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Stansted Airport and UK Innovation Corridor agree 12-month partnership that could be ‘catalyst for routes to US, China, India’




Stansted Airport has announced a landmark 12-month partnership with the UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC).

The announcement comes as the UKIC – the sci-tech region between London and Cambridge – launches its first ever Investment Prospectus, which highlights its importance to the nation’s economy.

The corridor, which has generated 25% of England’s new knowledge-intensive jobs since 2016, is emerging as a powerhouse in sectors including artificial intelligence (AI), life sciences and digital technologies.

Jackie Sadek, chair of the UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC), and Gareth Powell, managing director of Stansted Airport
Jackie Sadek, chair of the UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC), and Gareth Powell, managing director of Stansted Airport

Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, said: “We’re delighted to partner with UKIC to help build a stronger future for this region. London Stansted plays a vital role in connecting people and businesses, and this partnership will help drive both sustainable growth and innovation.

“The partnership can be a catalyst for route development connecting the airport and the region to key markets in the US, China, India and beyond which will bring greater benefits and commercial opportunities to those who choose to live, work or grow their business in the corridor.

“Our investment in skills through Stansted Airport College, the UK’s only dedicated aviation further education facility, demonstrates our commitment to developing local talent.

“From our strategic location in the heart of the UKIC, we’re ideally positioned to connect the region’s innovative businesses to global markets.

“To support our growth and enhance the passenger experience at every point of the airport journey, we recently announced a £1.1bn investment in facilities which will increase our terminal capacity by a third, enabling us to serve up to 43 million passengers annually over the next five years while creating 5,000 new jobs.

“And we will shortly begin consultation on our Sustainable Development Plan (SDP), which outlines how we expect passenger numbers to grow beyond this over the next two decades, and we’ll be working with Innovation Corridor partners to make the case for this sustainable growth in the coming months.

“We have very exciting plans for London Stansted, and achieving these ambitions will require the kind of work and collaboration that’s at the very heart of what the Innovation Corridor is all about.”

Jackie Sadek, chair of UKIC, added: “The decision by Stansted Airport to become our headline partner, joining Willmott Dixon, demonstrates the support the corridor has from both the private and public sector and the importance of the corridor’s connectivity to global and domestic markets.

“We are so delighted to have their leadership in this important mission, and their alignment with the corridor’s objective to engage more markets and reach a wider audience for our work.”



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