ABSTRACT

This contribution considers the arguments surrounding claims that a 'New' North East is arising as a particular result of an upsurgent regional economic miracle whose frontal East Asian interlinkages promise continuing business and organizational transformations ahead. Largely off-circuit for other economic miracle claims before, this 'New' North East benefits from both any supposed British economic miracle at large and that recently associated with East Asia generally. But while current British state-public narratives constantly reiterate miraculous transformational possibilities, others constitute their chances very differently. Using a concept-led social constructionalist perspective this contribution explores alternative interpretations of the North East economic trajectory which constitute any East Asian interlinkages several other ways. It finally acknowledges differing debates over what roles these interlinkages actually play while posing further questions about where else the North East regional economic trajectory might be headed instead.