Memorandum submitted by the East of England
Development Agency (EEDA)
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA)
welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to the Committee's
Inquiry into the role and effectiveness of the RDAs.
EEDA's role in improving the economy of the
East of England is crucial to the continued success of the UK's
innovation region—one of only three regions which are net
economic contributors to UK plc.
EEDA works with a broad and representative range
of private, public and third sector partners to provide strategic
economic direction for the East of England, through strong leadership
of the regional economic strategy.
EEDA takes the lead in addressing key economic
issues—such as innovation, business competitiveness, transport
and growth.
EEDA works closely with business, championing
the business perspective in public sector decision-making in the
region and ensuring that the climate for business success continues
to flourish in the East of England.
EEDA develops and delivers specific, targeted
programmes that address market failures and make a real difference
to people, places and businesses in the East of England.
EEDA has played a key role in the region's response
to economic shocks, working with regional and national partners
to minimise the impact on the economy.
EEDA brings strong expertise in economic development
to a region which has been historically under-resourced in this
area.
EEDA's business-led approach enables it to be
responsive, nimble and fleet of foot, adapting to new roles, responsibilities
and situations flexibly and effectively
EEDA has pioneered innovative programmes and
delivery approaches, leading the way in issues ranging from cross-boundary
working to programme delivery through local authorities.
EEDA has consistently met or exceeded its targets.
Since 1999, EEDA has:
— created or safeguarded some 32,000
jobs;
— helped almost 10,000 businesses start
up and grow, and another 61,000 improve their performance;
— helped over 143,000 people improve
their skills;
— played a leading role in the creation
of two new universities; and
— regenerated 303 hectares of brownfield
land.
EEDA is proud of its impact on the economy of
the East of England.
The East of England (comprising the six counties
of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk
and Essex) is the UK's leading innovation region and home to world-beating
companies, universities and research institutes. It plays a crucial
role as the UK's gateway for international trade and has a strong
relationship with London. It has been one of the fastest-growing
regional economies in the UK over the last 20 years.
But the East of England faces major challenges
if its economy is to continue to thrive and grow. This includes
addressing the recent slowdown in economic performance; the impact
of the credit crunch on financial and housing markets; rising
food, energy, fuel and commodity prices; skills and infrastructure
deficits and the need to develop a more sustainable economy.
EEDA provides the strong economic development
leadership required to enable the region to address these challenges
and take advantage of the many opportunities identified for the
future. At the heart of EEDA's economic leadership is the regional
economic strategy—the blueprint for the region's economic
development. It sets out a vision, bold targets and priorities,
led by EEDA and agreed by public, private and third sector partners,
and is delivered through the collective work of political, business
and community leaders and organisations.
1. THE NEED
FOR A
LEVEL OF
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
AND REGENERATION
POLICY DELIVERY
BETWEEN CENTRAL
AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
1.1 Economic development at the most appropriate
level
The East of England is a £100 billion economy,
home to over 5.5 million people and 430,000 businesses. With a
regional economy of this scale, there are many economic development
activities which are best delivered regionally. These include
such policy areas as innovation, transport and strategic planning,
which need to be progressed on the basis of real economic geographies,
rather than to administrative boundaries, and therefore must be
pursued on a cross-boundary basis.
There is strong evidence and academic consensus
that:
— regions (and city-regions)—rather
than nation states—are the key arenas in the new global
economy;
— despite globalisation and technology,
economic activity, technology, and innovation are all becoming
increasingly localised; and
— many supply-side barriers to (national)
competitiveness, productivity, and innovation originate, and are
best tackled, at the regional and/or local level.
This means that a bridge between national economic
policy and local areas is essential. RDAs provide that bridge—with
strong understanding of and sensitivity to local needs, issues
and agendas whilst also having a focus on the comparative performance
of regions and localities in global markets.
EEDA's role in improving the economy of the
East of England often means it has to make tough, medium and long-term
strategic choices that are right for the region; not constrained
by administrative boundaries; business led; locally informed;
and with a strong focus on critical economic issues.
1.2 Critical mass and cross boundary working
With major housing growth planned for the East
of England over the next 15 years, coupled with the challenge
of climate change, sustainable economic growth is a key issue
for EEDA and its partners. The population of the East of England
is forecast to increase by around 500,000 people by 2021, and
projections to 2028 make the region, proportionately, the fastest
growing in the UK. Compared to other English regions, there are
fewer large cities and no obvious regional capital, but a number
of medium-sized towns and cities with ambitions to grow.
EEDA recognised that these challenges could
only be addressed by bringing together partners and encouraging
greater cross-boundary working. EEDA initiated a dialogue with
six medium-sized towns and cities in the region, (Peterborough,
Luton, Ipswich, Norwich, Colchester and Southend-on-Sea) to discuss
common issues and develop thinking on how a collaborative approach
could better address the challenges of growth.
Out of this approach came Regional Cities East,
based on the collective belief that by sharing best practice,
collaborating in joint ventures and setting clear priorities,
the leaders of these towns and cities can create more jobs and
affordable homes than they could by working alone. The Regional
Cities East partnership has set ambitious targets—by 2021,
building at least 160,000 new homes, with at least 80% of these
on brownfield land; expanding the region's economy by £10
billion a year; creating at least 150,000 new jobs; and helping
the region reduce carbon emissions. EEDA remains a key member
of the partnership.
To deliver growth of this scale, a consistent
but flexible approach to development was required. EEDA has worked
with Regional Cities East to develop an innovative and holistic
approach to investment planning in towns and cities in the East
of England—Integrated Development Programmes. Four have
been completed—Greater Norwich, Haven Gateway, Luton/South
Bedfordshire and Peterborough—and this new approach is now
being rolled out across the region. Based on sound evidence and
analysis of the local economy and housing market, Integrated Development
Programmes set out how growth will be delivered, to 2021 and beyond,
in local areas, including phased and prioritised public sector
interventions for key infrastructure. A key strength is that the
resulting plans can be used by all partners and investors in the
development process therefore fostering collaborative working
across the public and private sectors.
1.3 Tailored and flexible approach
The East of England is an EU-leading region
for research and development (R&D) activity, with the major
R&D facilities of many global top 50 R&D companies; over
30 of the world's leading research centres; major "knowledge-generating"
clusters in health and life sciences, ICT and high-growth areas
such as environmental technologies and renewable energy. But this
strong reputation for R&D is not consistently translated into
business success through the commercialisation of ideas.
EEDA tackles this through a series of regionally-led
but locally flexible, strategic initiatives to boost business
competitiveness and provide a strong stimulus for business innovation:
— Ensuring all knowledge-based businesses
in the region can access advice about the development of new and
improved products, services and business processes, with a new
regional Business Link service at the heart of this advice network.
— Supporting innovative businesses
by helping them access finance to accelerate their growth and
development. EEDA's Finance for Innovation programme has helped
companies gain millions of pounds of investment in innovative
new products—from 3D projector technology to smart energy
meters.
— Encouraging and stimulating the development
of business networking groups, which help small businesses share
technology and market information; gain access to finance and
business support; and take advantage of training opportunities.
— Supporting the development of business
incubators, enterprise hubs, innovation centres and new "open
innovation" science parks. These link new and growing knowledge-based
businesses with universities, research and development centres
and big industry players.
1.4 Economies of scale and specialist resources
Transport is an important issue that can most
effectively be influenced by work at regional level. Transport
congestion has a significant impact on business competitiveness.
EEDA has worked closely with business and other partners to lobby
for transport interventions that will contribute to increased
economic growth, increased employment, and reduction of carbon
emissions in the East of England.
Although there is much anecdotal evidence of
the business impact of transport congestion on the East of England,
there was little hard evidence to prove the impact. EEDA commissioned
a Transport Economic Evidence Study (TEES) to quantify the costs
to the regional economy of congestion and overcrowding on the
region's transport networks; identify where transport constraints
were having a particular impact on the economy and regional productivity;
and quantify the wider economic benefits that would arise from
introducing transport interventions in these "hot spots".
EEDA's ground-breaking TEES study found:
— the cost of congestion in the East
of England is set to double to over £2 billion per annum
by 2021, including direct costs to business productivity of £1.3
billion per annum by 2021;
— particular hotspots where congestion
is causing most damage to the regional and national economy—85%
of the costs of congestion are in the seven areas of the region
which will drive future economic growth;
— there will be significant economic
benefits from targeted road capacity improvements in some parts
of the region, however the economic returns from this approach
diminish once the key constraints on economic productivity have
been relieved; and
— new road infrastructure alone will
not solve the congestion problem. Measures to manage demand for
travel by road and investment in additional rail capacity will
increasingly do more to reduce the cost of congestion in the long
term—for example through exploring various forms of demand
management, traffic management measures like motorway hard shoulder
running, and longer trains.
EEDA is now working with business and public
sector partners to use the study to boost the business case for
increased investment in the region's transport network; target
investment where it will have the greatest economic impact; and
support work to secure new sources of funding to bring forward
transport investments.
2. THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF RDAS
AND THEIR
ROLE IN
ADDING VALUE
As well as providing strategic leadership for
the region, EEDA invests in and delivers high-impact programmes
and projects, which address market failures and make a real difference
to businesses, people and places in the East of England
2.1 Effective and efficient support to businesses
The East of England has over 430,000 businesses—but
only a relatively small number seek the advice and support that
could help them grow. EEDA's general and specialist business support
services, including Business Link, Women's Enterprise and the
Manufacturing Advisory Service, are designed to help businesses
start-up, grow and succeed.
EEDA led the transformation of the region's
Business Link service—moving from six county-based Business
Link operators to one single organisation covering the region.
On 1 April 2007, the new Business Link East service was launched
giving small and medium sized businesses in the region access
to 90 Business Link advisers at 13 different locations.
Through restructuring the service, EEDA cut
back-office costs by some £1.5 million. These savings were
used to increase the number of front-line business support posts
by 50%—from 61 advisors to 90. In the year to 31 March 2008,
Business Link East advised over 98,000 businesses (up from 91,000
under the previous six operators): including a 77% increase in
new business start ups. Service satisfaction levels also increased
markedly, as Business Link enjoyed a strong start as an EEDA-funded
programme.
Businesses are often confused about the array
of support services available. EEDA's innovative interactive map
offers East of England businesses a simple view of publicly-funded
business support to help them on their journey to success. The
map has been welcomed by businesses, is now being rolled out across
the region by business representative organisations and other
partners, and supports the national drive to simplify business
support.
2.2 Addressing market failures|
Some events are not planned for, but require
a swift and co-ordinated response—and EEDA is proud of the
contribution it has made in responding to economic shocks impacting
on the region. When the Buncefield Oil Depot in Hertfordshire
exploded in December 2005, EEDA pledged immediate support and
was on-site the next day, working with local partners as part
of the emergency response team looking at the wider economic implications
of the explosion.
EEDA supported the creation of the Maylands
partnership, working with Dacorum Borough Council, other partners
and business representatives from the Maylands business park adjoining
the Buncefield site—the biggest business park in the East
of England. EEDA funds were made available for emergency intensive
business support, together with funding towards the provision
of a business centre, master planning and improvements to the
area to rebuild investor confidence, through a funding package
of some £7 million.
In response to Vauxhall's decision to end car
production in Luton, EEDA took the lead in forming the Luton Vauxhall
Partnership, which co-ordinated the provision of training for
the workers affected. Around 2,000 people were retrained and 1500
re-employed as a result. The work also led to the establishment
of 85 supported incubator workspaces, a new Innovation Centre
and Technology Park and a venture loan fund to support the establishment
of new companies.
EEDA has also played a key role is responding
to economic shocks affecting rural communities, such as foot and
mouth outbreaks, avian flu and the Blue Tongue outbreak in Suffolk
in 2007. In all these cases, EEDA has rapidly convened local partners
to address the short and long term economic issues and provided
additional support for solutions that meet local needs.
2.3 ... and opportunities
The East of England is the UK region at the
highest risk from climate change. This presents both challenges
and major economic opportunities for the region. Through the regional
economic strategy, EEDA and its partners have agreed challenging
but achievable targets of reducing regional CO2 emissions by 60%
by 2031 (and an expected 80% by 2050). The region is the leading
region for renewables generation and is the only one in line to
achieve its 2010 target.
Predictions of a 45% growth in the global environmental
technologies sector by 2015 coupled with a large proportion of
the UK's environmental goods and services sector in the region,
means that the East of England has the potential to meet future
demand for low carbon technologies. The East of England already
has a mature industry servicing the needs of the offshore oil
and gas industry worth £1.7 billion, and many of these skills
are transferable to the renewables industry, offering significant
opportunities for businesses.
EEDA is tackling this issue and related opportunities
through a number of different interventions. EEDA established
a specialist support organisation—Renewables East—to
inspire, fund and develop low-carbon energy solutions with a range
of organisations in the East of England. It champions offshore
renewable energy, supporting business of all sizes working in
the sector, and actively supports research and development into
offshore technologies, helping companies to commercialise new
innovations and take them to market more quickly.
EEDA is helping provide physical facilities
for small and medium sized businesses in the renewable energy
sector to grow by supporting the development of OrbisEnergy, a
landmark business centre at Ness Point in Lowestoft, one of the
region's regeneration priorities. OrbisEnergy will become a worldwide
centre of innovation and excellence for offshore renewable energy,
a centre for academic expertise and a base for more than 30 small
and medium sized companies working in the sector.
For the region's prosperity to be sustainable,
business growth must be balanced against the impact on the environment.
EEDA recently ran a pilot programme providing advice on resource
efficiency to SMEs, targeted at helping them to achieve a reduction
in greenhouse gases, save raw materials, make cost savings and
increase new business sales. Over 1000 businesses were given advice
through Business Link providing streamlined information around
resource efficiency, making it more digestible, easily accessible
and instantly relevant to the region's different businesses.
EEDA's innovative Cut your Carbon campaign aims
to help communities in the East of England tackle climate change
by working together to reduce community carbon footprints, and,
through a competition, tackle climate change by awarding grants
for community projects applying fresh thinking to cutting carbon
emissions. The campaign has gained the support of local authorities,
government and the Sustainable Development Commission.
2.4 Developing people through skills and employment
opportunities
EEDA plays a crucial role in promoting employment
and enhancing the development and application of skills relevant
to employment. Whilst other partners have more significant budgets
for skills and employment-related activities, EEDA invests in
a range of skills-related interventions, and works to influence
the priorities and spending of others in line with regional economic
development priorities. Businesses in the region cite skills gaps
as one of their top issues.
To address this, EEDA led a region-wide analysis
of higher education capacity and demand, working with all the
region's universities. This highlighted that the region lacked
sufficient higher education places, with five specific areas with
particularly low levels of graduates in the local labour market
and very little higher education provision.
Discussions with partners, including universities
and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE),
led to an ambitious plan for five new higher education centres
to be developed—in Southend, Ipswich, Peterborough, Harlow
and Thurrock, together increasing higher education places in the
region by 8%. Two new universities—in Southend and Ipswich—are
now open.
EEDA's regional approach and leadership allowed
difficult decisions to be taken which individual (and competing)
universities would have found challenging. It also raised the
profile of universities' role as drivers of their local economies.
EEDA's approach has influenced national policy, notably HEFCE's
New University Challenge, through which HEFCE is seeking to roll
out the East of England model of university centres nationally,
in recognition of the local economic and social impact of a higher
education presence within local communities.
2.5 Prosperous places
Every major town and city across the East of
England has seen significant improvements in its economic asset
base, thanks to EEDA investments. Many of these investments are
catalysts—in terms of financial leverage, profile and reinvention—for
the areas concerned.
Ipswich is one of the region's key centres where
significant growth is planned for the next 15 years and where
significant investment in infrastructure was required. EEDA and
Ipswich Borough Council developed a joint programme of investment,
the Ipswich Prospectus, focusing resources on a limited number
of transformational investments that would achieve the greatest
impact and leverage of other funding. They include:
— The University Campus Suffolk project,
to deliver the first higher education institution in Suffolk,
with £18.75 million of EEDA investment contributing to a
£137 million project.
— Cranfields Mill, a waterfront renaissance
development—kick-started by £3.5 million EEDA investment
in securing land and disused buildings—which is being transformed
into an attractive residential area, with 330 new homes, leisure
and cultural facilities.
— The IP-City Centre—a complex
of well-equipped office suites and conference facilities that
offers growing businesses space to expand in a thriving location
near central Ipswich which lacked business grow-on space.
— Working with BT to develop a major
new open innovation science park at Adastral Park, already home
to BT's world research laboratories and a base for major ICT companies
and academia. The proposed 12-hectare science park will create
some 4,000 new jobs.
EEDA is proud that its partnership working and
funding support has transformed Ipswich. In total, EEDA has invested
£31.87 million in targeted interventions to transform the
town, with this funding acting as a catalyst for up to a further
£1 billion investment from public and private sector partners.
More than 80% of the East of England's land
is classified as rural and 40% of the region's population live
within these areas. Rural areas and their communities make a vital
contribution to the prosperity of the East of England. EEDA put
activities in rural parts of the region at the heart of its work,
with the rural dimension integrated into each of EEDA's main areas
of activity. This approach recognises the inter-dependence of
rural and urban areas.
3. RDA EXPERTISE
3.1 Strong expertise at the most appropriate
level
RDAs' focus is on sustainable economic development
at regional level, and this is particularly important in the East
of England. The region has a primarily two-tier system of local
government with, currently 54 local authorities at county, unitary
and district level. This leads to a fragmented and relatively
sparse economic development capacity and capability within the
region, in comparison to others.
EEDA provides both a critical mass of general
economic development expertise at programme and project management
level but also specialist expertise aligned to our regional strengths,
(for example in relation to specific sectors, clusters and technologies)
and across key regional productivity drivers (especially in relation
to innovation, enterprise and skills policy and delivery). EEDA
believes that these strong economic development skills and expertise
are most efficiently retained and resourced at the regional level,
and that this benefits all sectors and sub-regions in the East
of England.
3.2 Innovative and business-led
EEDA is flexible, responsive and innovative
in the way it allocates resources and delivers its programmes,
which is particularly important for a small RDA. EEDA has established
effective external partnerships with the public, private and third
sectors to ensure it is equipped with the right mix of skills
and knowledge to deliver its primary objective of improving the
economy of the East of England.
EEDA's business-led Board brings knowledge,
expertise and insight in key regional industries and technologies
with extensive experience of networks for business engagement.
This brings a strong business focus to the organisation. The Board's
focus on economic priorities and delivery is business-led, not
subject to changes in political administrations and therefore
brings consistency and continued leadership to the economic agenda.
This approach drives EEDA to be responsive, nimble, adaptable
and fleet of foot.
4. THE EXTENT
OF, AND
NEED FOR,
RDA OVERSEAS ACTIVITIES
4.1 Effective, well co-ordinated activities
that meet global challenges
Overseas companies attracted to the East of
England bring new jobs, significant investment in local and regional
supply chains, and through knowledge transfer, new ideas and processes
to indigenous companies. There is clear evidence of the link between
high-performing businesses and openness to international trade
and investment.
EEDA does not operate any overseas offices or
deliver inward investment in-house, in contrast to other regions.
Working together with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), EEDA has
commissioned East of England International to provide a combined
inward investment and international trade offer—a first
in England. This approach has generated many inward investment
successes, including securing a £100 million investment into
the region from Japanese pharmaceutical giant Eisai.
EEDA believes that effective engagement in the
international economy is critical to regional prosperity and growth.
EEDA does this by focusing on a strong international strategy,
based on key interventions that can harness effectively the opportunities
of global trade and investment, but in the most cost-effective,
efficient and focused way.
5. THE CONSEQUENCES
OF EXPANDING
RDA REMIT TO
INCLUDE NEW
FUNCTIONS, AS
PROPOSED BY
SNR, INCLUDING THE
DELIVERY OF
EU FUNDING
5.1 Doing economic development better
EEDA believes that SNR should be about "doing
economic development better". Therefore we welcome expanding
our remit to include new functions that can add value to our strategic
role. EEDA can support strong local authorities to realise and
maximise their ambitions as they are complementary and play different
roles. Government's real challenge is to continue to devolve from
the centre outwards. EEDA has already been successful at taking
on new responsibilities and is working with regional partners
to ensure that we are equipped to deliver new requirements in
the years ahead.
Closely linking the spatial planning and economic
development agendas is a positive step—working to the same
timetables, the same evidence basis, the same time horizon and
led from a sustainable economic development viewpoint.
As a member of the Regional Partnership Group
for the East of England, EEDA aims to address the implementation
of SNR in a constructive and pragmatic way. Effectively a regional
strategic partnership, the group is chaired by the regional minister
and brings all the regional public agencies together with local
government, business and community voices to maximise regional
cohesion and opportunities.
EEDA welcomes its role in the delivery of further
EU funding programmes and has worked with partners to develop
the only ERDF regional low-carbon programme, focusing on those
areas where the greatest impact for the region can be obtained
and on actions most likely to achieve sustainable economic growth.
This approach has been recognised by the EU as one of the most
innovative in Europe.
5.2 Taking forward SNR
One of the key messages of SNR is the need for
an improved dialogue between RDAs and local authorities. EEDA
has been addressing this by actively participating in debates
about the economy of local places through its engagement in the
development of the region's Local Area Agreements (LAAs). EEDA
provided input to the development of Government Office negotiating
briefs, helping the region securing proportionately more economic
indicators in the LAAs than the other English regions and providing
director-level engagement with Local Strategic Partnerships in
the LAA negotiating phase. EEDA has strengthened its representation
within Local Strategic Partnerships and LAAs, bringing its expertise
on the region's economy to these local decision making forums.
EEDA's economic participation programme, which
invests in skills, enterprise and employment projects that support
people to overcome barriers to economic activity, demonstrates
EEDA's progress on the SNR agenda. With strong local authority
support, EEDA is already delivering this £23 million per
year programme against the economic outcomes in the region's LAAs.
EEDA's focus is on strengthening its role as
strategic regional lead on issues of economic participation, by
identifying good practice, gathering regional intelligence, coordinating
regional bodies, capacity building where necessary and developing
programme level investment packages. Local project prioritisation,
decision making, reporting and audit are via the local authority's
partnership mechanisms, which are used locally to deliver the
agreements and outcomes within the LAAs. This approach has been
warmly received by local authorities and other partners.
EEDA is also ensuring that effective sub-regional
capacity exists to take forward SNR principles and is leading
a discussion with local authorities and other key partners on
streamlining and rationalising sub-regional partnership and delivery
arrangements. Underpinning this is the need to recognise that
sub-regional economic development capacity (both leadership and
delivery) in the East of England is not of a comparable level
to many other regions and that potential local authority resource
levers such as LABGI and Supplementary Business Rates need to
be utilised fully if we are to improve capacity in the region.
6. THE ACCOUNTABILITY
OF RDAS
6.1 EEDA's accountability already operates
on several levels
In addition to being accountable to ministers
and parliament via government reporting requirements, and to its
Board, stakeholder accountability is enforced through:
— regular liaison panel meetings with
the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA)
— high-level meetings between senior
EEDA executives, the Government Office for the East of England
(GO East) and EERA
— annual public accountability meetings
within the sub-regions where EEDA is held to account for its performance,
attended by hundreds of people annually
— extensive consultation with stakeholders
on key strategies and EEDA's own Corporate Plan.
These arrangements have led to progressive working
practices in the East of England, culminating in unqualified support
both for the new regional economic strategy to 2031 and EEDA's
Corporate Plan for the next three years.
EEDA welcomes any further arrangements that
strengthen its accountability to stakeholders if they also strengthen
its mandate. However, EEDA would wish to ensure that any proposed
arrangements are not providing additional cost burdens to the
taxpayer and that the focus is on the accountability of all relevant
organisations and authorities involved in delivering improved
regional economic performance, not just the RDA.
7. HOW RDA PERFORMANCE
HAS BEEN
MEASURED IN
THE PAST
AND WILL
BE MEASURED
IN FUTURE
7.1 A track record of delivery
RDA performance measurement has evolved considerably
since inception. Since 1999 EEDA has consistently delivered (and
in many cases exceeded) against targets year on year:
— 31,994 jobs created or safeguarded
— 143,513 people with improved skills
— 9,711 businesses helped to start
and grow
— 61,092 businesses helped to improve
their performance
— 303 hectares of brownfield land regenerated
— £679 million leveraged in public
and private regeneration investment
— two new universities created
EEDA supports the move to report on its contribution
to the regional growth objective (GVA) and regional outcome targets
as opposed to outputs. However given that EEDA's budget is less
than 0.5% of total public spending in the region, it is essential
that the regional outcome targets are consistent with the tasking
of other Government agencies and Local Area Agreements in order
that they are truly measurable.
SUMMARY
EEDA provides strategic economic leadership
to the East of England, the UK's innovation region. EEDA's role
in improving the East of England's economy is crucial for this
region to continue to punch above its weight in the global marketplace.
EEDA takes the lead in addressing key economic
issues; puts business at the forefront of the economic agenda;
and works in partnership with the public, private and third sectors
to make a real difference to people, places and businesses in
the East of England.
EEDA has pioneered innovative programmes and
delivery approaches; has consistently met its targets and goals;
is flexible, nimble, fleet of foot and adaptable; and delivers
efficient and effective services.
EEDA is proud of its impact on the economy of
the East of England.
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