Electronics centre in £20m boost

Petec director Tom Taylor speaks about the expansion

A £20m expansion of an electronics research centre in County Durham could create hundreds of jobs in the North East of England.

The cash is being given to the Printable Electronics Centre in Sedgefield by the government and development agency One North East.

The facility is used by companies to test and develop new products.

The investment is expected to stimulate 1,500 jobs at firms nationally and 250 in the North East, a spokesman said.

Only a handful of jobs will be created at the centre. The cash will be used for new buildings and to fund new equipment.

Alan Welby, director of strategy for One North East, said: "This announcement is a major boost for the region and confirms its position at the cutting edge of UK manufacturing."

The government is providing £12m as part of its advanced manufacturing strategy, with the development agency providing £8m.