cars and our own fleet of electric cars has proved enormously popular with staff. Having more plugged in places would make these cars even more popular and usable and would be a huge step forward in the shift to low-carbon living."

The Plugged-In Places funding has been announced alongside another major incentive for the switch to green transport. The Government has now confirmed that direct grants of up to £5,000 for motorists who buy an electric or hybrid electric plug-in car will be available from January 2011, by which time a range of eligible vehicles are expected to be available.

OLEV will lead work to join up the Plugged-In Places, working closely with partners including the Energy Technologies Institute and the Technology Strategy Board to ensure a fully interoperable network is established in the UK. This will include assessing the feasibility of charging along strategic corridors with the Highways Agency and motorway service area operators; and of charging infrastructure at railway station parking facilities with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Network Rail.

The funding for electric cars - called the Plug-in Car Grant - will significantly reduce prices by providing 25 per cent towards the cost of a new car, capped at £5,000, and will be open to both private and business fleet buyers. Cars involved in the scheme will have to pass stringent eligibility criteria to ensure safety, range, and ultra low emissions.

These measures - to be delivered by OLEV - will move the UK further towards its ambitious carbon reduction targets. It will also support the UK automotive and other related supply chain industries in realising the economic opportunities that a shift to low carbon represents.

North East businesses and organisations interested in accessing match-funding for charging points should contact Dr David Beeton, Business Strategy Senior Specialist at One North East, on Tel 0191 229 6382 or email david.beeton@onenortheast.co.uk

Nissan to build electric vehicle in Sunderland

evolve Business Centre — 18/03/2010 15:00:28

Nissan have announced that the Nissan LEAF will be manufactured at its plant in Sunderland...

Nissan LEAF - the first in a range of forthcoming Nissan electric vehicles (EVs) - is the world's first affordable, mass produced zero emission car and embodies Nissan's vision for an environmentally sustainable future for road transport.

Nissan also said that construction of its advanced lithium-ion battery plant, announced last year, will begin this April. The facility, which will be located at Sunderland, will have a production capacity of 60,000 units a year and will start manufacturing batteries in 2012 for both Nissan and its Alliance partner Renault.

The production of Nissan LEAF and the batteries represents a total investment of more than £420 million in the Sunderland plant and is expected to maintain about 2,250 jobs at Nissan and across the UK supply chain. The investment will be supported by a £20.7 million Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from the UK Government and a proposed finance package from the European Investment Bank of up to £197.3 million.

The UK's Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: "This investment is a fantastic vote of confidence in the Sunderland plant and its excellent workforce. The automotive sector is of key importance to the UK. It supports R&D, technological innovation, skills and a supply chain that's a mainstay of the wider manufacturing sector.

"The news from Nissan, with support from government, shows that by working together we can achieve our aim of making the UK a world-leader in ultra-low carbon vehicles."

Andy Palmer, senior vice president at Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and responsible for the company's global EV strategy, said: "The world is at the dawn of a new era in automotive transport. Nissan LEAF, which will go on sale later this year, is a five-seater hatchback that offers the same space, practicality and performance of a similar car in its class – minus the tailpipe emissions."

"Thanks to the UK's firm commitment to a low carbon future in terms of infrastructure, customer incentives and educational programmes, Nissan LEAF will be built at Sunderland, making the UK the third country in the world to produce this revolutionary car."

Production of Nissan LEAF will begin in Oppama, Japan later this year followed by Smyrna, Tennessee, USA in 2012. Sunderland will come on-line in early 2013 with an initial annual production capacity of about 50,000 units.

The three production sites will support the sales launch of the model, which begins in late 2010 in Japan, the United States and selected European markets, ahead of global mass marketing from 2012.

Cllr Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council said: ""This is fantastic news for Sunderland and the north east, especially as the plant beat off stiff competition from France, Spain and Portugal. With its legendary productivity, Nissan's Sunderland plant has already proved itself many times over, and it's really exciting to see it leading on electric vehicle technology and green collar jobs.

"The decision to build the Leaf in Sunderland secures the city's place at the heart of the growing low carbon economy. It also embeds Nissan further in the local economy at the same time as securing the future of the plant."

Nissan and its Alliance partner Renault are the only automakers committed to mass marketing pure electric vehicles on a global scale and together have announced production capacity of 500,000 units per year. To date, the Alliance has entered into more than 50 partnerships worldwide with countries, cities, organisations and other key stakeholders to prepare the markets and infrastructure for the successful adoption of EVs around the world.

Work to integrate Nissan LEAF into Sunderland's manufacturing process will begin in 2012. The car will be launched on the plant's 'Number 2' production line alongside the recently unveiled Juke compact crossover car, which enters production in August 2010.

Nissan will continue to work in partnership with local and national government in preparation for the UK sales launch of Nissan LEAF in early 2011.

Last December, Nissan and Regional Development Agency One North East signed a definitive agreement on zero emission mobility. The agreement includes the development of a regional network of charging points, supply of Nissan LEAF to the region from early 2011 and a range of incentives for early adopters of EVs, such as a period of free charging and use of dedicated EV lanes.

Although zero-emission vehicles are the centrepiece of Nissan's product strategy, the company is also investing in a portfolio of low-emission technologies (called PureDrive) such as clean diesels, efficient internal-combustion engines and hybrids.