East Anglia faces both challenges and opportunities in regional growth. With its renowned research hubs such as Cambridge and rich agricultural landscapes in Norfolk and Suffolk, the region also suffers from structural inequalities and must enhance inclusiveness and sustainability. A coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach is needed to foster greater collaboration in order to build on its strengths. Owen Garling and Burcu Sevde Selvi discuss their latest insights on productivity in East Anglia.

In late 2024, Lonely Planet included East Anglia as the only English region in its list of top ten ‘must-see’ regions stating that “the enigmatic UK region of East Anglia… has been celebrated for offering a true taste of old England, combined with beautiful nature reserves perfect for birding… lively coastal beach towns and picturesque inland waterways.”
Beyond its tourist appeal, East Anglia has also been the focus of the work of the East Anglia Productivity Forum. But why did we choose to focus on this “enigmatic” region when considering the productivity puzzle faced by the UK?
One of the main reasons was that the scale of East Anglia felt about right. Focusing on a smaller area, such as a county or an individual city, would have been too narrow a focus for our work. Equally, it felt as if there was too much disparity between places if we were to focus on the larger administrative region of the East of England, of which East Anglia forms a part.
Focusing on East Anglia also gives us the opportunity to consider whether there are issues affecting productivity that are specific to the region, or specific parts of the region, or whether they are common to other regions. With different governance arrangements in place across East Anglia, it also gives us an opportunity to understand whether there are different approaches to managing these issues being deployed at different scales. Finally, it enables us to consider whether East Anglia functions as an economic geography in its own right.
Since the publication of the previous East Anglia Insights Paper, a number of key reports have been published that describe the economies of East Anglia in some detail. These include the East of England Local Government Association’s Opportunity East report, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s State of the Region report, and Local Growth Plans for both Norfolk and Suffolk.
Rather than duplicating what has already been produced, or anticipating what will be written, this Insights Paper identifies a range of cross-cutting themes that underpin multiple dimensions of regional economic development and productivity. These themes emphasize the interconnected nature of the region’s challenges and opportunities, offering a lens to align strategic efforts across diverse sectors. By addressing these themes, East Anglia can strengthen its position as a driver of inclusive and sustainable growth.
Tackling inequality
Inequality is a persistent issue in East Anglia, reflecting disparities in skills, infrastructure, and economic opportunities across its rural and urban areas. Key challenges include the uneven distribution of high-skilled jobs and education levels, with regions such as Fenland and Great Yarmouth lagging behind areas like Cambridge. Addressing inequality requires targeted interventions to ensure equitable access to education, training, and employment opportunities. Initiatives like Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), and partnerships between higher education institutions and employers are crucial in addressing these disparities.
Additionally, digital inequality compounds economic and social divides, with rural areas experiencing significantly lower levels of connectivity compared to urban centres. Enhancing digital infrastructure and promoting digital literacy across East Anglia are key to reducing these gaps and enabling inclusive growth.
Decarbonisation and sustainability
East Anglia’s leadership in renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, positions it as a cornerstone of the UK’s net-zero strategy. However, decarbonisation efforts extend beyond energy generation, intersecting with housing, transportation, and agriculture. Projects like the Peterborough Integrated Renewables Infrastructure (PIRI) project demonstrate how integrated approaches can deliver sustainable energy solutions while enhancing local resilience and economic opportunity.
The region’s low-lying geography and vulnerability to flooding underscore the importance of integrating climate adaptation measures into long-term planning. From innovative land-use practices, like regenerative farming at Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk, to infrastructure investments in flood defences and water management, sustainability is a unifying theme that impacts regional productivity and quality of life.
Place-based strategies
East Anglia’s unique geography, characterised by dispersed towns, villages, and small cities, requires tailored, place-based strategies. These strategies prioritise localised interventions that reflect the needs and strengths of specific areas while fostering regional coherence. For example, shared local plans in areas like greater Cambridge and greater Norwich highlight successful collaborative approaches to housing and infrastructure planning.
Connectivity—both physical and digital—plays a pivotal role in ensuring these place-based strategies are effective. Addressing fragmented transport networks and improving digital access are essential for connecting remote areas to economic hubs, ensuring that all parts of the region benefit from growth opportunities.
Governance and collaboration
The region’s governance landscape is fragmented, spanning three county councils, multiple lower-tier authorities, and a single combined authority in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This complexity underscores the need for greater collaboration across administrative boundaries. Enhanced coordination could unlock efficiencies, streamline planning processes, and support shared goals, such as housing development or infrastructure improvements.
Efforts to establish regional partnerships, such as the shared Local Plans in Greater Cambridge and Greater Norwich, or integrated care boards for health services, provide valuable models for fostering collaboration. The government’s recently published English Devolution White Paper provides an opportunity to provide some of this collaborative and co-ordinated working across East Anglia.
Connectivity and infrastructure
Connectivity, encompassing both physical transport and digital networks, is a vital enabler of regional productivity. Currently, East Anglia faces significant disparities in infrastructure quality, with rural areas suffering from limited transport links and poor digital connectivity. While cities like Peterborough boast high fibre and 4G coverage, areas such as North and West Norfolk lag far behind, constraining access to opportunities and services.
Strategic investments in infrastructure, including rail upgrades like the Ely Junction and expanded EV charging networks, are essential to reducing these disparities. Moreover, fostering intermodal connectivity between key hubs within the region and improving links to international gateways, such as ports, will bolster East Anglia’s position as a trade and logistics centre.
Skills and workforce development
Skills shortages and mismatches pose a major barrier to productivity growth in East Anglia. While Cambridge and Norwich excel in high-skilled employment, other areas struggle with low participation in further education and skills training. The region’s ageing population and rural geography exacerbate these challenges, limiting the pool of available workers and access to training facilities.
Targeted initiatives to expand apprenticeships, vocational training, and collaboration between educational institutions and employers are critical. Developing pathways for mid-tier skills, particularly in emerging sectors like digital technology, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing, will ensure a workforce aligned with regional economic needs.
These cross-cutting themes are deeply interconnected and impact productivity. Addressing them requires a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach that builds on East Anglia’s existing strengths while tackling its structural challenges. From the globally renowned research hubs of Cambridge to the fertile agricultural landscapes of Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia embodies both the challenges and possibilities of regional development. By addressing its pressing inequalities, leveraging its leadership in sustainability, and fostering greater regional collaboration, East Anglia can chart a path toward a more inclusive and prosperous future. This dynamic interplay between its unique heritage and modern ambitions makes East Anglia a fascinating case study in how to navigate the complexities of 21st-century regional growth.
Read insights paper: East Anglia: Exploring economic strengths and addressing productivity challenges
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.