Conference spotlight on region’s driving force at national level
Leading figures from business, politics and academia set out how the South West is poised to deliver for the UK economy
The economic value of the South West was discussed by business leaders and politicians at a major conference at Sandy Park, Exeter. The event took place at the end of last week.
Senior business leaders, industry experts and newly elected MPs came together at the South West’s first major event since the general election.
Their aim was to spotlight why the region matters in driving UK economic growth. A keynote speech was provided by Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry.
The conference consisted of more than 500 delegates and was organised by the Great South West Partnership.
National broadcaster Daisy McAndrew compered the event which provided delegates with an opportunity to hear about the new Government’s plans – and how the South West is poised to deliver for the UK economy.
‘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,’ says Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Industry.
‘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.’
Conference was a ‘brilliant opportunity’ for organisations across the region
‘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,’ says Steve Race MP.
‘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.’
‘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,’ says Karl Tucker, Chair of the Great South West Partnership.
‘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.’
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.
It says that 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.’
The conference was supported by Headline Sponsors Cornwall Space Cluster and Leonardo UK, and Supporting Partners EDF Energy, Imerys, and Supacat.