Copeland’s innovation and collaboration celebrated

Innovation, collaboration and community were at the heart of the Open For Business Conference held on Thursday.

Two Copeland council initiatives – Reboot and the Industrial Solutions Hub – officially launched with presentations at the conference, which was hosted by Copeland mayor Mike Starkie, and the 200 delegates also heard about the success of Copeland’s Young Entrepreneurs Market as well as updates from leading businesses.

Local government reorganisation was also on the agenda and the leader of Allerdale Borough Council Mike Johnson and crime commissioner Peter McCall, joined Mr Starkie on stage to set out their collective vision and ambition for how Cumberland Council and Cumbria could look going forwards.

Mr Starkie said: “This is about ending well. We’ve come a long way since I was elected seven years ago. But we aren’t stopping now.

“We have a year left as Copeland Council before we join forces with Allerdale and Carlisle to become Cumberland Council, and what a legacy we will leave behind.

“In Reboot we have created the platform for companies right across Copeland, and beyond, to come together to make a real difference with social impact schemes. It isn’t just about funding either. This is an opportunity for companies to offer their skills and expertise to help make a difference to the lives of others.

“Reboot will help us address the imbalance between the haves and the have nots, so there is more for all.

“With the Industrial Solutions Hub we are breathing life back into Cleator Moor. This concept where ideas and skills are brought together in one place to solve problems has reach right across the globe.

“It was great to hear from the managing director, John Maddison, that it is their intention to take the town with them on this journey. To provide jobs, to provide aspiration and to regenerate.

“These two initiatives, our two town deal bids, the prospect of a new mine and new nuclear make this an exciting time for Copeland and for Cumberland Council when it is formed in 2023. We are proud of our legacy.”

Reboot brings together the public and private sectors to deliver social value. Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplie strategy (SiX) is informed by the Reboot programme and therefore aligned to the Copeland priorities.  Sellafield’s Social Impact team will be working closely with the Reboot team to approach supply chain partners to identify support for the delivery of the priority projects.

The Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) will regenerate Cleator Moor where it will be based on the Leconfield Industrial Estate.  It will bring employment, skills and training opportunities and will create more than 700 jobs.

John Maddison, managing director of iSH, said: “iSH is an initiative of regional, national and international significance.

“iSH is about Making Ideas Work. It’s about creating the environment for jobs, employment, skills and training opportunities. It’s about entrepreneurs, businesses and industry coming together to collaborate and design, develop and manufacture innovative solutions.

“And most of all, through that success and business growth, it’s about making a positive difference to people’s lives and regenerating a community.”

iSH is an initiative led by Copeland Borough Council with the support of key stakeholders including the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and private sector supply chain partners.