Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne recently launched the first Northern Powerhouse Partnership report at the Leeds HQ of telecommunications and data services company AQL.

He said that the report forms the basis for the work the Partnership wants to undertake, collaborating with partners across the North this year “to make the transformational change that is needed for the Northern economy”.

AQL founder Adam Beaumont said: “The emphasis that the report places on digital, ‘green energy’ and health-care innovation fits firmly with our own goals and values and those of Leeds itself.

“I have no doubt the region’s growth will be powered by the expanding digital eco-system, and we are proud to be an important part of its development.”