Help shape a Local Industrial Strategy for Cornwall and Scilly

Businesses and organisations across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are being urged to help shape a Local Industrial Strategy to drive economic growth and job creation in the next 10 years.

The Government has tasked every Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in England to lead and develop a Local Industrial Strategy in their area by 2020.

This will decide local economic priorities for the next decade, in line with the Government’s national Industrial Strategy, which aims to boost productivity and create high-quality, well-paid jobs.

Local Industrial Strategies will allow places to make the most of their distinctive strengths and better co-ordinate economic policy at a local level. They will also act as a gateway to any future Local Growth Funding being deployed by Government through LEPs.

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Industrial Strategy will build on the LEP’s 10 Opportunities investment prospectus published last year, and it will be vital to meeting the twin challenges of increased productivity and inclusiveness so that no part of the economy is left behind.

The LEP is now asking businesses and organisations to be part of developing the strategy, starting with a call for evidence to draw out the relative strengths and weaknesses of the local economy, with an emphasis on increasing productivity.

LEP Chair, Mark Duddridge, said: “We’ve laid much of the groundwork for our Local Industrial Strategy but we really want to hear from businesses in particular about what they see as their future opportunities, what needs to happen to get there, and what’s holding them back.

“Do they struggle to recruit? Can they find the right skills? Is access to finance, suitable workspace or poor infrastructure an issue? Do businesses have any sector research they can share with us? How could technology make a difference? These are all important issues that can inform our work.

“Through our Local Industrial Strategy we are being asked to use evidence to prioritise specific, achievable and long-term ambitions that relate to defined challenges and opportunities to improve productivity. Government has stressed that we must prioritise.

“That’s why it’s so important that businesses have their say and submit what evidence they have which might shape our strategy.”

The LEP has set up a brief online survey where businesses can submit their answers and find out more about the Local Industrial Strategy and what it aims to achieve. Find out more at here or email lis@cioslep.com with your comments.

Evidence needs to be submitted to the LEP by Monday, 8 April so that it can be submitted for independent review and shaped into a draft strategy. The LEP will be consulting widely on the first draft of the Local Industrial Strategy later in the year.