On the 21st June, prominent business and public-sector leaders will come together in Milton Keynes for the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference – the region’s largest business conference of the year – which is supported by the National Infrastructure Commission, England’s Economic Heartland and regional and local authorities.

The conference, hosted by Built Environment Networking and in association with Bouygues Energies & Services, will see some of the region’s biggest names in business, politics and local government lead a regional economic debate including discussions on industrial strategy, skills, housing, infrastructure and growing the economy. The corridor represents a phenomenal opportunity for the regions and will create opportunities, connectivity and communication between cities to drive economic development and growth. Speakers include:

  • Prof Sadie Morgan; Commissioner of National Infrastructure Commission
  • Martin Tett; Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and Chair of England’s Economic Heartland
  • Ann Limb; Chair of South East Midlands LEP
  • Sir Peter Gregson; Chief Executive & Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University
  • Laura Church; Corporate Director of Place and Infrastructure at Luton Council and Chief Infrastructure Officer at London Luton Airport
  • Richard Harrington; Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP
  • Harvey Griffiths; Chief Executive of the Housing Infrastructure Fund
  • Mary Parsons; Group Director at Places for People
  • John Cove; Director at Milton Keynes Dons Football Club

Keith Griffiths, MD of Built Environment Networking said: ‘’The long-awaited transport links between Oxford and Cambridge will not only improve connectivity and communication between the cities and those in-between, but it will provide the infrastructure to drive economic development and growth. The area could support a further 700,000 jobs by 2050, increasing GVA by more than £160bn. We’re delighted to be holding this conference, with the support of the National Infrastructure Commission and England’s Economic Heartland, to join businesses together who are essential to making this a success story.’’

Councillor Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire County Council and Chairman of England’s Economic Heartland, said: ‘’The Heartland could become the UK’s Silicon Valley, but only by providing the right investment in infrastructure to better connect our people and businesses – not just in transport, but crucially in high speed broadband too. I’m delighted this conference is focusing on the region’s economic potential and I look forward to sharing with delegates how England’s Economic Heartland is providing the strategic leadership to realise this phenomenal opportunity.’’

A spokesperson for England’s Economic Heartland, said: ‘’This conference will build on the real momentum which is forming behind the region. With the right investment in infrastructure, we can become internationally renowned for science, technology and innovation, competing for UK Plc on the global stage. I look forward to updating delegates on the progress being made by England’s Economic Heartland to realise that ambition, including our work on an over-arching Transport Strategy for the region.’’

Richard Harrington, Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP, said: ”Buckinghamshire has many world leading businesses and business clusters operating at the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor. Many of these, including Robert Bosch, Silverstone, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson, Boundless Productions and Pinewood Studios are operating at the centre of the automotive technologies, life-science and creative industry sectors and will be critical in delivering the success of the growth corridor. In addition, we have shared our growth plans with the National Infrastructure Commission and government, and we continue to work with our local partners to evolve our growth delivery strategies and plans for the corridor.”

Paul Kitson, South East General Manager at Homes England said: ”The corridor between Cambridge and Oxford has potential to be a globally significant economy. The ambitions for the area come with significant housing needs, and Homes England is playing an integral role in helping accelerate the delivery of more homes and creating new communities to meet these high demands for more housing. This can only be done by working closely with developers and our partners across the region so it’s great to be part of this event to show how Homes England is playing its role in the success of the Oxford Cambridge Corridor.”

MEPC’s Roz Bird, Commercial Director at Silverstone Park, said: ”The government’s CMKO initiative offers two opportunities, as I see it. Firstly, for UK plc, it brings together a capable geography of high-tech talent which can be promoted on a world stage because the CMKO creates a critical mass of activity, comparable to San Jose or Wandong. And, with close proximity to London in the south and the Midlands Engine in the north, it’s already world class. Secondly, companies within the STC and the wider Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire high-tech clusters offer high-tech expertise and capabilities that can be applied to the issues that the public sector is grappling with in the corridor, in terms of housing and mobility. Companies in our cluster are already developing new apps supported by IoT and big data which could help manage traffic or heating or whole energy systems and they are developing sensor technology and light-weighting technology that can be used in autonomous vehicles, for example. The question is, what should the future look like, and the answer lies with the companies that reside in the CMKO.”

Cllr Hannah O’Neill, Milton Keynes Council’s Cabinet Member for Healthier and Stronger Communities, said: ”The Oxford-MK-Cambridge corridor is a real and exciting opportunity for this area, it will deliver housing, infrastructure and jobs and out us on the map both nationally and internationally. However, we need to continue working together to maximise those opportunities and funding, which is why this conference is so important and I’m delighted to have been asked to speak on behalf of Milton Keynes, which is a key component of this partnership.”

Naisha Polaine, Deputy Director of Projects – Regeneration & Infrastructure at the Department for International Trade, said: The potential for growth in the Cambridge-MK-Oxford Corridor is enormous and stands on the shoulders of the corridor’s already world class science and innovation assets. Identifying and growing new sectors and businesses is top priority not only to align with national industrial strategy but to position the UK in the global market.

Bouygues Energies & Services have been announced as the conference partner. They operate in over 80 countries globally and use the expertise of their 12,500 employees to provide engineering and service capabilities committed to designing, building, operating and maintaining infrastructure, buildings and industrial facilities. From facilities management and energy performance and supply, to smart city, infrastructure and industry solutions they have a successful track record of delivering services in a range of complex and secure critical environment. A spokesperson said: ”Bouygues Energies & Services provide a comprehensive range of infrastructure applications; working across street lighting, smart city, smart motorway and intelligent transport solutions. We create environments that encourage effective us of facilities and amenities, promoting economic growth, sustainability and social wellbeing. We look forward to expanding our reach throughout the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and working in partnership with existing and future clients to deliver their vision for more intelligent towns and cities.”

David Lock Associates, an independent town planning, urban design and master planning consultancy based in Milton Keynes, have been announced as the Housing Session Partner for the event. A spokesperson for David Lock Associates said of the partnership: ”At DLA, strategic scale planning with a spatial focus has been the foundation of our practice for 30 years. With the resurgence of a comprehensive approach to infrastructure and growth planning, we find ourselves working across large geographies for public and private sector clients, and no more so than throughout the Oxford – Milton Keynes – Cambridge Corridor. We look forward to welcoming delegates to our home city, and to chairing what we hope will be a high-calibre and seminal debate on unlocking the potential for the communities of the future.”

MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), the UK’s leading archaeological and built heritage practise and educational charity, who’ve been providing independent services to the development and heritage sectors for over 40 years, have been confirmed as the Skills Session Partner. Janet Miller, Chief Executive at MOLA and Skills Session Chair, said: ”Skills development is at the heart of MOLA’s approach so we’re delighted to support the skills session at the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference 2018. The innovative training programmes we design for our projects help to tackle the skills shortages facing the development sector and ultimately the archaeological knowledge we produce becomes an asset to these projects, attracting other highly skilled people to the area.”

Mott MacDonald, a global management, engineering and development consultancy, is the infrastructure session partner for the Oxford to Cambridge Economic Growth Corridor Conference. Paul Hammond, Mott MacDonald’s global practice leader for economics said: ”Planning for future mobility needs to envisage the society we want to live in, and then find the right mix of physical transport, land use planning and digital connectivity to enable that – with plenty of room for change. The event is a great opportunity to foster closer collaboration at the highest level and to help find long lasting, sustainable infrastructure solutions for the Oxford – Milton Keynes – Cambridge corridor.”

Peter Brett Associates (PBA) LLP, an independent practice of engineers, planners, scientists and economists, have been announced as the Lunch Partner. Ron Henry, Partner – Civil Engineering at PBA, commented: ”We are delighted to support this prestigious industry event which will showcase the great potential of the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor. If addresses in an integrated and timely way, this corridor could be the stimulus for economic growth at a transformational level much like the tech corridor along the Thames Valley or even San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. Our regional teams in our Oxford, Northampton and Cambridge offices have been involved in major development schemes along the corridor, namely at Oxford and Cambridge universities, Oxford’s new Barton Park residential scheme, Aylesbury Woodlands, Brooklands and Newton Leys in Milton Keyes, Waterbeach in Cambridge, and Marston Vale in Bedford. We look forward to hearing from the high profile speakers, as well as meeting fellow professionals and clients on the day.”

Transport Systems Catapult, the UK’s Innovation Centre for Intelligent Mobility which harnesses emerging technologies to improve transport systems for people around the world, have been announced as the Industrial Strategy Session Partner. Confirming the sponsorship Helen Wylde, Chief Engagement Officer of Transport Systems Catapult, said: “The Transport Systems Catapult is based at the epicentre of the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Corridor and we have experienced the benefits first hand of accessing the high-tech businesses and world leading academic institutions which are based here. The transport links currently being developed have the potential to turn the corridor into a silicon-valley of the UK, creating huge economic benefits and bringing more high-quality jobs to the area. The Transport Systems Catapult team is looking forward to supporting both the work to deliver the corridor and economic growth conference.”

Hewitsons LLP, a long-established law firm with offices in Cambridge, London, Milton Keynes and Northampton, has been announced as the conference’s Programme Partner. Deborah Sharples, Head of Planning & Environment at Hewitsons, said: ”These are exciting times for the Oxbridge Corridor, which looks set to become a new powerhouse among the world’s knowledge economies. With the government planning to invest billions in housing and infrastructure, there will be many opportunities for the region’s developers and other businesses in the coming years. As a law firm deeply embedded within the Oxbridge Corridor, we are committed to helping our clients in all sectors to capitalise on these. The Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference will be an excellent way for local businesses to learn more about what is in store and how they can best prepare, so we are delighted to be supporting it.”

Talik and Co, Organisation Development Consultancy specialising in sustainability leadership and system change, have been confirmed as an exhibitor at the conference. Managing Director of Talik and Co, Dr Alex Stubbings, said: ”We facilitate strategic collaboration between organisations in complex settings so we know that success on the scale of the Ox-Cam vision depends on the quality of early-stage dialogue between key actors, enabling them to build critical relationships, find common ground but also be open about their own goals and needs. The Ox-Cam Corridor has the potential to be a flourishing, sustainable environment for all to live and work in, and we want to support collaborative efforts to realise that.”

Other confirmed sponsors for the conference include e.On; Smart Cities Energy Partner and Border Archaeology; Badge Sponsor.

For more information or to book tickets to the event on the 21st June 2018 please visit: www.built-environment-networking.com/OCCEGC18

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