The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s annual conference returned to the Lincolnshire Showground yesterday (Thursday), with the breadth and strength of the partnerships driving economic growth in our region amplified loud and clear.

Over 400 delegates gathered to hear about Greater Lincolnshire – Leading the Way through panel talks and Q&A sessions which focused on four game-changing sectors for Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland: defence and security, green energy, ports and logistics and the UK Food Valley.

At the highest attended LEP conference to date, delegates heard how the LEP continues to work with businesses, local authority partners and education institutions to drive growth and enterprise, ensuring that the voice of the business community is centre stage.

The conference also provided an opportunity to discuss important issues such as labour shortages, skills gaps and the ongoing energy crisis.

Throughout the day, delegates learned of the positive impact the Greater Lincolnshire LEP has had in the ten years since its creation. Since 2011 the LEP has:

• created 3,500 jobs
• Secured £400m of investment for projects in Greater Lincolnshire
• engaged with 25,000 businesses

One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of a Greater Lincolnshire Agricultural Growth Zone, or ‘Ag Zone’, which will create a centre to support agriculture, agri-tech and a skills pipeline to attract the next generation into the industry, from schools’ engagement through further and higher education and on to postgraduate education, and continuing professional development for the farming industry.

The long-term aim is to link the cluster of skills, innovation, and business support to a network of commercial demonstration farms across Lincolnshire to trial new technologies.

The four game-changing sectors were unpacked and included the defence sector and its newly launched Defence and Security Network, opportunities and advancements within the region’s ports and logistics sector, and the clean growth agenda including the growing offshore wind energy opportunity.

Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “Alongside our partners, we are proud to have been leading on economic growth and supporting businesses for the last 11 years, particularly throughout the years of the pandemic.

“We are determined that Greater Lincolnshire will make an even more valuable contribution to the economy in the future, by supporting existing businesses to grow while attracting an increasing number of companies and individuals choosing our region as the place to call home.

“Perhaps most importantly we are committed to working with our dynamic education providers to fulfil the potential of our existing and future workforce.

“Greater Lincolnshire really is leading the way through some amazing advances and in spite of the unrelenting challenges faced. This is testament to the resilience and passion of our business community alongside our fantastic educators, academics and member organisations as well as the public sector pulling together to make this place a better place for business growth.

“My key take away from this event is that this is our time, and our medium-term future looks very strong indeed as long as there is the continued collaboration that has been evidenced during the conference.”

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