Sunderland is set for 40 new jobs after digital firm BGL Group announced plans to open a tech hub in the city.
BGL, which already operates a tech hub at the White Collar Factory in Shoreditch in London, is investing £3 million into the project at its premises at St Catherine’s Court.
It is already recruiting for the first 20 roles and is looking for delivery professionals, software engineers, software quality engineers and business analysts.
Peterborough-headquartered BGL, which is a digital distributor of motor and home insurance products, employs nearly 700 people in Sunderland and also has offices in Wakefield and Paris.
It was supported in the project by Sunderland City Council’s inward investment agency MAKE it Sunderland.
“BGL has a long track record of investing in Sunderland via our award-winning contact centre, which has been a key local employer for many years,” said Steven Woodford, CTO for insurance, distribution and outsourcing.
“We’re very excited now to be expanding that investment into securing new talent with the digital and software engineering skills which will help us drive the future of our business.
“We looked at a number of locations before choosing Sunderland, but were keen to tap into – and become part of – the city’s growing tech community.”
Sunderland City Council Leader Cllr Graeme Miller said: “This is great news for Sunderland and for its thriving digital and knowledge economies.
“It’s a further vote of confidence in the city from BGL which already employs many hundreds of people in Sunderland. This new investment in a tech hub will create highly skilled technology jobs to boost the city’s software and digital strengths.
“We have had a close relationship with BGL for many years and we are delighted they have chosen to invest again and create new opportunities in our city.”