REGIONAL development agency One NorthEast has launched a new website designed to attract software and electronic businesses to the region from all over the world.

The site will promote the region as an ideal location for inward investment to high tech operations in the US, Europe, India and Australia, as well as from other areas of the UK and Europe.

The site, established by One NorthEast and sub-regional partners with support from Shell, Exxon and Mobil, is particularly targeted at software, digital media and other e-business companies seeking to establish a high quality European development base for their operations.

Developed by North-East based Enigma Interactive Ltd, it offers a wide variety of services, with information on property and premises, infrastructure, telecommunications, transport, and key company contacts in the region.

It includes a comprehensive database of software and digital media companies across the North-East, with entry to the database free of charge, with each company benefiting from its own page.

One NorthEast chief executive Mike Collier said: "One of the key objectives within the regional economic strategy is to retain and harness the skills and talents of our local graduates.

"We are seeking to match companies with this talent, persuading inward investors that the North East of England is a prime location from which to exploit UK and European markets."

The website is currently being marketed by the agency in a number of ways.

These include e-mailshots and search engines, key intermediaries and partners, and by tapping into directories of target firms in the US in particular.

Mr Collier added: "One NorthEast is the first regional development agency to market its region in this innovative manner, and we hope to attract a substantial amount of inward investment via this medium in the future."

The Chinese market in particular has already been earmarked by the agency as a growth area for regional inward investment, with a total of six Chinese companies now in situ at the International Business Centre in Gateshead and the China-Britain Business Council office established at Billingham.