Categories:
Digital , Green Energy , Innovation , Inward investment , Partners , Skills , Technology , Trade
Date Posted:
28 August 2025
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Freeport East is launching a new initiative in partnership with the University of Essex to help local businesses in the East of England improve their cybersecurity defences and explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in digital risk management.
The Cyber Innovate to Elevate (CItE) programme is being led by Freeport East and is set to launch in September 2025. Funded through Innovate UK’s Cyber Local initiative, the six-month programme will support 10 to 15 small and medium-sized businesses across northern Essex and south-east Suffolk to develop practical, scalable cybersecurity solutions tailored to their needs.
Freeport East identified that many SMEs in the region face mounting cybersecurity challenges, with limited resources and increasing regulatory pressures.
Trade, logistics and clean energy are priority sectors for Freeport East, so helping to tackle well-publicised cyber risks in these areas helps strengthen local capability and trust.
The new programme will connect local companies with cutting-edge cybersecurity expertise at the University of Essex to form fully funded project partnerships.
By also involving Master’s and doctoral students in solving real-world cyber challenges, the programme will also help build a future-ready workforce.
AI, digital and technology is a strength of the Freeport East area, and this will drive regional growth while also responding to the priorities of the Government’s new Industrial Strategy.
Steve Beel, CEO at Freeport East, added: “Creating new jobs and becoming a global hub for clean energy, international trade and digital services has always been the goal of Freeport East. With this new initiative partnering with the University of Essex, not only can we boost job growth in the East of England, but we also enable local businesses to stay secure and competitive in an increasingly digitalised economic environment.”
Dr Robert Singh, Director of the Research and Enterprise Office at the University of Essex, commented: “At the University of Essex, we are proud to be at the forefront of the Cyber Innovate to Elevate programme, which is an exciting new collaboration through which we will help SMEs across the Freeport East region address critical cybersecurity needs. By connecting cutting-edge academic expertise with real-world business challenges, this initiative not only addresses immediate cyber risks but also helps build a more resilient and future-ready regional economy.”
Dr Marta Fernandez De Arroyabe Arranz, Deputy Director of the University’s Institute for Analytics and Data Science and a reader at Essex Business School, adds: “Cybersecurity is no longer a peripheral concern for SMEs—it’s central to their resilience, customer trust, and long-term success. With over half of small businesses experiencing a cyber breach in the past year, and fewer than 1 in 20 following steps recommended by the government*, the need for action is clear. Our Cyber Innovate to Elevate programme is designed to directly address this. By combining tailored support, academic collaboration, and regional insight, we’re not just raising awareness—we’re turning it into action.”
The CItE roll-out builds on the success of an earlier programme involving Freeport East partners – the Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils’ Innovate to Elevate initiative gained interest from over 200 businesses and saw the University deliver 22 innovation projects across the region.
This latest bid was submitted to a highly competitive Innovate UK funding call, where only 20 projects were funded out of 145 applications, with the Freeport East–University of Essex collaboration achieving a top-tier score of 85.4%, demonstrating both the strength of the proposal and the region’s growing role in national innovation strategy.
CItE forms part of Freeport East’s wider commitment to supporting local innovation, strengthening digital capabilities, and building a model of cyber resilience that can be replicated across other Freeport regions.
To find out more about the programme or to register for the webinar, please visit:
https://www.essex.ac.uk/business/expertise/funding-opportunities/cyber-innovate-to-elevate
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discover-cyber-innovate-to-elevate-tickets-1567081636359?aff=FE.
