
IKEA, the National Institute for Agricultural Botany (NIAB), and innovative start-up Agri-Grub, will be sharing how sustainability could help SMEs save money, boost productivity and become more resilient after COVID19 at a free webinar organised by Opportunity Peterborough in October.
The event will help SMEs get more value from their resources, and even find new uses for waste streams through the concept of circular economy. The circular economy aims to move society away from the ‘take-make-dispose’ model — where raw materials are collected, transformed into products, and discarded as waste — into one where resources are used for as long as possible and productive uses are found for waste streams.
This event is being run by the Circular Peterborough team at Opportunity Peterborough which runs the city’s circular economy programme in partnership with Peterborough City Council. The team works with businesses of all sizes, but in response to COVID-19 recovery, the workshop will be for SMEs.
Delegates will hear from businesses in the area who have benefitted from adopting circular principles, and some of the commercial opportunities for waste streams:
- Start-up, Agri-Grub, which is turning AM FRESH’s waste fruit into protein and pest control
- IKEA is reusing, repurposing, and recovering materials.
- the National Institute of Agricultural Botany will also discuss how plant resources could provide renewable materials to businesses across all sectors to reduce the use of plastic and non-biodegradable materials.
There will also be time for delegates to discuss how their businesses could use circular economy principles, and the opportunities and barriers they may face. The Circular Peterborough team will use the feedback to adapt city level strategies and to tailor long term one-to-one business support for delegates.
Tom Hennessy, chief executive of Opportunity Peterborough said, “COVID-19 created huge disruption across supply chains, and has really tested business’ resilience. We want to rebuild the economy quickly, but we also want to keep this growth sustainable. With the circular economy, we can help businesses improve their operations while also protecting our environment.
“Any SME is welcome to attend, whether they’re new to the circular economy concept, already planning to make changes, or are looking for extra inspiration on their circular journey.”
The webinar will run 10.30am-12.00pm online on 14 October 2020. Delegates will receive a link directly. For event and registration details visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/going-circular-how-sustainability-can-boost-business-growth-after-covid19-tickets-121711017931
As one of the UK’s top Smart Cities, we’re delighted to be part of the UK government’s stand at the 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo in Taipei this week (26 – 29 March 2019).

Peterborough is among the UK’s top 5 fastest growing cities and we’re a hotbed of innovation with one of the highest business start-up rates in the country.
Our Future Peterborough team is dedicated to making sure our city works as efficiently as possible for businesses and residents. The Smart City Leadership Programme and Circular Economy initiatives are internationally respected for how they’ve improved Peterborough’s economic resilience and sustainability. We want to share what we’ve learnt with other cities and regions around the world to develop more best practice examples and support more cities on their smart city and circular economy journeys.
Peterborough’s impact:
- Delivers a DFID-funded Smart City Leadership Programme for the Indian city of Amaravati and for the state of Madhya Pradesh
- Played a lead role in the development of British Standards Institute’s (BSI) suite of Smart City Standards
- Chair of the BSI’s Smart and Sustainable Cities Committee (SDS/2)
- A founder member of the Cities Standards Institute
- Attends the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities
- A member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Cities Network
- The team has presented at over 50 international conferences and continues to acquire local, national and international media coverage peaking with the ‘World Smart City Award’ in 2015
A few of our achievements:
We’d love to tell you more about doing business in Peterborough and our Smart City and circular economy programmes.
Come and find us on stand i114.
Downloads (with Mandarin translation):
Peterborough, UK – home to a thriving Digital & Creative Sector
About the Future Peterborough programme
Supporting Smart Cities in Taiwan
For more information about Peterborough, please visit investinpeterborough.co.uk
Pictured (l-r): Steve Bowyer, Chief Executive of Opportunity Peterborough, John Holdich, Leader of Peterborough City Council, Emma Gilthorpe, Executive Director of Expansion at Heathrow, Mayor James Palmer, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, Cllr Peter Hiller, Portfolio Holder for Growth, Planning, Housing and Economic Development at Peterborough City Council.
Scroll down to see more images from the event.
- Today (6 June 2018), Mayor James Palmer and representatives of Heathrow Airport, will be hosted by Opportunity Peterborough at the Roxhill Peterborough Gateway site
- The Peterborough site is one of two from the East of England in the running to help deliver expansion
- Heathrow expansion is set to create up to 12,900 new jobs and generate up to £15 billion of economic benefits across the East of England
On Friday (6 July), Emma Gilthorpe, Executive Director of Expansion at Heathrow will be joined by Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, as she visits the Roxhill Scheme at Gateway Peterborough. The site is one of the two longlisted sites in the East of England. The visit is part of a nationwide tour of 65 sites still in the running to be offsite construction centres for Heathrow expansion.
Four sites across the UK will eventually be selected as Heathrow logistics hubs. The sites will be used to pre-assemble components of an expanded Heathrow before transporting them in consolidated loads to the airport. Logistics Hubs are essential in ensuring Heathrow expansion delivers for the whole country by spreading jobs, boosting productivity and modernising the construction industry outside of London and the South East.
This will be the first time representatives from the UK’s only hub airport have returned to East Anglia since an overwhelming majority of MPs speaking on behalf of constituencies across the UK, aligned to different parties voted to support expansion. These sites are bidding to potentially become off-site construction centres, giving the East of England the opportunity to help deliver Britain’s new runway.
In March, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye was joined by Brandon Lewis MP for Great Yarmouth for visited Peel Ports Great Yarmouth. During the visits, the prospective bidders have the opportunity to showcase the unique strengths of their sites.
Heathrow expansion is set to create up to 12,900 new jobs and deliver up to £15 billion worth of economic growth for the East of England. In addition to the jobs boost from the potential logistics hub, Crossrail services are set to reduce journey times from Shenfield to Heathrow.
Last week’s parliamentary vote on the Airports National Policy Statement has cleared the way for Heathrow expansion to become Government policy, marking the end of the debate on the new runway and granting permission for the project’s delivery. These continued site visits are just one of the ways that Heathrow is working to kick start the delivery of one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.
Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow’s Executive Director of Expansion, said:
“We’re thrilled to be back in the East of England following the overwhelming backing Parliament gave Heathrow expansion last week. It is brilliant to see, first-hand, the potential role the region could play in delivering Britain’s new runway.
“These hubs will ensure an expanded Heathrow delivers for all of Britain, transforming construction across the UK and creating a skills legacy for future generations. When chosen, the final four sites will kick start the job creation and economic benefits that expansion will bring. We are looking forward to meeting the team at Opportunity Peterborough and seeing what the site in Peterborough has to offer.”
James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said:
“Heathrow expansion is an opportunity to boost productivity and equip British workers with new skills. The billions of pounds of private investment to fund expansion will deliver massive benefits all over the UK before the new runway is even operational. I am delighted that Heathrow has longlisted a site in Peterborough and we’re keen to demonstrate why our area with its thriving supply chain should play a part in the construction of one of the country’s most crucial infrastructure projects.”
Chief Executive of Opportunity Peterborough, Steve Bowyer, said:
“We’re delighted to be hosting the team from Heathrow today to showcase why Peterborough would make the perfect location for a logistics hub. As a forward-thinking, future city, Peterborough has excellent transport links, gigabit speed internet connectivity and a host of successful world-class businesses operating across all sectors – particularly manufacturing and engineering. Add to that our fantastic talent pool of skilled workers and our ever growing University offer, and the city’s case for being a logistics hub location is very compelling indeed.
“Peterborough has a strong track-record of securing new investment; in fact just this week the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has confirmed the city is its preferred location for its new head office. Securing a Heathrow logistics hub would be a huge boost to the local economy and testament to the city’s longstanding reputation as thriving business destination.”
Sites in the East of England longlisted for Heathrow’s Logistics Hubs:
Promoter |
|
Site Name |
|
Site Location |
|
Opportunity Peterborough |
|
Roxhill Scheme At Gateway |
|
Peterborough |
|
Peel Ports Group |
|
Peel Ports Great Yarmouth |
|
Great Yarmouth |
|
For more information visit: https://your.heathrow.com/takingbritainfurther/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Heathrow_Logistics_Brochure_25.04.17.pdf