NEW CHAIR AIMS TO TACKLE REGION’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGES HEAD-ON

Sarah Windrum, Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s new chair, sets out her manifesto

An entrepreneur and digital transformation expert has taken over as the new chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) to help lead the area’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Sarah Windrum, founder and a director of Leamington-based technology company, The Emerald Group, joined the CWLEP as a board director in 2016 and is the chair of its Digital and Creative Business Group. She has now set out her manifesto to support the region.

“This is a hugely important time to take over as Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership as we tackle head-on the challenges for our economy in a post-Covid world and post-EU exit world. Before the pandemic, we were the fastest growing

LEP geographically; but, like much of the rest of the UK, the events of the last year have widened our inequality gaps. We are working to address this by developing an industry-led, action-focused Strategic Reset Framework which has been updated throughout the three lockdowns by our Reset Taskforce and business groups. Our reset is about being better than we were before and ensuring we level up the economy for everyone across our sub-region and our strong, resilient partnerships will be key.

“We have always prided ourselves on the strength of our private-public sector partnerships and by working together with our wide range of businesses; Coventry University, the University of Warwick, schools and colleges; our local authorities, district and borough councils and our communities – we can lay the foundations for future economic success.

“We have built powerful partnerships before and during Covid-19. Now it is time to use them.

“As Chair, I have three top priorities. First of all, to enable our business scaleup potential. It is only by supporting businesses to grow and drive the economy forward that we will have skilled jobs of the future and prosperity for all. This is a constant message from businesses in all sectors.

“Secondly, our young people. If we are shaping their future, our next generation must feel they have a voice and be able to see and understand the opportunities for them.

“Thirdly, our communities. In the Implementation Plan of our Reset strategy, there is a key pillar on ‘re-imagining our communities’. Our work here is vital, together with the Future High Streets Fund and Future Transport, as we move to the Experience Age.

“The future of our town and city centres will be shaped by digital technology, through future mobility, ‘wearables’ and our use of mobile and immersive technologies.

“At CWLEP, we have all the strengths to lead on this globally and address our social and environmental challenges: Coventry is home to the first 5G core for advances in healthcare, home to the future of electrification through the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and there are plans to develop a Gigafactory at Coventry Airport to manufacture electric car batteries at the required global scale.

“I’m a person of practical action focused on how we make these big opportunities work for everyone and how we scale grassroots activity to global first innovations.

“An example of this is the Town Centres Tech Challenge which is supporting local high street businesses through digital initiatives by encouraging people to return to Warwickshire’s town centres when government restrictions are eased.

“The Challenge started as an idea from the CWLEP’s Digital and Creative Business Group – where I recently handed over the role of chair to Malcolm Barnes from Meriden-based Hollywood Gaming – and, after receiving funding from Warwickshire County Council, the pilots are now in action across our town centres.

“I am proud of our Strategic Reset Framework initiative, which has been led by Marion Plant and the Chairs of our Business Groups, because I know it will deliver real results to make a difference to our economy and ensure our main focus is on creating the environment for innovation and enterprise to flourish in the future.

“The thread of using creative thinking and digital technology runs through everything we do in Coventry and Warwickshire.

“We have a story of evolution from Mystery Plays to virtual reality games and from bicycles to Very Light Rail, which was imagined here, designed and built here.

“We need to open-up our assets; strengthen the links between our universities and industries – especially our SMEs and inspire our young people about the future we are building here.”