EEDA - East of England Development Agency

To do this requires real commitment from our own people and our partners. Local authorities, business groups and other organisations all play such a key role in shaping our region. It is only natural that they should also shape the strategy for regional economic growth - and our own plan for making sure we deliver against its objectives.

It was hugely satisfying to see towards the end of the year, such unqualified support both for the new regional economic strategy (RES) to 2031 and our own corporate plan 2008-11 which defines our contribution to the RES.

This "big picture" activity takes place against a changing landscape for all regional development agencies. The Sub-national Review, announced in July 2007, presents a number of exciting challenges and opportunities for EEDA. We are already making steps to align our activities to key recommendations in the review - moving rapidly to align our Investing in Communities programmes to local authority areas, led by local authorities, is a clear demonstration of our commitment to change.

This forward momentum at a strategic level is matched by real progress in our delivery and service programmes. The first highly successful year of our new Business Link arrangements has laid a tremendous foundation for continued improvement in support for businesses across the region.

Our targeted business support services - including Manufacturing Advisory Service East and Enterprising Women - have also performed well during the year. EEDA again demonstrated its regional leadership with hugely successful Destination Growth '07 and ideas talk events. These attracted over 1,000 regional businesses to listen to - and be inspired by - global business leaders and showed EEDA at its very best.

This kind of marketing and campaigning is very much part of EEDA's role. During 2007, we have joined with other regional development agencies in pushing forward the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) to make support for business far easier to understand, navigate and access. During the year, our sustainability agenda was given a major boost with launch of our Cut your Carbon campaign aimed at communities. Our work in these areas remains very much a priority in the year ahead.

Likewise, significant progress has been made in the development of Enterprise Hubs in key areas of growth. It is particularly gratifying to see major projects nearing completion – OrbisEnergy in Lowestoft and Luton Innovation and Business Base being prime examples. The transformation of the Norwich-based East of England Production Innovation Centre – soon to be upgraded to be the only high definition facility outside of London – is another excellent example of how EEDA investment is creating new jobs and developing key knowledge-based sectors in the region.

Another key challenge for the region is transport. Following the Eddington report, EEDA is working hard to demonstrate the economic payback from bottlenecks. EEDA has also taken the lead in exploring the options for a Regional Infrastructure Fund which could fund more key schemes.

Against this backdrop of shifting strategic priorities and responsibilities, and concrete progress in so many parts of the region, EEDA is also changing.

During the year two of our board members - Chris Paveley and Celia Cameron have retired. They played a significant role at EEDA during their tenure and I thank them for their commitment. Marco Cereste also stepped down from the board as business representative but was re-appointed as local authority representative. I am pleased to welcome Stuart Evans and Bev Hurley to the board – both of whom bring strong experience from the business world.

I would also like to thank all EEDA staff for another year of tremendous hard work and commitment. I am sure everyone will join me in wishing David Marlow well. He will leave EEDA in July after almost five years as chief executive during which time his drive and energy played were critical to both EEDA and the region. My personal thanks go to David for his leadership and commitment as well as his willingness to put his personal plans on hold during an important period for the region.

We will welcome Deborah Cadman as our new chief executive at a very exciting time in our development – a new regional economic strategy, a new corporate plan and a changing environment for all regional development agencies. I look forward to working with her in taking EEDA – and the region – forward.

Richard Ellis,
EEDA, chair