Freeport East opens new head office and innovation hub in north Essex
The office, located at Scandinavia House, was unveiled on Tuesday, May 13, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by councillors, businesses, and members of the Harwich Tourism Group. The new office and innovation hub were made possible with the help of Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), an organisation that teaches young people trade skills while renovating community spaces. The project was delivered in partnership with Tendring Council and supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The "Harwich Innovation Hub" will provide a flexible workspace for Freeport East partners and businesses in key growth sectors such as clean energy, AI, digital, and maritime. It will also host workshops, networking events, and mentoring programmes. The opening of the hub follows a report by Tendring District Council, the University of Essex, and Freeport East in December 2024, which identified the need for an interim pop-up innovation facility in Harwich.
Steve Beel, chief executive of Freeport East, said: "The launch of the Harwich Innovation Hub is a major step forward in our mission to make Freeport East and Harwich a hub for sustainable growth and future-focused innovation. "We're incredibly grateful to Volunteer It Yourself and their brilliant team of young volunteers, whose hard work has transformed our office into a modern, collaborative space that reflects our ambitions." The Harwich Innovation Hub is part of the emerging Harwich Innovation District, a key element of Freeport East's strategy to drive economic development and innovation across the Harwich and wider Tendring area.
Freeport East will showcase the benefits of businesses locating in Harwich at upcoming international events, including the World Hydrogen Summit and UKREiFF in May and Global Offshore Wind in London in June.
Ivan Henderson, deputy leader of Tendring Council and Freeport East board member, added: "The opening of the Harwich Innovation Hub marks an exciting milestone not just for Freeport East, but for Harwich and the wider region.
"It's fantastic to see how the hard work of local young people, through Volunteer It Yourself, has helped create a space that will drive forward skills, innovation, and business growth."