EFFORTS to retain talented young engineers in the region have been boosted by the launch of a partnership.

The North-East Coast Engineering Trust (NECET) and Training Development Resource (TDR) have joined forces to fund individual engineers and engineering research projects in the region's universities.

With the region continuing to face a "brain drain" of talented engineers and reduced research funding, NECET and TDR will provide grants to encourage students in their studies and ensure the region maintains its historical reputation as a seed-bed for engineering innovation.

TDR executive vice-chairman Bill McGawley said: "While over 100 years separates the foundation of the two organisations, our aims and objectives clearly complement each other extremely well.

"TDR can help the North-East Coast Engineering Trust to maximise the return from its investment and support the administration of grants to students and research projects based within the region's universities.

"In return, we look forward to working with NECET to promote TDR's aims and objectives to support higher education and research programmes."

Len Stule, chairman at NECET, added: "Very few of the brightest engineering graduates we have come into contact with in the past decade have stayed within the region.

"That's a problem which the region must address if the high technology companies and light engineering operations which we see opening in the North-East are to flourish and compete with the world's best."

Money from NECET is already helping students like Mark Galilee from Middlesbrough, who is studying mechanical engineering at Durham University.

Mark's grant of £2,500 will be used to support his third year at the University of California.

He will also benefit from another NECET-supported programme, based at Durham University's Centre for Automotive Research.

The centre received £20,000 to support the development of an automotive wind tunnel in 2000, a project which was completed in March.

It is hoped the tunnel will prove a catalyst to build up other areas of research and the school of engineering will offer consultancy services and specialist testing facilities.