Podcast Special: the North East's Economic Disruptors

Human progress has depended on economic disruptors since long before the advent of the internet. Motor cars remained rare luxuries until a disruptor called Henry Ford perfected the Model T assembly line. Today’s online auction, home-stay, ride-share and crowdfunding sites have generated markets and money flows that barely existed before, to the great benefit of providers and consumers. Today’s manufacturing methods — from 3D printing to advanced bioscience — have dramatically reduced the time and capital required to produce vital products.

So, who are the companies that are rewriting the rules in 2019? Following the success of last year's inaugural Economic Disruptor of the Year Awards, The Spectator and Julius Baer has come together again to celebrate creative entrepreneurship across the UK.

In this first of a short series of podcasts, The Spectator's Business Editor, Martin Vander Weyer, speak to the competition's three regional judges for the North East of England about the finalists in that region. Tune in to find more about modular homes, conductive fabrics, innovative office sharing, and the future of car insurance.