National and regional leaders showcased the economic importance of the South West to the UK and the new Government’s agenda at a major conference at Sandy Park, Exeter on 13 September, putting the region’s leading industries on the national stage.
Senior business leaders, industry experts, newly elected MPs, and political figures including keynote speaker Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry, came together at the South West’s first major event since the general election, to spotlight why the region matters in driving UK economic growth.
The sold out conference of over 500 delegates, delivered by the Great South West Partnership and compered by national broadcaster Daisy McAndrew, offered an opportunity to hear about the new Government’s plans, and how the South West is poised to deliver for the UK economy.
Dorset LEP was pleased to join fellow Dorset-based Great South West Board Members Professor Alison Honour, Vice-Chancellor at Bournemouth University and Neil Skelland, Business Development Director, Atlas Elektronik UK at the event.
Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry, said: “This Government’s mission is economic growth, and that means removing barriers to the innovation, skills and potential that I saw in abundance in the South West. We all need to work hard to get the structures right nationally, regionally and locally to unlock potential and drive investment.
“From Somerset’s new gigafactory for electric vehicles to the mining renaissance in Cornwall, the South West is a vital economic engine for the UK and will play a huge role in our mission to Net Zero.”
A Business Panel featuring industry heavyweights Hugh Milward, Vice President, Microsoft UK;, Asif Rehmanwala, Chief Executive, Ecotricity; Dave Tansley, Senior Practice Partner, South West & Wales, Deloitte UK; Julia Goldsworthy, Head of Social Impact Investment, Legal & General; and Dr Stella Peace, Executive Director & Interim Exec Chair, designate, Innovate UK; spoke on the unrivalled opportunities of the region’s world-class energy, defence and food sectors in driving national and international investment and and delivering the UK’s economic security, and how the region can work with Government to maximise these opportunities.
A panel of MPs discussed the importance of the Great South West to the Government’s agenda, and how stakeholders can raise the profile of the region in Westminster. The panel included local MPs Steve Race, Labour MP for Exeter & Chair of the Great South West All-Party Parliamentary Group; Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury & Somerton; and Perran Moon, Labour MP for Camborne & Redruth.
Steve Race MP said: “The Great South West Annual Conference was a brilliant opportunity for 500 people from business, politics and academia to meet from across our region to discuss our challenges and opportunities.
“As Chair of the cross-party Great South West Group of MPs, it’s my job to help us all to make the case for our region. To do that, we need to speak with one voice, to showcase our strengths, and to fight for attention and investment.
“Our four counties are leaders in the sectors that are critical to the future success of the whole country - from farming and agri-business, to cutting edge science and innovation, to defence, and the second largest concentration of industrial manufacturing in the country, we have a central role to play. There is a lot here, and a lot to build on. As MPs, we’ll work together to get the best for our individual constituencies, and also for the whole region.”
Karl Tucker, Chair of the Great South West Partnership, said: “This conference facilitated vital discussions setting out the role that the region is set to play in delivering the country’s security, resilience and prosperity, based around its critical role in food, energy and defence. It’s clear that now is the time for the new Government to seize the opportunities for the South West to help to secure national economic growth and security.”
Dorset LEP Chair and Great South West Board Member Cecila Bufton said: “As a founding member of the Great South West partnership and an ongoing supporter, we were delighted to be a part of this event flying the flag for both the wider region’s economic strengths as well as Dorset’s own significant contribution. This was an important opportunity to show the new Government how the South West economy, which is worth over £81 billion GVA, is vital to the UK’s economic security.”
The Great South West Partnership also launched its new Independent Economic Review, which offers a blueprint for driving investment and growth across the South West.
The Review, which will be published to the public in October 2024, makes clear that the Great South West is vital to the new Government’s plans to deliver a decade of national renewal, and central to its key missions to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7, and make Britain a clean energy superpower. Dorset LEP played a significant role in the development and commissioning of the Economic Review.
The conference was supported by Headline Sponsors Cornwall Space Cluster and Leonardo UK, and Supporting Partners EDF Energy, Imerys, and Supacat.
ENDS
For more information, please contact: Isobel Shaw, isobel.shaw@program.agency
About the Great South West
The Great South West is a business-led organisation covering the ceremonial counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset focused on driving investment into the region and promoting the world class potential of the industries, technologies, businesses and workforce located in the south west of England. We do this by convening the collective voice of business, local councils, Universities, and other stakeholders as the pan-regional partnership through the leadership of our Board, which works with Government, our MPs via the Great South West APPG and investors to champion our incredible region on a national and international level.
Its ambition is to deliver up to £45bn of economic benefit and become the leading region nationally and globally for the green and blue economy by 2035.