Combined Authority welcomes global trade representatives  

Combined Authority welcomes global trade representatives  

Investment in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough took centre stage last week as Mayor Paul Bristow welcomed the UK’s top global trade ambassadors to the region to showcase opportunities and world-leading innovation in the local economy. 

The visit, hosted in Cambridge in partnership with the Government’s Department for Business and Trade, coincided with the announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves of a £400 million Government investment into accelerating growth in the city. It also comes off the back of the approval of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Growth Plan  earlier this week. The visit provided over 30 trade ambassadors with an opportunity to connect with the Combined Authority’s inward investment team and learn about the business opportunities in the Local Growth Plan and the unique Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ecosystem. 

Starting at the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology (LMB) at Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the visitors joined a roundtable with the Mayor and had key sector sessions with the inward investment team. In these sessions, the delegation learned about the region’s strategic direction as set out in the LGP, including key frontier sectors and the Opportunity Zones across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough which will help fulfil the ambitions of the Local Growth Plan. 

The delegation also received presentations from Cambridge University Health Partners, Cambridge Biomedical Campus Ltd before touring and visiting The Ray Dolby Centre at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge West.  

Paul Bristow said: 

“This visit was all about getting Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s name in front of global investors. The delegates can now go back to their teams and networks of investors confident that they know all about the strengths and opportunities for investment in our region. Investment that will be brought in by these delegates will deliver good jobs, stronger businesses, and opportunities that will support our communities. 

Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the University are brilliant showcases for the world leading innovation and collaboration that already exists in our region. By building on this and attracting more investment, we can power up Cambridgeshire and Peterborough even further and deliver transformational growth. 

This week has marked an exciting milestone in my ambition to get our region moving; A new Local Growth Plan, and the very next day, £400m from Government and a visit from our top trade ambassadors. I will continue to work with government and local partners to deliver on my goal to make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough the UK’s fastest growing economy outside London”  

Prof Mete Atatüre, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge said: 

“Developing talent is at the heart of our University of Cambridge’s mission and the Cavendish Laboratory has an unmatched legacy in nurturing generations of pioneering scientists whose influence reaches across the UK and beyond. While our research can greatly contribute to industry, there is also immense value in learning from close collaboration with industry partners through the new Innovation Hub. By deepening our engagement with cutting-edge technology firms in key areas such as quantum technologies, energy, semiconductors and AI, we will not only strengthen the impact of our research on society but also shape the discoveries that will define the future for generations to come”  

Ed Watson, Interim Managing Director of Cambridge Biomedical Campus Ltd, said: 

“We were proud to host the group and showcase the unique combination of discovery science, research collaboration, NHS hospitals and industry partners which make the Cambridge Biomedical Campus such a unique proposition. The Campus is at the heart of the OxCam corridor’s life sciences community and will be key in realising Cambridge’s potential to drive UK growth and investment.”