As we reflect on 2024, the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) celebrates a year of progress, innovation, and collaboration. Here’s a look back at our highlights and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2025.

Our Chair, Professor Neal Juster, reflects on a dynamic year for the LEP. From launching new initiatives to driving economic growth, 2024 was a year of impact. The Annual Report 2023-24, released in November, provides a comprehensive overview of our projects, programmes, and finances, alongside the unveiling of the Innovation Routemap and the LEP Annual Conference Programme.

At this year’s conference, over 400 attendees explored emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Keynote speaker Brett StClair inspired discussions, while past and present LEP Chairs shared their insights on the region’s achievements and its promising future.

2024 saw a significant push for innovation in Greater Lincolnshire. The Innovation Routemap, launched at the Annual Conference, sets out a vision for fostering creativity and collaboration across all sectors. Businesses large and small are encouraged to embrace problem-solving and innovation-led growth.

Two high-tech agricultural businesses received funding as part of the national Launchpad Innovate UK programme, contributing to Greater Lincolnshire’s growing reputation in food technology. Meanwhile, UK Food Valley continues to build international links, welcoming overseas visitors and forging new partnerships to position the region as a Top 10 Global Food Cluster.

Building a skilled and sustainable workforce remains a priority. In 2024, we expanded Skills Bootcamps, providing flexible training to help individuals gain new skills or advance their careers. Apprenticeships also continue to thrive, offering a practical and productive route for businesses to develop talented teams.

We are committed to showcasing career opportunities in Lincolnshire’s thriving visitor economy. The #BeAtTheHeartOfIt campaign, launched in September, highlighted roles across hospitality, tourism, and the arts, promoting these vibrant sectors as key contributors to the local economy.

The year was packed with exciting events that celebrated collaboration and innovation:

• LEP Annual Conference: A showcase of emerging technologies and the Innovation Routemap.
• UKREiiF Conference in Leeds: Team Lincolnshire presented regional investment opportunities on the national stage.
• Lincolnshire Show: Our exclusive brunch explored cross-sector collaborations in agriculture, energy, defence, and aerospace.
• STEM Recycling Challenge: School students embraced the circular economy by designing sorting machines from recyclable materials.

These events highlighted Greater Lincolnshire’s potential to drive innovation and attract investment.

Sustainability is at the heart of the LEP’s mission. This year, we kick-started a project to develop a regional circular economy framework, promoting resource efficiency and net-zero growth. The circular economy keeps materials in use longer, extracts maximum value, and regenerates products and materials at the end of their lifecycle.

This framework will align commercial, industrial, and research activities to harness sustainable growth. Watch this space for updates in the New Year.

Twelve months since its launch, the Humber Freeport has attracted over £1 billion in investments and created more than 700 skilled jobs. This milestone underscores the region’s growing reputation as a hub for advanced manufacturing, ports, and green energy innovation.

As we close the year, the AI Adoption Accelerator offers an exciting opportunity for businesses in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland to explore the transformative potential of AI. We are also continuing our work with innovation trailblazers across sectors such as health, defence, energy, and manufacturing.

The Greater Lincolnshire LEP thanks all our friends, partners, and stakeholders for their continued support throughout 2024. We look forward to building on this year’s successes in 2025.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!