Freeport East: Work underway on £18m Skills and Innovation Centre

Work has started on a ‘transformational’ state-of-the-art £18m Skills and Innovation Centre at Gateway 14, Suffolk. The facility will boost business, particularly in growing sectors such as green economy and digital/AI technology, and offer exciting new training opportunities for working people across the region.

Meanwhile, a new partnership has been signed by Freeport East and Assan Panel that will boost eco-friendly construction in the East of England as well as international trade links between the UK and Turkey.

The three-storey Skills and Innovation Centre will sit at the heart of Gateway 14 – the business, innovation and logistics park near Stowmarket, Suffolk, which forms part of Freeport East. It is being built to a BREAAM standard of ‘excellent’ ensuring it is highly sustainable and environmentally friendly.

As well as offering collaboration and innovation spaces, meeting rooms, a café and office space for high-growth start-ups, the centre will also be used for training, working in partnership with the Universities of Suffolk and Essex and West Suffolk College to address the region’s skills gap.

Freeport East is contributing £16.66m towards the project’s total cost of £18.8m, with Mid Suffolk District Council funding the remainder, in recognition of its significance not just for Gateway 14 tenants, but also businesses across the surrounding Freeport area.

Steve Beel, Chief Executive for Freeport East, said: “Today marks a significant milestone for Stowmarket and the wider region. This state-of-the-art facility at Gateway 14 will be a catalyst for economic growth, serving as a hub to support businesses and provide cutting-edge training opportunities to address critical skills gaps. Situated between the UK’s largest trading hub at Felixstowe and the world-class innovation facilities at Cambridge and the wider East of England, our region will be a natural choice for ambitious businesses in the fast-growing green economy.

“Our investment from Freeport East will unlock new opportunities, attract further investment, and strengthen the East of England’s position as a leading hub for business growth across a range of industries and international markets.”

Assan Panel/Freeport East MoU

The agreement between Freeport East and Assan Panel, a leading international manufacturer of high-performance insulation and building materials, builds on their £45m commitment to a new manufacturing facility at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket.

Under the MoU, Freeport East will help Assan Panel to build its UK presence, including through engagement with future customers and building local supply chains and university links.  Meanwhile, Assan Panel will facilitate the development of a sustainable construction cluster, creating jobs and skills development opportunities for young people in East Anglia.

Assan Panel is investing £45 million to create a manufacturing facility at Gateway 14, a major step in Assan Panel’s expansion into the UK. Basing its UK operations there will help make East Anglia a major hub for innovative green construction materials in the UK and Northern Europe. Construction is expected to be completed later this year.

Gateway 14 is a 67 hectare site alongside the A14 on the outskirts of Stowmarket. A Freeport East tax site, it is the largest business and innovation park in East Anglia.

Visit the Freeport East website for more information