COUNTY Durham is to be marketed as one big science and technologies business park, in a bid to develop its knowledge-based economy.

The drive is being led by County Durham Development Company (CDDC), the business arm of Durham County Council, which also wants to push tourism as a successful industry.

Mark Lloyd, managing director of CDDC and the council's newly appointed chief executive, said: "The development of a knowledge-driven economy remains critical to the county's future success, as some parts of the manufacturing sector reduce.

"We will continue to market and promote the area as a location for all types of business in the next 12 months.

"But in order to develop a knowledge-based economy, we intend to present the entire county as a science park."

The agency aims to attract more investment and encourage growth through stronger links with the region's five universities and by promoting its flagship technologies development, Netpark, near Sedgefield.

Mr Lloyd said: "The initial success of NetPark indicates that the positioning of the county as a destination for knowledge-driven investment has begun and already the signs of success appear very encouraging."

Next week, CDDC officers will travel to the US State Department in Washington, in an attempt to attract further inward investment.

And a delegation from Shanghai, in China, is visiting NetPark as part of a tour planned for later this month.

Professor John Anstee, NetPark's scientific director, said: "We are looking at the way in which the global economy is changing and trying to identify how we best position County Durham and the North-East to benefit from what we have to offer.

"We recognise that the region's universities are a very active research base. We need to tap into that, not only to encourage spin-out companies, but to encourage the transfer of technologies into existing businesses."

CDDC has also overhauled its grants system in favour of science companies.

The move towards a knowledge economy follows the recent loss of more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs in the county, including 761 at LG Philips in Durham; 200 at Hugh Mackay Carpets also in Durham; 80 at Acre Products in Darlington and 295 at Presswork Metals, in Newton Aycliffe.

Despite this, CDDC said its investments, totalling more than £980,000 helped create or sustain 2,321 jobs in the county in the past 12 months.

The switch to promoting technologies means there is less scope for job creation, so its target for this financial year is to create or sustain 1,500 jobs.

This is due to be ratified at a meeting of the council's cabinet in County Hall today.