LEP stimulates debate about post-COVID19 economy

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on how we lead our lives and businesses in the future is the subject of a new series of videos exploring ‘Thoughts on a New Normal’.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has invited experts in their field share their views on what the ‘new normal’ means to them.

Contributors to the series cover a wide of topics including different ways of working, the future of the office, the role Cornwall can play in battery technology, our changing relationship with food, immersive technologies, fighting climate change, different ways of doing business and the importance of community.

The series is introduced by speaker and broadcaster Simon Cohen, who argues that the natural beauty of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can spur a new way of thinking about life after COVID-19.

He says: “It feels like Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly could really be at the heart of what is to come, rejecting the relentless pursuit of economic gain at the expense of community and the natural environment. Could it be that it is our focus on the natural that sets us apart, and even lead the way for the rest of the country and beyond with investment in renewables and the circular economy and good old fashioned community?

“Before we create a new normal we need to imagine it. We need to think it, develop it in our minds and then give voice to it. This is exactly what the LEP wants to find out.”

The series of videos coincides with the LEP finalising its Local Industrial Strategy about how the economy of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly should develop in the future, including its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

LEP Chief Executive Glenn Caplin-Grey said: “We are seeing a lot of evidence that people do not want the world to go back to how it was before, and that coronavirus could change the way we do things for the better.

“With the environment, clean energy and wellbeing driving that awareness, we believe this could be an opportunity for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to lead the ‘new normal’ on several fronts.

“This could include renewable energy such as geothermal power and floating wind farms; using space-derived data to tackle local and global issues; making our area a leader for sustainable tourism, and creating new markets for local foods producers who have seen renewed interest in locally-sourced produce.

“The Thoughts on a New Normal series builds on the work we started with our Local Industrial Strategy and we want to continue that dialogue locally and with Government as we move towards economic recovery.”

To view the Thoughts on a New Normal videos please visit the LEP’s YouTube channel and join the conversation.