Having had a fifteen year career before coming to Parliament supporting high growth science and innovation companies in the East, and having been the UK’s first Minister for Life Sciences and a Minister for the Future of Transport with focuses on innovation and decarbonisation, I am always passionate about the enormous growth opportunities that are within the UK’s grasp in some of the most exciting emerging sectors.

That’s why I was delighted yesterday to deliver a keynote speech at the UK Innovation Corridor annual conference – titled “How can the UK Innovation Corridor grow international trade?” – and to take part in a panel discussion with the likes of Andy Williams of AstraZeneca, Brigette Bard of Biosure and Lee Myall of Kao Data.

Invited to discuss in further detail the Taskforce for Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform (TIGRR) that I have been co-chairing for the PM since the start of the year, I talked through some of the recommendations made in our official Report to the Government and how they could unlock massive growth for UK plc. (To learn more about TIGRR and see the Report, please click here)

The UK has the potential to become a ‘Science Superpower’ and the Norwich-Cambridge Tech Corridor (with Mid Norfolk right in the middle) has a big role to play. By championing the Corridor and its role within the UK Innovation Corridor, we can attract more investment and opportunities to our region – bringing prosperity and thousands of jobs in the sectors of tomorrow.

The East really does have exciting times ahead.