Innovation Group members sought to support growth and R&D opportunities from the Humber Freeport
Organisations working together on the Humber’s new freeport are seeking members for a dedicated Freeport Innovation Liaison Group (FILG) – who will ensure the outputs of the Freeport lead to improved opportunities for local people and businesses.
The FILG needs representation from a range of innovation experts across the Humber region – East Yorkshire, Hull and North and North East Lincolnshire – who can develop specific activities designed to ensure that the way the Freeport is set up and operates will lead to better innovation outcomes for the Humber region.
This is an opportunity for people with a background in innovation and entrepreneurship in our area – but is also a chance for others to bring their knowledge and expertise to the role – such as employers at both large companies and SMEs, those who work in universities in the region or those who are working to provide more research opportunities for local businesses.
The Humber Freeport was chosen as one of the Government’s preferred freeport sites after winning a bid in March 2021, announced in the Chancellor’s budget. Submitted by ABP and backed by the four local authorities and the two local LEPs, the freeport will bring benefits to the region such as improved infrastructure, customs protocols and favourable duties and taxes.
Improved opportunities for local people and businesses
The group will support the Freeport to provide these opportunities through a number of different directives, including:
- Implementation of new ideas – supporting Innovation in SMEs/supply chain.
- Driving creation of a new Freeport Innovation Hub.
- Reflecting on national and international innovation and R&D opportunities – piloting ideas, looking at UK Innovation Strategy links and considering sector plans.
- Working closely with our Universities and ORE Catapult and NGO’s that cross international borders.
- Using funding options to address productivity and market need.
- Promoting and supporting collaboration between local stakeholders and industry on the development of hotbeds of innovation for the Humber Freeport proposition.
- Helping evolve the innovation proposition so that the Freeport opportunity adds value for local industry and stakeholders with a particular focus on in green energy, industrial decarbonisation, ports and logistics and medtech.
- Helping develop and steer through discussions with government the focus of the emerging Freeport Engagement and Regulation network (FREN).
- Develop a business engagement strategy to help pull together the innovation eco-system for the Humber.
- Identify how the Freeport will build on/ amplify/ compliment etc. the existing innovation eco-system.
- Consider areas of complementarity with other Freeports and Sub National bodies i.e. Midlands Engine, Northern Powerhouse.
How do I apply?
Those who are interested in applying for this role should fill out an expression of interest form, which is available to download here.
There is also a Terms of Reference document available to download here.
Please return your completed form to: contact@humberfreeport.org
For an informal conversation about this role, please contact Halina Davies, Partnerships and Programmes Executive Manager at the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, halina.davies@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Recruitment for the Humber Freeport Innovation Liaison Group opens on 21st March 2022 and will run until midnight on 11th April 2022. A panel working on establishing the Humber’s Freeport will assess all applications and candidates will be informed before the end of May 2022. The group will initially meet in June 2022.