Over the last few months, Prior + Partners have supported the development of the UK Innovation Corridor’s first Investment Prospectus, which was unveiled in January.
The UK Innovation Corridor is a public private partnership who have come together to achieve a collective ambition of long-term sustainable growth in the namesake region which runs between London and Cambridge. An area of global significance, the Corridor makes a substantial impact on the UK economy with a GVA contribution of £284.1bn that underscores its position as a powerhouse of innovation and investment.
The ensuing Prospectus outlines a bold vision for the UK Innovation Corridor’s future, emphasising its unique strengths in sectors such as Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Artificial Intelligence, Digital (FinTech, ED Tech, Data Infrastructure), Physical Sciences, alongside its connectivity to major economic hubs. The document invites stakeholders, investors, and policymakers to join forces in realising the Corridor’s full potential.
In acting as research partners for the Prospectus, Prior + Partners’ have aligned to the Corridor’s ‘total place’ approach and brought to the fore a genuine integration of economic and spatial analysis to demonstrate the case for investment, and the opportunity to create one of the worlds top five knowledge regions. Through the use of the practice’s digital tools and interactive modelling skills, we’ve also been able to support through visualising data in a compelling way and to unlock new insights, with our analysis supporting the future priorities and interventions with the partnership over a number collaborative workshops.
Commenting on the launch of the Investment Prospectus, Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor Jackie Sadek said:
“The UK Innovation Corridor is such an exciting proposition. The Corridor’s GVA is now valued at £284.1bn so we know the contribution the region makes to the UK. It demonstrates the talent and capabilities which already exist, making it attractive to domestic and international investors and corporates to create their future here.
With the addition of the investment prospectus, and the promotion of four projects in the Corridor, we can now confidently go to market to secure investment which will support the long-term growth and jobs needed to transform the economy. These projects are just the beginning and as authorities across the Corridor develop their economic plans, we are already seeing a robust future pipeline of exciting projects across different asset classes.
The decision by Stansted Airport to become our Headline Partner, joining Willmott Dixon, demonstrates the support the Corridor has from both the private and public sector and the importance of the Corridor’s connectivity to global and domestic markets. We are so delighted to have their leadership in this important mission, and their alignment with the Corridor’s objective to engage more markets and reach a wider audience for our work.”
Polly Barker, Place Economics Director at Prior + Partners, added:
“The Innovation Corridor offers a major opportunity to turbo charge economic growth and realise the ambitions of the UKs Industrial Strategy. It has been a pleasure to support Jackie, John and their outstanding collection of public and private sector partners in demonstrating the Corridor’s value through a total place approach. It is a particularly timely moment with the government’s renewed focus on Cambridge, and we are excited to continue our support to ensure the corridor can best leverage future opportunities from the UK and internationally.”
With the addition of the investment prospectus, the partnership can now confidently go to market to secure investment which will support the long-term growth and jobs needed to transform the economy for this vital part of the UK.
