News / Western Powerhouse
First Western Gateway conference to focus on ‘greener, fairer future’
Green growth and ‘levelling up’ communities are top of the agenda for the first meeting of a new cross-border partnership.
Business leaders and politicians from the West of England and South Wales are due to convene in Newport on March 8 for what has been dubbed the ‘Western Powerhouse’ conference, which aims to champion success across the region, tackle shared problems and create opportunities.
The vision to drive improved infrastructure, investment, internationalisation and inclusive growth for seven cities stretching down the M4 corridor from Swindon to Swansea was first revealed in July 2019. It came in the wake of a report stating the partnership would be the missing piece of the jigsaw in the economic map of Britain to rival the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine.
Almost three years down the line and representatives are set to meet to explore how the area can level up communities at risk of being left behind, become the UK’s first ‘green energy super cluster’ and capitalise on investment in green innovation.
Katherine Bennett says key aims of the partnership are to level up communities and help the area reach net zero – photo: Airbus
Katherine Bennett CBE, chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, said: “We have so many great strengths based within the Western Gateway, whether that’s engineering, digital and cyber innovation or our creative and manufacturing excellence.
“We want to bring all these talents together at our first conference to work together to understand how we can build on this to level up our communities, build on our potential and help deliver for the UK.
“Green growth in the Western Gateway will give business, research and academia a chance to come together with public authorities on both sides of the border to help steer how our partnership creates growth and new opportunities for the 4.4 million people who live here. We want to level up communities and help our area reach net zero.”
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Speakers at the conference include Catherine Lewis La Torre, CEO of the British Business Bank, Simon Gibson CBE, CEO of the Wesley Clover Wales and Joanna Pontin, vice president of DST Innovation, the organisation behind Swansea’s Blue Eden development which includes plans for a tidal lagoon.
Information about the agenda and details on how to register are available via www.western-gateway.co.uk/green-growth-in-the-western-gateway-a-powerhouse-conference/
The Western Gateway brings together representatives from cities down the M4 corridor – Photo: Paul Box ©
Main photo: Bristol City Council/ Western Gateway Partnership
Read more: Western Gateway: ‘A powerhouse waiting to happen’
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