BUSINESS Link North East (BLNE) officially opened its doors yesterday and began its long journey towards "transforming" the region's economy.

The support organisation, backed by £35m of annual funding, has set itself ambitious targets to boost productivity and drive up the number of businesses in the region.

Chief executive Alastair MacColl believes the North-East's business stock and GVA (gross value added) have sat below the national average for too long.

Over the next decade, he wants to see BLNE play a central role in boosting the region's GVA from 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the national average.

Coupled with this, BLNE intends to work with more than 36,000 clients and support at least 4,000 business start-ups every year.

As reported in yesterday's paper, BLNE has taken the place of the sub-regional Business Link operations in County Durham, Tees Valley, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

Mr MacColl, former managing director of the Gazette Media Company, stressed that the reformation of Business Link will make the support service much more accessible than before.

With its head office in Seaham, County Durham, BLNE will have "roaming" account managers throughout the North-East and a presence at key locations, such as the Wilton Centre and Digital City, both in Teesside, and NetPark, in Sedgefield.

As well as the Business Link branded services, it will also be responsible for delivering the regional Skills Brokerage Service under the Train to Gain brand, funded by the Learning and Skills Council.