- A new wave of innovation-led growth, investing in infrastructure, housing and skills
- Space for 20,000 new homes and 9,000 new jobs by 2031
- Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor already employs over 170,000 people in knowledge intensive industries
The corridor joins one of the UK’s most established tech clusters*, with one of Europe’s largest single-site concentrations of research in food, health and environmental sciences together with clusters of excellence in digital, manufacturing and advanced engineering.
The corridor, which includes significant parts of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, already employs over 170,000 people** working for 12,000 businesses*** in knowledge intensive industries including global brands: ARM, Lotus, Multimatic and Baxter International, together with a large network of SMEs.
Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor was established to address three opportunities:
- To encourage collaboration between existing communities of expertise within the corridor: digital, agri-tech/food, bio-tech and advanced engineering
- To create greater awareness of the concentration of affordable growth space within close proximity of Cambridge and Norwich
- To attract government funding to further enhance and consolidate the corridor
Elizabeth Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor – hosting the launch at the Palace of Westminster, said: “I am delighted to support the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor. The Tech Corridor will provide a fantastic platform for our industries to promote the region as a great place to do business. Stretching from Norwich to Cambridge, with emergent sectors, competitively priced land and a stable workforce as well as an excellent quality of life, all the ingredients are in place for economic growth and prosperity.’
Aslam Farikullah, Chief Operating Officer for Group Lotus plc, based in the Tech Corridor, said: “As we are growing our automotive business in Norfolk, the development of a technology park combined with the link to the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor can only strengthen our local position, which we welcome.”
Mark Pendlington, Chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said: "The Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor is a real enterprise highway, driving the transformation of the East, connecting our key growth sectors with the major universities, research hubs and centres for business located here, as well as London. The area is a magnet for new investment and new jobs, and is one of the best locations in the East for businesses located here with ambitions for growth.
"The strong strategic alliance between our MPs, the leaders of business and education and our local authorities mean that this exciting initiative and the momentum it has achieved makes the Tech Corridor a top location and we will continue to invest in its success."
Adrian Cannard, Director of Growth & Strategy for the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, added: “We welcome the launch of the Tech Corridor, showing once again how the area can respond to the needs of our innovative tech businesses. The East of England is a vibrant hot bed of invention, with access to a great talent pool, long-term solutions for business expansion and an excellent work/life balance. This Corridor has an important role to play in linking and growing the supply chain of specialist clusters.”
Further information can be found at: www.techcorridor.co.uk
* Tech Nation 2016 Report - http://www.techcityuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tech-Nation-2016_FINAL-ONLINE-1.pdf pg. 38, Cambridge (February 2016)
** 171,275 – Number of employees in knowledge intensive industries working in the Tech Corridor (ONS/NOMIS, June 2016)
*** 12,205 – Combined business count for knowledge intensive areas – enterprises by industry in the Tech Corridor (ONS/NOMIS, June 2016)
By 2031, the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor will be a destination of choice for global technology – including engineering, agri-tech and advanced manufacturing companies. Attracted by excellent infrastructure, reasonably priced land and adjacent to the cities and universities of Cambridge and Norwich, investors will create an additional 9,000 well-paid jobs and will add £558 million to the regional economy
The key partners of the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor are: Breckland District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Forest Heath District Council, Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, New Anglia LEP, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Suffolk County Council
Where is the corridor?
- Approximately 33% of Cambridgeshire, 50% of Norfolk and 25% of Suffolk’s populations live and work within the Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor area
- Cambridge has long been the UK’s leading technology centre with 25 science parks, which have produced 15 billion-dollar companies
- Haverhill Research Park – with 450,000sq ft of commercial space (part of the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone)
- Mildenhall – the former USAF base, due to close in 2022
- Thetford – 5,000 new homes have outline planning permission, together with 44 ha of employment land
- Attleborough/Snetterton – Sites for 4,000 new homes and 80 ha of employment land
- Wymondham/Hethel – Home to Lotus since the 1960s, Hethel Engineering Centre and a 20ha land allocation for a new Technology Park. There is planning permission in Wymondham for at least 2,200 new homes.
- Norwich is home to the Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s largest single site concentrations of food, health and environmental scientists with four world-renowned research institutes. The Norwich Research Park is also home to a 25 ha Enterprise Zone within ‘Space to Innovate’.
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For more information, media should contact Paul Howlett-Davey on 07802 655070 or email [email protected]