Jonathan Reynolds has said cutting-edge manufacturers in the North East can play a central role in reindustrialising the region and creating the next generation of skilled jobs.
The Labour MP highlighted the potential of advanced manufacturing following a visit to semiconductor manufacturer Pragmatic in County Durham.
Writing on X, Reynolds said returning to the North East carried particular significance for him because he grew up in the region during the 1980s.
“I grew up in the North East in the 1980s, so visiting semiconductor manufacturer Pragmatic in County Durham yesterday felt extra special.”
He said areas such as the North East had “felt neglected for decades”, but argued that companies investing in new technology were helping to build a new industrial future.
“Cutting edge companies like Pragmatic are operating there and helping the area reindustrialise. Different products, same ingenuity.”
Pragmatic develops semiconductor technology in the North East, representing the kind of high-value manufacturing Labour wants to support through its wider industrial strategy.
Reynolds said advanced manufacturing had been identified as one of eight priority sectors because of its potential to generate investment, strengthen supply chains and create skilled employment.
“That’s why advanced manufacturing is one of the eight priority sectors in our Industrial Strategy – the potential is huge.”
His comments follow a wider push by the Labour Government to frame reindustrialisation not as a return to the industries of the past, but as an effort to ensure Britain becomes a leader in emerging and strategically important sectors.
Reynolds has previously argued that rebuilding Britain’s industrial strength means backing industries capable of creating good jobs and spreading economic opportunity beyond London and the South East.
The North East, with its long industrial history and growing clusters in advanced manufacturing, technology and clean energy, is expected to play a significant role in that agenda.
For Reynolds, the growth of firms such as Pragmatic demonstrates that industrial renewal can combine the region’s manufacturing heritage with new technologies.
The Government’s challenge will be to ensure that businesses investing in those sectors have access to the skills, infrastructure and long-term certainty needed to grow — while ensuring local communities benefit through better jobs and higher investment.
Reynolds said the opportunity was substantial, describing the potential of advanced manufacturing simply as “huge”.
