Chair of UK Innovation Corridor joins 'Science Cities'

Above: Jackie Sadek, Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor

Future Cities Forum is delighted that Jackie Sadek, Chair of UK Innovation Corridor, will be speaking at 'Science Cities' this January in Cambridge.

Jackie's appointment as Chair was announced last November, succeeding Dame Ann Limb DBE DL, who has chaired the organization since 2017. Jackie is a leader with experience in the fields of regeneration and economic development. She said about her new role:

"I am honoured and excited to take on the responsibility of Chair of the UK Innovation Corridor. I look forward to building upon the firm foundations created by Dame Ann Limb, and leading this partnership into a new era. The recognition of the Corridor as one of the world’s leading knowledge economies is top of the agenda, as we keep the UK at the forefront of the revolution in life and health sciences as well as IT, digital and media, agritech, and advanced manufacture."

Dame Ann Limb, the outgoing Chair, expressed her congratulations, saying:

"I have every confidence that the UK Innovation Corridor will thrive under Jackie's leadership. Her dedication and passion for sustainable economic growth will be instrumental in continuing to build the Corridor's profile with the government and stakeholders, regardless of the political landscape after the General Election in 2024."

The Innovation Corridor, describes itself as:

'a dynamic ecosystem of international businesses, maverick academics, ambitious start-ups, City finance and law firms, all cross-pollinating to accelerate their success. It is a symbiotic network of supply chains that reaches out beyond the region, throughout the UK and around the globe, making The Innovation Corridor a highly advanced sci-tech superhighway.

'The secret to the region's success is its connectivity. Location is everything. And the Innovation Corridor resides at a pivotal spot in the world, making it the chosen place for entrepreneurs, intellectuals and investors to congregate. The city axis of London and Cambridge – only 60 miles apart, hot-linked by the M11 motorway, and 1 hour by train – is networked with prized international rail and flight links. Stansted Airport – serving 180 destinations in 38 countries, sits at the heart, with London City Airport and St Pancras International, all connecting the region with the rest of the world.'

At Future Cities Forum's recent 'Knowledge Cities' event in Whitechapel with Barts Life Sciences, Jonathan Martin, Waltham Forest Council's Head of Inward Investment commented:

'We are part of the UK Innovation Corridor, with strong links to Cambridge and Stansted, where life sciences is very big and we want to make the best of those benefits of that corridor, responding to growth coming forward and changing the trajectory of life chances and of our businesses.'

'We are working on health outcomes based on the Marmot approach and what that means in our people directory and how they engage with our communities. Our investment in place and that sort of intervention can be seen in our wider health care programme. We have our national green space and reservoir that sits on the boundary with Haringey and connects to the Innovation Corridor.'