Newcastle-based cloud software giant Sage Group, the UK’s largest listed tech company, said on Monday it is moving its flagship UK offices from North Park near Gosforth a few miles east to Cobalt Business Park near Shiremoor.
Sage said the move will involve an investment of £40 million in the North East of England in the next three years, “creating an improved experience for colleagues, customers and partners, and strengthened technology and customer facing capabilities.”
Sage was founded about 30 years ago in Newcastle as the brainchild of local academics and has grown into a global company with around 13,000 staff worldwide with millions of customers.
Sage shares have risen more than 30% over the past year to give it a current stock market value of almost £9 billion.
Sage added: “The investment underlines Sage’s commitment to North of Tyne and the North East as a hub for UK colleagues working in product development, innovation, sales and customer service, supporting small and medium sized businesses navigating digital transformation and regulatory change.
“As part of this transformation, Sage will be moving its flagship UK offices from North Park to Cobalt Business Park, the UK’s largest business park.
“Sage is also announcing that it is hiring to fill around 500 roles in product engineering, data science, support and sales.
“These roles, alongside other investments in technology and training take Sage’s total investment in the UK’s thriving digital economy to over £300m by the end of 2020, with investment focused in and around Newcastle, Manchester, Reading and London.
“This planned investment reflects the company’s SaaS strategy, and its focus on customer success, colleague success and innovation.
“From late 2020, nearly 2,000 Sage colleagues and all new hires will benefit from the newly refurbished hub.
“Sage will continue to work in partnership with business leaders and government in the region, including working towards a new data-driven SME growth plan focusing on trade and digital skills.”
Sage CEO Steve Hare said: “The UK’s tech sector is fast becoming a centre of global excellence, and Sage is particularly proud to be part of this, and to have such a significant home in the North East.
“Our colleagues are one of our main strengths, and I’m pleased that this investment will create a great experience for them and a fantastic environment for innovation — both are crucial to our vision of becoming a great SaaS company.”
Sabby Gill, UK & Ireland managing director, Sage said: “Sage’s heart lies in the North East, the region is our spiritual home.
“Over the past three decades we’ve grown into a global technology leader, supporting over a million UK businesses directly or through our accountant partners, improving their productivity through digitisation.
“Sage continues to grow. Right now, we are recruiting for more than 200 open roles in the North East. It’s an exciting time for Sage, the North East and the UK.”
Mayor of the North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, said: “This really is excellent news.
“Sage is a global business and a global leader in technology. To invest another £40 million in a new world-class technology hub is a great vote of confidence in the North of Tyne.
“There’s also an apprenticeship programme to give youngsters a route into well paid work.
“Sage is one of our flagship home-grown businesses.
“They’re a real driver of innovation and skills in the North of Tyne.
“And as a digital company, Sage will be key in delivering prosperity in the modern, low-carbon economy, based on good quality skilled jobs.
“We’re working together to boost sustainable growth in our region and to support our whole small and medium enterprise sector.”