The changing shape of Greater Cambridge’s new industry

A rigorous discussion about the scale, nature & regional reach of Cambridge’s industrial future was at the centre of seminar discussions at Fitzwilliam College earlier this week.

Organised by the Cambridgeshire Development Forum with Endurance Estates, over 60 professionals from the private & public sector came together to consider the future industrial profile of the area.

Eddisons’ Ben Green was one of the members of the panel sharing on-the-ground experiences and answering questions from the audience.

From the presentation & subsequent Q&A session, it became clear that there were fundamental barriers to future and, indeed, current development in the industrial sector.

Poor transport & utility infrastructure capacity, combined with local land use allocations based on an outdated perception of ‘industrial’ operations are contributing to significant suppressed demand in the sector which has built up during the past decade.

What also needs to be addressed is the redefinition of ‘Greater Cambridge’ beyond the limits of its historical geographical boundaries.

As Lord Andrew Lansley, Chairman of Cambridgeshire Development Forum, pointed out to all in the room, the formation of the Government-backed Cambridge Delivery Group - announced in the summer by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities - provides a vehicle for commercial interests & local policy makers to help shape the new industrial profile of the regional economy.