The Suffolk Business Board was established in May 2024 following the integration of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership functions into Suffolk County Council. It comprises representatives from business, education, the voluntary sector and local government.
Business Board members:
Chair: Mark Pendlington
Deputy Chair: Cllr Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council
Doug Field, East of England Co-Op
Oliver Paul, Suffolk Food Hall
Lisa Perkins, Tech East
Peter Brady, Orbital Global
Kelly Boosey, Oxford Innovation
Leanne Gittins, LME Recruitment
John Dugmore, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce
Tom Ball, Ipswich Town Football Club
Hannah Bloom, Suffolk Community Foundation
Paul Ager, Associated British Ports
Marek Hornak, University of Suffolk
Nikos Savvas, Eastern Education Group
Cllr Richard Smith MVO, Suffolk County Council
Cllr Andy Mellen, Mid Suffolk District Council
Cllr Neil MacDonald, Ipswich Borough Council
It’s a real pleasure to share my first update as Chair of the Suffolk Business Board. It has been a very busy and positive start!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen Suffolk step onto a national stage at UKREiiF, launched a shared Growth Proposition for our region, and brought our Business Ambassadors together for their first annual summit. Each of these moments has allowed Suffolk to show that we are clear about our strengths, confident in our offer, and collaborating to deliver growth that benefits our communities and businesses.
What stands out most to me is the clear ambition and the strength of partnership behind it. Businesses, education, local authorities and sector leaders are all playing their part.
My focus as Chair is simple: to build momentum, to focus on delivery and the realisation of the right priorities, and to make sure everyone knows that Suffolk is a great place to invest, work and grow a business. I’m also pleased to have welcomed four new members onto the Business Board, all of whom offer deep insight and expertise into their sectors as well as passion to drive positive impact. You can learn more about all our members here, and we’ll be sharing individual profiles on LinkedIn over the coming weeks.
There’s plenty more to come in the months ahead, and I’m looking forward to working with many of you along the way.
Lisa Perkins, Business Board Chair
Suffolk shone at this year’s UKREiiF exhibition, with the Norfolk & Suffolk Pavillion providing a platform to showcase the very best of our region.
Across the three days, we presented over 60 investment opportunities, hosted 10 panels and events, and heard from expert speakers from across the UK. We also launched AI Penny – an AI-powered avatar created by Suffolk-based company 1956 Individuals.
Penny engaged directly with visitors, sharing insights on investment opportunities and growth sectors across the county. You can explore our full UKREiiF presence and current investment opportunities on the Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited microsite.
Launching the Norfolk and Suffolk Growth Proposition
One of the key moments at UKREiiF was the launch of the Norfolk and Suffolk Growth Proposition. At its heart is a simple message: Suffolk and Norfolk are where the UK’s essential systems converge, and that gives us a powerful platform for growth.
The Growth Proposition sets out our strengths across food and drink production, energy security, ports and logistics, advanced connectivity technology, and advanced manufacturing and engineering. Download it here.
On 3 June, we held the first Suffolk Business Ambassadors Summit, bringing together some of the county’s leading business voices.
The day focused on how we better champion Suffolk – from our mission-led approach to growth, to opportunities in culture, technology and business support.
As well as celebrating success, the session focused on what comes next and how Ambassadors can help open doors, attract investment and tell our story more confidently.
You can learn more about the Suffolk Business Ambassadors programme here.
With the success of May’s AI Festival and last week’s National AI Awards, we’ve been reflecting on Suffolk’s growing role in AI.
From our high number of AI patents to the strong links between businesses, education and innovation support, Suffolk is building a reputation for applied, real-world AI.
This is explored in Peter Brady’s recent blog, Why place still matters in AI, which talks about how strong local ecosystems enable innovation.
By backing the AI Festival and National AI Awards, we’re helping to showcase what works here in practice.
Suffolk businesses to benefit from expanded apprenticeship support scheme
Staff and businesses in Suffolk are set to benefit from new apprenticeship opportunities, with extra support now available to help employers recruit and upskill their workforce.
The expanded Levy Support Scheme allows large employers which pay the apprenticeship levy to transfer levy funds to other businesses. This reduces or removes apprenticeship training costs – opening the door to new recruitment and training opportunities. Find out more.
Nationally-significant facility testing laser communications to space officially opens
The UK’s largest indoor optical research facility has officially opened at the University of Suffolk’s DigiTech Centre.
The Quantum Optics Discovery (QOD) Lab, part of the Space East cluster and based at BT Adastral Park, will support the development of next-generation space and communications technology.
It will enable testing of laser communication systems in realistic weather conditions – including rain, fog and wind – helping unlock both commercial and research opportunities. Learn more about the QOD Lab here.
Training new seafarers for offshore energy sector
The fast-growing offshore wind industry needs more skilled crews to operate support vessels safely and efficiently. But many young people cannot afford the entry-level training they need to get their first job afloat. East Coast College aims to bridge that gap and open this exciting career to more people across Suffolk and Norfolk through the ‘Offshore Wind Vessel Support Crew (OWVCS) L2 Skills’ Bootcamp.
“There’s a real bottleneck in this industry,” explains Site Senior Master Alex Crawley, “with companies keen to recruit new crew members but unable to take the costly risk of employing someone with absolutely no qualifications or experience. At the same time, there are thousands of young people who would love the opportunity to work in this exciting and rewarding industry, which has the potential to take them around the world.”
News and events from the New Anglia Growth Hub
The June edition of The Loop is out now – New Anglia Growth Hub’s regular newsletter packed with events and key updates, including the latest series of face-to-face workshops covering topics from social media marketing to financial awareness.
An Evening with Jake Humphreys
25 June, 5.30 – 8pm, University of Suffolk, Ipswich
Join Paddy & Scott’s for a fascinating evening with Jake Humphrey — award-winning television presenter, podcaster, author, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the High Performance Foundation.
Full details and booking information here.
ITB LIVE: Networking At Ipswich Town FC
17 June, 6-9pm, Ipswich Town Football Club
A networking event for Suffolk based start-ups, aimed at businesses in their first 1-3 years that are actively looking to grow.
Full details and booking information here.
Safari Networking Event
30 June, 9.30am – 12.30pm, Stoke by Nayland Resort
A friendly, informal environment for all business people in any job role to enjoy a physical networking session. This may specifically appeal to those new to networking, or those new to a role, wanting to make those much-needed business connections.
More information and registration.
Agri-Tech Meets Space
16 July, 1 – 2.30pm, online
Agri-TechE and Space East will be co-hosting a webinar to discuss the opportunities created at the intersection between agri-tech and space-tech. Sign up through their website.
Connecting East Suffolk’s Business Community
23 July, 10am – 12pm, Framlingham Technology Centre
Framlingham Technology Centre will host a friendly and informative morning, Thursday 23rd July running from 10am to 12pm, bringing together businesses from across East Suffolk. The session is led by Connected Innovation and is designed to help local organisations understand the support available to them, make new connections and explore opportunities across the region.
WHERE BIG
IDEAS HAPPEN.
