Innovation
We are delivering the Freeport East Innovation Cluster through connecting partner organisations, world leading universities and other local innovation networks to drive productivity, as well as new market opportunities for local businesses and inward investors.
These include leveraging the expertise of existing centres at the Knowledge Gateway at the University of Essex and Adastral Park – helping them to deliver further impact in their local economies and internationally.
We will focus on four areas to deliver on our ambition to be the most innovation-driven UK Freeport.
1. INCREASE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR INNOVATION SPENDING IN FREEPORT EAST
We have proactively facilitated the creation and ongoing support of several industry / academic collaborations to secure innovation funds to progress local business developments. We are also allocating our own funds to support businesses to innovate new products and services, or training opportunities, to drive their growth in sales and market reach, including exports. We will use our access to Government innovation networks and private sources of funding alike to maximise opportunities for local businesses.
3. Strengthen the physical and virtual places and connections that aid innovation thinking and activity, particularly in areas less well served currently
Freeport East is aiming to deliver new innovation centres at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket, in Harwich and elsewhere, and strengthen the connections between innovation centres, including along the Tendring coast, working with e.g., Tendring Borders Garden Community. We will work with both HE & FE institutions and county & district councils. As a vital new node of the existing Connected Innovation Network (25 centres operating across Norfolk and Suffolk) we will provide local businesses with better opportunities to work, innovate, grow and succeed.
2. USE INNOVATION AS AN ANCHOR FOR ATTRACTING NEW INVESTMENT TO FREEPORT EAST
We will showcase opportunities in new sectors such as green hydrogen, digital and clean energy, including through undertaking novel and strategic analysis, to attract new businesses into our region. We will ensure that inward investors can link into existing innovation networks and build a new dedicated Freeport East Innovation Cluster as a core, differentiating part of our offer to attract/retain new investments and support existing key sectors.
4. Work to facilitate the deployment of innovations across our region to drive productivity and tackle local social and economic disparities
We will look to explore how new innovations in mobility, clean energy, healthcare and education can be connected into local service delivery, strengthening Freeport East’s contribution to enhancing our local communities. We will work with e.g., UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) incl. Edge, KTN and the Catapults, The Department for Work and Pensions, Skills partnerships, the secondary education sector, two NHS trusts(incl. Health Innovation East) and the third sector to achieve this.
We will focus on four areas to deliver on our ambition to be the most innovation-driven UK Freeport.
1. INCREASE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR INNOVATION SPENDING IN THE FREEPORT EAST
We have proactively facilitated the creation and ongoing support of several industry / academic collaborations to secure innovation funds to progress local business developments. We are also allocating our own funds to support businesses to innovate new products and services or training opportunities to drive their growth in sales and market reach, including exports. We will use our access to Government innovation networks and private sources of funding alike to maximise opportunities for local businesses.
3. Strengthen the physical and virtual places and connections that aid innovation thinking and activity, particularly in areas less well served currently
Freeport East is aiming to deliver new innovation centres at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket, in Harwich and elsewhere, and strengthen the connections between innovation centres, including along the Tendring coast, working with e.g., Tendring Borders Garden Community. We will work with both HE & FE institutions and County & District Councils. As a vital new node of the existing Connected Innovation Network (25 centres operating across Norfolk and Suffolk) we will provide local businesses with better opportunities to work, innovate, grow and succeed.
2. USE INNOVATION AS AN ANCHOR FOR ATTRACTING NEW INVESTMENT TO FREEPORT EAST
We will showcase opportunities in new sectors such as green hydrogen, digital and clean energy, including through undertaking novel and strategic analysis, to attract new businesses into our region. We will ensure that inward investors can link into existing innovation networks and build a new dedicated Freeport East Innovation Cluster as a core, differentiating part of our offer to attract/retain new investments and support existing key sectors.
4. Work to facilitate the deployment of innovations across our region to drive productivity and tackle local social and economic disparities
We will look to explore how new innovations in mobility, clean energy, healthcare and education can be connected into local service delivery, strengthening Freeport East’s contribution to enhancing our local communities. We will work with e.g., UKRI incl. Edge, KTN and the Catapults, DWP, Skills partnerships, the secondary education sector, the 2 NHS (incl. Health Innovation East) and the third sector to achieve this.
We are delivering new centres of innovation in Stowmarket and Harwich, offering ambitious businesses the opportunity to shape their local innovation landscape and benefit from the skills, connections and knowledge from our local economy.
