Our Chair’s Reflections on 2024 

For me, it is our boards, ambassadors, partners and volunteers who really make Lincolnshire work, and I’d like to start by thanking you all for your support, interest and engagement throughout this year.  As we approach Christmas and turn our minds to the year ahead, I would like to offer my reflections on the LEP and our shared economic developments.  

A lot can and has happened in 12 months, but at a local level I am particularly struck by the wealth of major developments now delivering real and tangible impact.  Students are graduating from the Medical School in Lincoln, businesses are moving to the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach, students and business are learning new skills at the Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology Centre at Boston College, and international investors are committing to projects on the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme, and in our rapidly growing UK Food Valley.  

2024 has indeed been another fast-paced year of navigating rapid change balanced with our core services and values.  A Devolution Deal for Greater Lincolnshire was struck in September, moving decision making and funding from Westminster into Greater Lincolnshire, which can only be a good thing for our economy.  Looking to 2025, this will be a pivotal year for the LEP with the integration of LEP functions into the Mayoral County Combined Authority, and we are currently working with unitary authorities to put the new arrangements in place. 

In the long-term, devolution will bring extra funding to Greater Lincolnshire and will give our area a stronger voice and better access to the levers that drive our economy, such as incentivising new investments and propelling skills and infrastructure, which I believe will lead to improved outcomes and greater prosperity for us all. It brings an initial investment pot of £720 million over the next 30 years for priority areas including jobs and skills, housing, transport, business, infrastructure, innovation and trade, and further deals and investment are expected in the future. We will be sharing more information with you as this detail emerges over the next few months. 

Last month we delivered our most successful conference to date, welcoming over 400 delegates and exhibitors, together with some inspiring participants taking the stage. This was a fantastic day with a huge number of people coming together from across Lincolnshire and beyond to really understand how innovation can help drive business growth and productivity in the region.  It was also an opportunity for us to showcase what the LEP has achieved across our tenure, and to demonstrate how far collectively we’ve come since our formation as a limited company in 2014.  One partner comment struck me as particularly pertinent, noting that LEP early conferences were largely public sector dominated in contrast to this year, where business commentary and representation is the clear driving voice – as it absolutely should be in a successful economic ecosystem.  

Rather than list my standout headlines here, I’ve selected below a range of the top stories and highlights from this year, so please scroll through this enews to read some of our collective activities and achievements.   

As a team and a partnership, we know our strengths lie in our expertise and our networks.  We represent a distinctive role as an intermediary and convenor between organisations, enabling them to come together and find solutions to shared challenges.  For me this can be most observed through the exemplary Advisory Boards which cover employment and skills, food, manufacturing, energy, visitor economy, health and care, innovation, business support, and defence.  Over 200 business leaders volunteer on these boards and committees and advocate vocally for our area and sectors.  I would like to sign off by thanking them for their ongoing contributions, and by wishing all of our partners, stakeholders and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Best wishes, 

Neal Juster