Suffolk is already a national powerhouse. We have a £21billion economy and are home to more than 35,000 businesses, many of them world-class and countless others ready to grow.
Our region is seeing huge amount of investment in the energy sector, with Sizewell C and offshore wind leading the way. We need to harness this investment, deliver high quality jobs, and true legacy benefit, whilst ensuring projects are coordinated and our rural communities and landscapes are protected.
We’re leaders agri-food and advanced manufacturing and our ports, led by the Port of Felixstowe, handle 36% of the UK’s containerised trade, making us a vital gateway to global markets. BT’s world-renowned research labs at Adastral Park are at the forefront of advances in cybersecurity, AI and space-based technologies. Suffolk truly is a place where big ideas happen.
But we weren’t at UKREiiF just to talk about what we do well already, but to look to the future.
That future is being shaped by the Suffolk Business Board, established last May following the integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership into the county council. The Board brings together business leaders, academia, the voluntary sector, and local government to drive innovation, growth, and skills across Suffolk. I was joined at UKREiiF by Mark Pendlington and Oliver Paul both on the Board and two of our leading business voices, both passionate about Suffolk’s potential.
The Board has hit the ground running. Earlier this year, it published the ambitious Suffolk Economic Strategy, designed to build on Suffolk’s strengths by attracting investment into our key sectors and encouraging major companies to set up and expand here. This isn’t just a plan on paper. It’s already translating into action.
At UKREiiF, we showcased some of the concrete opportunities emerging from the strategy, from unlocking land for over 11,500 new homes on brownfield sites to supporting innovation hubs around our ports and market towns. These aren’t distant ambitions. They are shovel-ready, investor-ready projects that will drive Suffolk forward.
Crucially, our growth plan is aligned with Norfolk’s, reflecting the strong economic ties between our counties. Both Suffolk and Norfolk have thriving rural areas and growing urban centres, with Ipswich and Norwich ranked among the UK’s top ten growth locations.
Working together will be essential – particularly as we enter a new era of devolution.
Next May, residents will elect a Mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk, who will have a seat at the Prime Minister’s Council of the Nations and Regions – a real opportunity to shape national policy from the local level. Joint devolution business plans are already being developed, with key investment priorities for the new Mayor to champion to help drive housing, infrastructure, and business growth in the years ahead.
What we heard at UKREiiF confirmed what we already knew. Investors are looking for places with a clear vision, a united voice, and a pipeline of projects ready to go. Suffolk ticks all those boxes.
