The journey so far… The European Regional Development Fund Convergence Programme 2007 - 2013 Thank you to everyone who helped ERDF Convergence investments transform ideas into reality. As the Programme closes it is time to look back and remember our investments : Superfast Broadband : roads : people : relocating businesses to the region : green technologies : marine innovations : graduate courses : business growth and expansion : research and development : new and refurbished workspace : transport : higher education : business support : infrastructure improvements : inward investment : regeneration : heritage & culture... 6 What was Convergence? 10 The three themes 12 DCLG Programme Achievements 14 Making Connections 16 Highlight: Superfast Cornwall & Superfast Business Cornwall 18 Gett ing our region ready 26 Isles of Scilly 32 Investing in Our Future 34 Cornwall Innovation 38 Higher Education 39 Highlight: Penryn Campus 42 Green & Marine 48 Strengthening Business 50 Highlight: Workspace 52 Speculative, bespoke and refurbished workspace 55 Regeneration of our cultural heritage 58 Business Support Programmes 70 Our sister fund ESF 71 Working to transform Camborne, Pool & Redruth (CPR) 75 A selection of case studies but its achievements have spread across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (C&IoS). During the Convergence period the end of the Programme. Building knowledge, environment and quality of life website www.erdfconvergence.org.uk to investments worked tirelessly towards on Objective One and Objective 5b, underpin sustainable economic growth. fi nd out the latest information and stories transforming the economy of C&IoS. Convergence was an economic journey, This book showcases only some of the from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. However, this is still a work in progress who's objective was to establish the diverse investments made during the as the journey continues and investments momentum for transforming the economy Convergence period, the scale of the continue to deliver results well beyond to a high value added economy where Programme is huge, so please visit our 6 The Convergence journey started by opportunities which enable a sustainable looking to the future. What would our and home grown research, innovation and businesses need to enable growth? knowledge culture to grow within our Strengthening business was the region. At the same time as investing in foundation of the whole Programme. the future, we also made sure we brought To strengthen business we needed to our heritage and culture up to date by enable them to become more productive investing in the regeneration of areas and to create new jobs by trading locally, which can work towards future economic nationally and internationally. To make sustainability. Finally, we made sure our this happen we invested heavily in making businesses had high quality environments connections for growth, from the physical to actually work in, so the creation of such as transport , and preparing for workspace was vital, especially within future infrastructure to the digital needs a recession to fi ll the funding gap in of future business. Once the foundations the cost of developing workspace. The for working in new ways were in place site and situation of Cornwall and the businesses weren’t left to work alone, Isles of Scilly is both an advantage and business support programmes helped disadvantage to our economy, so fi nally, all kinds of businesses to maximise their and crucially a huge investment into potential. However, the Convergence digital with superfast broadband helped Programme wasn’t all about the here to tie all the diff erent themes together and now, it always looked to the future. to allow our location to no longer be a By investing in the future we helped hindrance to future business growth. enable the next generation of people to take advantage of higher education 7 The Programme objective was... To establish the momentum for transforming the economy to a high value added economy where knowledge, environment and quality of life underpin sustainable economic growth. What did Cornwall and Isles of Scilly receive? European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was used to support economic and social cohesion. Investment priorities included research and innovation, €458 million digital economy, low carbon economy and support for SMEs. European Social Fund (ESF) supported workers, young people and those looking for work. It helped people fi nd jobs, get bett er €196 million jobs and ensured equality of opportunity for all. 8 1 With €458 million to invest into Fluctuating job stability and skills gaps Physical and digital infrastructure Challenges for SMEs C&IoS, ERDF was split into three funding C&IoS had a long history of tourism and Our beautiful but remote location may Our region boasts a higher than average themes to enable both public and private retail based businesses. These provide be an advantage for our tourism industry, amount of Small and Medium Enterprises partners to work with the funds so the employment for the region, but limited but it’s oft en been a disadvantage for our (SMEs) that needed support to allow them money could reach its full potential to opportunities and low wages combined businesses – both in terms of our physical to reach their full high growth potential support economic and social cohesion². with fl uctuating job stability. Skills gaps – and digital infrastructure. and adapt to in an increasingly digitally To achieve this we identifi ed the from a historical lack of Higher Education driven world market. challenges we faced: provision, research and innovation opportunities – also put our region at a disadvantage. Notes: 1: Page 38 2: Page 38 9 Invest Connect Strengthen Investing in Our Future Making Connections Strenghthening Business Creating the right environment to allow Connecting Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Providing businesses with support, advice people and businesses new opportunities with the rest of the world through trade, and high quality workspaces needed to thrive through Higher Education, Research and technology and knowledge. and compete locally, nationally and globally. Innovation. 10 11 Gross increase in GVA Research and Innovation Centres New jobs created Jobs safeguarded Square metres of new or upgraded non specialist fl oorspace Enviiroonnmental tecchnologieess and reeneewwaable energyy enterprisses asssistted 12 523 Businesses collaborating with universities New businesses and colleges Businesses assisted to improve performance Hectares of land 7 ready to develop £59m Net additional GVA Firms involved in collaborative R&D projects 13 Almost everything during the Convergence period could change, our output, the number of SME’s in our region, even the amount of people working, however, one thing could never change. Our location. The site and situation of our region is both an asset and a hindrance. A booming tourism industry makes Without improvements to both physical and digital infrastructure nothing else had a hope of succeeding; as you can’t C&IoS one of the most popular places to visit in the UK, build a house without strong foundations. but sometimes this has been at the detriment of other In the case of C&IoS these foundations were both physical and digital; our Superfast Cornwall programme was one of industries. Making connections is the glue which held the the largest rural rollouts of superfast fi bre optic infrastructure projects in Europe during the Convergence period. Superfast rest of the ERDF themes together. was an amazing programme which probably had the most direct eff ect on the entire population of C&IoS during the Convergence period as 95% of the region was upgraded. Other digital infrastructure which was put in place helped C&IoS get ready for the next round of European funding acting as a springboard to economic change. The fi bre optic cable comes ashore at St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly, summer 2014. 14 let’s take a look... 15 “This project shows how the public and private sectors can work together to deliver local solutions to local problems. Households and businesses in this largely rural area can now look forward to having one of the best broadband connections in the world, thanks to Cornwall Council’s vision, European funding and BT’s investment and expertise.” BT connect St Michael’s Mount to the Ed Vaizey, Minister for Communication, Culture and the Creative Industries. 16 superfast broadband network The BIG Build Facts 130,000 km The programme has deployed around 130,000km of fi bre optic Superfast Cornwall was an ambitious Through the Superfast Labs programme Superfast Business Cornwall cable in Cornwall, enough to travel £132 million partnership bringing we have also seen how fi bre broadband around the world 3 times Helping Cornish businesses implement superfast broadband to Cornwall and the has a lasting positive economic, social transformational projects. This Isles of Scilly, making it one of the best and environmental impact by enabling Programme gave Cornish businesses a connected places in the world. Innovation across business sectors and all signifi cant advantage through superfast levels of society in Cornwall. Superfast broadband will have the power broadband enabled technology. to transform the life, work and play of Superfast Cornwall has also gone a long • 8 Expert Panels comprising each and every one of the half a million way to help those who have never been 939 km representatives from BT, Superfast people living in Cornwall and the Isles of on the internet before. Thanks to the Cornwall, University of Exeter, Scilly. 95% of businesses and homes will Superfast Cornwall Digital Inclusion Cable from Porthcurno to the Microsoft , Stem, Francis Clark, Lloyds, Isles of Scilly provides superfast have access to fi bre broadband by the programme over three thousand people Clustre and Experience Lab broadband making them one of end of 2014 and alternative technologies were given their fi rst ever experience of the best connected off islands in will be used to bring faster broadband to the internet at a series of workshops held • 22 businesses have been through the the world everyone else.