Published: December 2, 2025 at 8:00 am
Experienced tech figure James Hardesty has started a new role as technology and AI advisor at the North East Combined Authority.
Hardesty, who is the director of ecosystem development at Sunderland Software City, will be primarily focused on shaping the region’s AI Growth Zone strategy during his four-month secondment.
He said: “My ambition here is simple. I want our region to stand as a nationally leading AI ecosystem.
“I’m bringing my experience in ecosystem building, tech sector development and communications strategy to the table to therefore act as an integrator.
“The North East isn’t at a standing start; we have much more than potential alone.
“We’ll soon get to framing, storytelling and ambition but right now you’ll find me engaging with industry, aligning data/research, and roadmapping success so that we have something both systemic and substantive to align on.
“I’m doing this to make a meaningful difference. I appreciate the proof will be in the pudding, so there are two transparent commitments I want to make.
“One, I’ll regularly share progress on how we’re moving forward. Two, this isn’t a closed shop. I’m here, I want to collaborate and I want to learn. Talk to me, I’ll even buy the lattes (pumpkin-spiced and otherwise).”