Separated by a strip of water less than quarter of a mile wide at its narrowest points, the links between Cornwall and Plymouth are extraordinarily strong.
More than the rail and road bridges, and the passenger and vehicle ferries that carry us back and forth across the River Tamar and Plymouth Sound, we are linked by a common sense of purpose that demands this kind of infrastructure is in place to enable the free-flowing movement of people, ingenuity, and enterprise.
Like Plymouth, Cornwall has assets and advantages, as well as significant challenges, all of which make us different and distinctive. They share a pivotal role in the prosperity of the Great South West partnership and the vital importance of the region to the UK as a global player in the realms of defence, agriculture and clean energy.
For example, the far South West of the UK has a robust ecosystem that makes it a perfect base for work on developing new technology and capability around floating offshore wind, including the expertise in marine autonomy and maritime cybersecurity required to make these renewable energy projects viable.
We have the excellence in both people and infrastructure that is required to support the next generation of development and ensure the region is able to fulfil the promise of generating up to 11% of the country’s low-carbon electricity by 2035.
Our position in the peninsula, jutting out into the Celtic Sea and Atlantic Ocean beyond, means we are naturally positioned for the design, testing and deployment of offshore platforms, including ensuring that can be done safely and securely.
The proximity of ports in Cornwall and Plymouth to new floating offshore wind farms will make them the logical home for ongoing servicing, maintenance and support that can be delivered in cost-effective, carbon-neutral ways.
But the whole of the Great South West is part of this green powerhouse, because we are stronger together and need to work in partnership to show the Government that there are things you can do here that you cannot do anywhere else. And that also includes providing nearly a third of the nation’s food.
Our competition is not between parts of our region; it is with South Wales, Scotland and other parts of the UK where partners have already realised the benefits of collaboration. In serious conversations about investment, I rarely hear about the cities of Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds nowadays. Instead, the Northern Powerhouse is where the action is. But the capabilities we have in the Great South West – from Penzance to Poole and Bridgwater to Brixham – are more than a match for anywhere else in the country.
The University of Plymouth’s links with the Duchy are deep. More students from Cornwall are studying with us than with any other university, and around 17% of our student population is Cornish.
And, in addition to a strong skills pipeline that is delivering a locally-grown, sustainable workforce for the industries and enterprises of tomorrow, there are so many more bonds between us.
Innovation Centres run by the University on behalf of Cornwall Council, in Truro, Tremough and Pool, are home to almost 150 businesses and support hundreds more every year. And, through partnership working, the University is at the forefront of ambitious projects that seek to embed and accelerate enterprise culture across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Over the last decade, the University has invested around £250 million in new facilities. Significant developments include our unique waterfront
Marine Station
complete with its specialised fleet of vessels, our
Coastal, Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) laboratory
’s ocean basin with wave, wind and tidal generation capability, and – most recently – a
£63 million engineering and design facility
, which houses a sub-sonic wind tunnel and complementary state-of-the-art labs.
Our new
Cyber-Resilience of Offshore Wind Networks (CROWN)
lab – the world’s first dedicated offshore wind cyber-security research, test and development facility – will enable the development of a new maritime cyber cluster in the region. Co-located with the University's
Cyber-SHIP Lab
, it will help ensure offshore developments are defended against cyberattacks.
Agri-tech is a sector where Cornwall is particularly invested, and their approach has great potential as a sustainable model to be replicated nationally and globally. Through our new
Centre of Research excellence in Intelligent and Sustainable Productive Systems (CRISPS)
, a vibrant community of transdisciplinary researchers, working in partnership with farmers, landowners and innovative agri-businesses across the county, are addressing the challenges of ensuring national food security and sustainably feeding a global population of nine billion.
We are deeply committed to leveraging all the opportunities that further investment in the region will bring. And we are focused on demonstrating that investment here, in priority areas like renewable energy, food security and defence, will deliver the greatest benefit and maximum return. In so many ways, the University of Plymouth and Cornwall are natural partners, creating the workforce of tomorrow and delivering progress for the benefit of one and all.
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