From the Big Mutha Truckers video game and the on-screen graphics for Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire to the former Northumbria University student who went on to design the iMac and iPod, north-east talent in the commercial creative sector has made an international mark.

The sector’s interface with modern culture and new technology lends it an air of excitement and dynamism. Some activities are clearly growth areas but these businesses still have to make money to survive and they face intense competitive pressures.