Claire writes:
My starting point is that there are still many productive relationships and much collaboration that can be built within the Cambridgeshire region, where the majority of our 1,500 members are based.
We've been working on a project considering whether more business-university relationships in Cambridge would benefit the UK economy, and the answer is yes.
We've been working with the Local Enterprise Partnership on Cambridgeshire and Greater Peterborough - many great ideas for collaboration would work there, and this week's signing of the City Deal gives us great encouragement for working together.
With Agri-tech East we are bringing Norwich and Cambridge closer with real purpose.
Boris Johnson's "MedCity" has funding so should we get involved? For now I'm a no, until we all have more time.
The London Stansted Cambridge Corridor is an important region for us to consider, and one that we are supporting with our time*. London-Stansted-Cambridge is a journey that we all make routinely and is tangible as a region with a strong message for collaboration and sustainable growth.
As members, do let me know if you have views on this and would like to participate in the thinking.
*Claire Ruskin is a member of the panel discussing the question 'Can we make this a better location for business?' at the London-Stansted-Cambridge-Consortium (LSCC) Annual Conference on Thursday 10th July. The event also features a presentation by Rt Hon David Willets MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science on 'Supporting our global knowledge economy'.
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