A £5m initiative has been unveiled to improve the competitiveness of businesses in the North-East.

The North-East NTI (New Technology Institute) is a collaboration of four universities and 11 education institutions.

It has been set up to give businesses in the area access to high quality training and advice in information communication technology (ICT), and to promote a culture of entrepreneurship in the North-East.

NTIs are part of a Government-funded network that aims to bolster better use of ICT by business. Uniquely in the North-East region, however, higher and further education establishments from the north and south of the area joined forces to maximiseresources.

At the launch, it was emphasised that the future success of the North-East economy was heavily dependent on the effective use of ICT.

Joanne Harris, NTI manager for Durham and the Tees Valley, said: "Recent research by e-skills UK shows that the North-East is among the four lowest areas in the country in terms of ICT professionals employed but that a higher proportion of companies in the area are planning to expand their ICT workforce.

"It is also critical that small to medium-sized businesses in particular ensure that they have up-to-date ICT skills and infrastructure to be able to continue to provide their products and services to their clients."