Freeport East hosted Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology George Freeman MP at the Port of Felixstowe on Friday 10 March.
This was part of the Minister’s wider visit of connected innovation clusters in the east of England. As part of the visit the Minister was introduced to a selection of innovations being developed across the Freeport East area and briefed on plans to bring together a Freeport East Innovation Cluster that would support development of new technologies whilst also bringing new economic opportunities.
Following his visit, Minister Freeman said: “The Felixstowe and Harwich Freeport East NetZero Innovation Hub is a flagship project, through which one of the world’s great freight container ports is becoming a hub of green hydrogen, marine conservation, digital Smart Port informatics and autonomous vehicle technology.
“It’s one of the jewels in the crown of the New Anglia Cleantech Cluster, on the frontline of decarbonising ports, shipping and freight distribution for sustainable economic growth.”
Steve Beel, Chief Executive at Freeport East commented: “Minister Freeman has made very clear his passion for supporting science, innovation and technology and it was a pleasure to welcome him to Freeport East to discuss how we can work together.
“Freeport East has placed innovation at the heart of our plans, whether it be through development of a green hydrogen hub, supporting the application of new technologies and processes in some of our key economic sectors, or strengthening engagement with our skills providers on where new opportunities can flow from future areas of innovation.”
During the visit, the Minister was given an update on the Freeport East proposal for a Green Hydrogen Hub, including their latest published analysis on “500MW by 2030”. The Port of Felixstowe were able to update the Minister on their latest trials of automated vehicles as well as developments for 5G networks and green hydrogen production within the port.
Harwich Haven Authority showcased its latest dredging technology, the TIAMAT, which significantly reduces the environmental impact, GHG emissions and the cost of dredging works.
Entopy Ltd, a Suffolk-based start-up in the technology sector, shared its approach to digital twins and innovative deep-data analytics, and the benefits it can bring across a range of sectors, including trade, logistics and renewable energy.
