North-East technology companies are set to go head to head with some of the UK's fastest-growing firms with the announcement of the Northern Technology Fast 50 Awards. Organised by professional services firm Deloitte, the Fast 50 programme is an independent ranking and celebration of the UK's fastest-growing technology companies, running regionally throughout the UK and concluding with a national award for the overall winner. The top 50 Northern firms, drawn from the North-east, North-west and Yorkshire, will be revealed at an awards ceremony at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, on Tuesday. During the evening, the annual award for the North-east Fast 50 Technology Company of the Year will be presented. Eight North-east companies featured in the Northern Fast 50 in 2003, with three companies - web design company Enigma Interactive, bioinformatics solutions provider NonLinear Dynamics, and IT software consultancy Waterstons - going on to be listed in the pan-European Fast 500 list. John Spurr, the Deloitte director responsible for the programme in the North-east, says: "The Fast 50 is the only programme which recognises the technology sector's achievers, which is why the awards are seen as the ultimate accolade by those companies that have entered and also by their peers. "As a recognised centre of excellence, the North-east has a burgeoning national and international reputation in the sector and its technology companies make a significant and growing contribution to the region's economy. "Our region has secured a consistently strong presence in the Fast 50 list since the programme began and we're confident that this trend will continue this year." Now in its seventh year, the Fast 50 programme showcases technology companies that have achieved high revenue growth over a five-year period. The ranking features both private and public listed technology companies that have demonstrated innovative strategies, sound management practices and marketplace vision driving them to achieve the status of high-growth leaders. The winners of Deloitte's Rising Stars competition, for younger companies with three years' worth of turnover growth, will also be announced on the evening, along with special awards for sustained growth, innovation and community activity. Last year 16pc of firms in the national ranking were from the North. This figure was up on 2002 (10pc). Nationally software companies accounted for 44pc (22 companies) in the 2003 national ranking - with 12pc, six companies, in 2003, in the Internet category. The overall average growth of the companies who made the National Fast 50 ranking in 2003 was 738pc, a decrease on 861pc in 2002. | 
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Enterprise North East
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