Cambridge Management Consulting Helps Thames Freeport Create an Innovation Strategy
To drive inward investment and regional improvement
Emerging as a hub for innovation, Thames Freeport is a unique initiative
designed to stimulate trade and transform the lives of people in its region. Leveraging global connectivity and occupying a strategic position with intermodal capabilities across river, rail, and road, Thames Freeport has recognised its opportunity to drive economic regeneration for the local area.
Thames Freeport engaged Cambridge Management Consulting to design a clear strategy for innovation over the next three to five years. Key considerations for this innovation strategy included objectives and KPIs, the future of the business ecosystem in the region, physical clusters and assets such as innovation hubs, and opportunities and challenges on the way.
Download the Full Case Study
Contact Form - Business Case for Global Recruitment Company Case Study
The
Solution
Working with our innovation partner, L Marks, Cambridge MC conducted an innovation strategy project which involved the following:
- Engaging with a range of stakeholders and partners from local authorities to corporate partners across the Thames Freeport area, leveraging interviews with key individuals to build a common picture of innovation aspirations, opportunities, and challenges.
- Conducting a series of workshops for the Thames Freeport team to consider visions and objectives, themes and focus areas, physical hubs and overall programme structure, and a three-year roadmap plan.
- Building a comprehensive innovation strategy which internalised all of the above questions. This was then presented to their board and formed the basis of the public tenders for innovation programmes that were then made public.
5G Innovation Programme
Having completed the innovation strategy project, Cambridge MC and L Marks subsequently designed the 5G Innovation Programme (one of the first to be prioritised in our work). This involved the following:
- Engaging with three commercial sites (Ford, Tilbury Port, London Gateway – DP World) to understand the potential pain-points and opportunities for private 5G network innovation.
- Conducting category-identified workshops to pull out specific themes and challenges that would form the basis of a scouting brief to identify potential companies globally to participate in the programme.
- Designing a challenge-based open innovation programme to attract companies globally to address the challenges and opportunities, and collaborate with the Thames Freeport partners on solutions.
- Conducting a global research exercise to identify example case studies and use cases for 5G private networks in the logistics and manufacturing sectors.
Outcomes & Results
Our work resulted in several key outcomes for the client:
1
Roadmap to Success: We clearly articulated a five-year innovation vision and ecosystem map with broad stakeholder buy-in. This included a three-year innovation programme design covering specific projects and interventions to deliver the strategy and objectives.
2
Transparent Progress & Goals: We provided clear objectives for innovation with associated KPIs, including a target to create five new £1Bn+ investments, engaging with 350 global hightech companies, implementing 50 new innovative solutions, and building four operational innovation hubs.
3
Regional Improvement: Our programme demonstrated how innovation can create multiple highlyskilled jobs in the area, and improve quality of life for local residents.
4
Long-Term Benefit: We clearly defined the themes and focus areas for innovation that the Thames Freeport should prioritise, aligned with regional strengths and capabilities.
Get in touch with our Innovation Experts
Case Studies
Our team has had the privilege of partnering with a diverse array of clients, from burgeoning startups to FTSE 100
companies. Each case study reflects our commitment to delivering tailored solutions that drive real business results.
CASE STUDIES
A little bit about Cambridge MC
Cambridge Management Consulting is a specialist consultancy drawing on an extensive global network of over 200 senior executives in 22 countries.
Our purpose is to help our clients make a better impact on the world.
ABOUT CAMBRIDGE MC
Industry Insights
