Background to project

AdvantageNewcastle arose out of a workshop instigated by The Adult and Cultural Services Directorate at Newcastle City Council, facilitated by BusinessLab's ActiveAge Team in February 2010. The workshop aimed to look at ways in which information could be better shared among those organisations representing Newcastle's expertise, knowledge and experience in ageing. And, to discuss the wider vision for the city around ageing and how this could be translated into a competitive advantage for Newcastle and the wider North East.

The workshop focused on the need for a bold vision on active ageing, which is shared by the private, public and third sectors, to act as a catalyst for sustained information sharing and economic development.

Reflecting the council's desire to explore the feasibility of a city-region strategic focus on ageing as a competitive advantage, the working title for the project was developed by BusinessLab: AdvantageNewcastle.

The project to date has been managed by Newcastle Science City and run by BusinessLab, as an extension of the latter's ActiveAge programme, and based on it's expertise and knowledge of previous step change processes, specifically in the North East of Scotland.

The Project Themes

There are 4 key themes that make up the programme: personal strategies, smart age business, assisted living and all age city. These arose through a series of stakeholder discussions and meetings around what was important for the region and what might be most relevant to business. Further information about each of the 4 themes can be accessed on the left hand, top corner of this page.