The key to joint prosperity lies in our trans-Atlantic partnerships
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Did you know that Indianapolis has nine sister cities, including Taipei in Taiwan, Cologne in Germany and Campinas in Brazil?
What about the state of Indiana?
Well, the Hoosiers have a new trans-Atlantic relative – a part of the UK called the Thames Estuary.
It’s where the River Thames meets the North Sea in the south east of the country – a major shipping route, with thousands of oil tankers and container ships.
At one end is the global city of London, at the other the white cliffs of the Kent coast.
On either side of the banks and above the picturesque beaches, salt marshes and mudflats are hardworking and friendly towns many of which haven’t benefited from the boom time in London.
But that’s changing – we have exciting plans for a new bridge, a freeport and harnessing the power of hydrogen energy.
My job is to bring together Government, innovators and investors, businesses and communities.
And not just at home.
We can’t make this happen without looking further afield.
In May 2022 at the Indiana Global Economic Summit, the UK and Indiana signed the UK’s first state-level trade and economic development agreement.
The Memorandum of Understanding (like a mini trade deal) aims to strengthen economic development across Indiana and the UK, focusing on clean energy and sustainability, and prioritising building economies of the future.
I came to Indiana recently – which has so much in common with the Thames Estuary – to bring that important piece of paper to life.
I visited Burns Harbour to understand where Indiana’s international ports sit within the wider transport infrastructure, and how it handles such mind-boggling volumes of freight.
We have so much to learn from each other on ports – including how ports can be a catalyst of the wider regeneration of towns – and I look forward to welcoming a delegation from Indiana to the Thames Estuary to explore how the Ports of Indiana, USA and our own ports including the Thames Freeport and Port Ramsgate, UK can work together.
I also believe we can work together on green growth and energy, especially hydrogen.
I discovered on my trip that you’re wrestling with the challenges that a transition to a decarbonized transport network throws up. And – just like Thames Estuary – you want to make sure you make the most of vast opportunities for green growth, especially those that new technologies like hydrogen are starting to open up.
It was great to catch up with the Green Energy Team at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, to compare notes and find new ways to learn and work with each other to test practical solutions.
Finally, we have a lot to share around social inclusion and regeneration. There are challenges here, no doubt. But also, many incredible social projects.
Everywhere I’ve been – from Notre Dame, to White River State Park, to Victory Field – I’ve found politicians, policy academics, and businessmen excited at the prospect of working together and helping both Indiana and the Thames Estuary.
This is just the start, and I hope that over the coming years, the good people of Indiana will get to know the Thames Estuary and vice-versa – because we’re going to do great things together.