Key figures from the Greater Cambridge region have published an open letter urging the government to capitalise on the area’s potential as a catalyst for national renewal. Among the signatories are the vice-chancellors of the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University, leaders of the City and District Councils, and leaders of innovation hubs in the region.

Backed by business leaders, academics, and policymakers, the letter “sets out the clear case for renewed support for a region with a proven track record and which stands ready to deliver economic growth,” according to the University.

The letter, co-signed by a coalition of stakeholders, emphasises the unique contributions of the Greater Cambridge region to the UK’s economic and social fabric. “If science were a country then Cambridge would likely be its capital,” the letter reads, pointing to the turnover of over £50bn per year for the UK.

Describing Cambridge as a place “where innovation makes history,” the signatories point to its tech ecosystem, academic institutions, and skilled workforce.

Key to the signatories’ argument is that Cambridge’s future should be “shareable and sustainable,” and that the city’s economy has the potential to encourage nationwide growth through the creation of jobs and “innovation clusters” across the country. But, the letter explains that the city’s “hardware” must be invested in – namely housing, water, and transport – in order to achieve such “software breakthroughs”.

Among the letter’s recommendations are initiatives to build new hospitals, improve transport connectivity, expand affordable housing options, and ensure the retention of skilled talent. In particular, it calls for investment in homes with a new “Development Corporation,” and the construction of new reservoirs “to fix the water crisis”. It adds that changes must “first and foremost be about people,” specifically “their jobs, skills and community as well as their cultural, sport and leisure opportunities.”

The letter also notes the importance of implementing changes quickly, explaining: “We have got to move at speed as there is not a moment to waste.”

“The competition and the offer from international centres of innovation is growing, and it is increasingly being felt by firms in Cambridge,” the letter continues.

This comes ahead of the UK’s 2025 Spending Review, phase two of which (“the envelope”) is due to conclude and be published in the late spring of 2025.

While Cambridge has historically been a wealthy city overall with an innovative economy, this is “tempered by significant inequality,” says the Cambridge City Council. According to a 2023 Centre for Cities (CfC) report, Cambridge ranked first in knowledge-intensive firms per capita. However, the report also found Cambridge to be the UK’s most unequal city in terms of income, with the top 6% of earners accounting for 19% of the total income, while the bottom 20% receive only 2%, as of 2020.

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