About Codeworks

Established in 2003, Codeworks is a centre for digital innovation based in North East England.

We work closely with our primary investor, One NorthEast, to create and/or develop new and existing digital media technology companies based in North East England.

One NorthEast has invested £10 million in our programmes and activities since our inception. We share a vision with our investors and partners that the establishment of a sustainable world-class digital media technology cluster is well within our grasp.

Digital media technologies programme

Our digital media technologies (DMT) programme focuses on finding and developing pre-commercial new media technologies, concepts and business models with the intention of creating spinouts and/or licensing opportunities.

To date, we have concentrated on Internet video-related concepts and startups but are seeking to embrace opportunities across the Web 2.0 spectrum, in areas such as social networking, user-generated media, mobile data and machine-to-machine interactivity.

Four new digital media technology companies have been spun out from the DMT group, and we have attracted new research and development (R&D) funding for advanced projects from both the UK National Technology Programme and the EU Framework Programme.

Sector development programme

Our sector development programme manifests itself through our collaborative networks – ‘Codeworks Connect’ and ‘Codeworks GameHorizon’. These hugely successful private sector associations facilitate commercial collaboration and provide hands-on support to digital technology and media companies of all sizes.

Codeworks Connect serves a highly diverse range of digital companies from software development firms and web companies right through to animation studios and designers. Connect provides a range of services including networking facilitation, knowledge transfer, business leads and promotion.

Codeworks GameHorizon focuses solely on supporting North East England’s thriving community of videogames companies. The North East hosts some of the world’s leading games development companies and regularly sees its products in the top ten games sales charts. Nearly 10% of the UK games development employment base is located in the region, making it an important part of the North Eastern digital economy.

Running in parallel to Connect and GameHorizon, our Digital Placement Programme has identified and placed hundreds of the most promising students from North Eastern universities into digital companies throughout our region. We are collaborating with our partners to broaden this highly successful scheme to cover post-graduate talent and skills development.