Science and engineering are part of our DNA in Newcastle. From George Stephenson inventing commercial rail travel to the cutting-edge research taking place at Newcastle and Northumbria universities today, our city remains a place where curiosity, creativity and innovation make a real difference to people’s lives.
Take AMLO Biosciences, for example, spun out of Newcastle University in 2017 to turn innovative research into real-world tests for melanoma skin cancer, the fifth most common cancer in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ. All too often, people don’t know about amazing science like this happening on their doorstep. And as an MP and Engineer, it upsets me to see how national debates about science forget about places like Newcastle.
After the general election, MPs elected me to chair the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, a cross-party group that holds the government to account over science policy. I stood to be Chair because I wanted to help make sure the new Labour government delivered on the potential for science to make us all better off – including in regions like the North East that are all too often overlooked.
That’s why I invited AMLO to come to Parliament and share their story.
I want to showcase their groundbreaking work, and the ways their business is making a difference both locally and nationally. Their story matters, and so does Newcastle. Going forward, we’ll be welcoming businesses from across the country to talk about their experiences starting and growing a company.
It’s crucial that MPs see the real-world impact of science and champion their local innovators. As businesses like AMLO show, innovation isn’t about people in white lab coats, squirreled away in some distant lab.
It’s happening in places like the Helix, a stone’s throw from St James’ Park. It’s driving growth, solving problems, and shaping the world we live in. Innovative companies like AMLO create well-paid jobs and attract investment, helping our local economy to grow. They address some of the biggest challenges we face, from lowering energy bills to improving healthcare.
Newcastle’s industrial heritage inspired me, as a young girl growing up in Kenton, to want to become an engineer. That led me to have a fantastic career in engineering – the second best job in the world - after being MP for Newcastle Central and West.
Now, as an MP, I want to do all I can to platform the science happening here in our city and around the country. By celebrating these stories, we can inspire young Geordies today to become the world-changing scientists of tomorrow.
Chi Onwurah, is MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West, and chair of the Science and Technology Committee
