Economy
Having had the stuffing knocked out of it in previous recessions, the economy of the North East appears to have entered and weathered this current recession in better shape than before, thanks to a broader business base and a move into areas such as microelectronics, the offshore industry, biotechnology and automotives. Significant clusters of deprivation exist within Easington, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Sunderland, but some businesses in the region have continued to thrive in spite of the tough economic times: the North East is, for example, home to more digital media start-ups than anywhere in the UK apart from London; NaREC in Blyth is helping Clipper Windpower develop the largest offshore wind …