Freeport East accelerates growth with manufacturing, innovation and investor support push
Freeport East has marked a series of recent developments across its Suffolk sites, including the opening of a £45 million manufacturing facility, a new innovation centre in Stowmarket and an investment support service targeting a further £500 million in private-sector commitments.
The developments reflect the freeport’s broader role in supporting investment, industrial activity and business growth across the East of England, particularly in advanced manufacturing, logistics, clean energy and technology-led sectors.
At Gateway 14 in Stowmarket, Assan Panel UK has officially opened a £45 million production facility, the Turkish company’s first manufacturing site in Britain. The plant is expected to create more than 100 jobs and will produce insulated wall and roof panels for the UK construction market.
The facility has capacity to manufacture up to 4.5 million square metres of panels annually. Its location within the Freeport East tax site gives the company access to the incentives available under the UK freeport programme, while also adding to the region’s manufacturing base.
The investment is one of the more substantial projects secured at Gateway 14 and provides an example of the type of internationally mobile industrial project that UK freeports are seeking to attract.
Also in Stowmarket, the £18 million Innovation Gateway has opened with backing from Freeport East. The facility offers workspace, training and collaboration space, alongside support for businesses working in areas including artificial intelligence, robotics, agri-tech and clean technologies.
The centre is intended to connect companies with universities, colleges and other regional partners, while helping businesses adopt new technologies and develop commercial applications. It also forms part of efforts to address skills and productivity challenges affecting companies across the region.
Mark Lemmon, chair of Freeport East, commented: “Freeports exist to attract new forms of investment, create skilled jobs and drive long-term economic growth. This development shows that strategy delivering real results.”
Alongside the two physical investments, Freeport East has launched a dedicated investment support service designed to help companies identify sites, understand available incentives and navigate issues including planning, skills, funding and supply-chain connections.
The service is intended to support the freeport’s goal of securing a further £500 million of private investment across the East of England.
The target is ambitious and its delivery will depend on the wider investment climate, the availability of suitable sites and infrastructure, and the ability of the freeport and its partners to convert investor interest into completed projects.
Freeport East covers major sites around the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich, as well as inland locations including Gateway 14. Its proposition is based on the combination of port infrastructure, industrial land, tax incentives and access to regional research and skills networks.
The latest announcements come as UK freeports face growing pressure to demonstrate measurable economic impact, including additional investment, employment and supply-chain benefits rather than simply the relocation of activity from elsewhere.
For Freeport East, the opening of the Assan Panel plant and Stowmarket Innovation Gateway provides tangible evidence of progress. The next test will be whether its new support offer can help attract a broader pipeline of projects and contribute to sustained growth across the region.
