Freeport East drives £250m investment in region, appoints new partnership chiefs

Why it matters: Both roles will focus on attracting international investment to create jobs and support business growth in Suffolk and Essex as Freeport East enters its fourth year. The details: Alex Courage has been appointed as Head of International Partnerships, bringing experience in international trade and investment from the Department for Business and Trade. Her background covers trade policy, economic security and engagement across the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, with previous government postings in Turkey and Mexico.

Tom Nickalls joins as Head of Strategic Partnerships with more than a decade of experience across diplomacy, international trade and economic development. He previously acted as Deputy Consul General to New England, playing a key role in strengthening political and economic ties between the UK and US. What they're saying: Alex Courage said: "I'm really excited to be joining Freeport East as Head of International Partnerships, especially when there is such momentum behind the Freeport programme.

I'm looking forward to drawing on my experience working in international trade to build new connections and identify growth opportunities for Freeport East overseas." Tom Nickalls added: "It's great to join Freeport East at a time when UK Freeports are evolving as a real draw for investors. I'm really looking forward to working with the team to develop the Freeport as a compelling value proposition for investors and other partners nationally and internationally."

Chief Executive Steve Beel  [1] said: "I'm extremely excited to have Alex and Tom join us at Freeport East. They both bring a wealth of exceptional experiences that will help us go further in how we support the local and national economy deliver the growth in investment, productivity and international trade that we all want to see and know is possible." By the numbers: In 2025, Freeport East advanced GBP250m of private sector investment and employment opportunities across its development sites, enabled over GBP200m of international inward investment into the wider East of England, and invested nearly GBP20m in skills, innovation and business growth programmes.

The bigger picture: The appointments follow Freeport East's third anniversary on Friday, 10 January. Key developments in 2025 included supporting Ukrspecsystems, a Ukrainian drone manufacturer, to establish a new facility in Suffolk, and the groundbreaking of Assan Panel's GBP45m UK manufacturing facility at Gateway 14[2], Stowmarket, creating more than 100 high-value jobs. In July, Gateway 14 saw the completion of a new distribution centre for Bauder[3], supporting further investment in the company's long-standing Ipswich operations.

At Gateway 14, development continued on the GBP18m Stowmarket Innovation Gateway, a 35,000 sq ft skills and innovation centre due to open in mid-2026. Freeport East also launched its new head office and innovation hub in Harwich. What's next: As East Anglia's only designated Industrial Strategy Zone, Freeport East will focus on facilitating growth across Ipswich and Colchester in 2026, including new commercial space linked to garden communities and university-led innovation hubs.

Supporting regional transport infrastructure, including connectivity improvements such as the A120, will also be a priority.

For context: The Freeport East  [4] area covers approximately 45 kilometres across parts of Suffolk and Essex, extending from the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich in the east, through Ipswich to Stowmarket and Sudbury in the west, and to Colchester in the south.

The bottom line: The appointments signal Freeport East's push to attract overseas businesses and investors to Suffolk and Essex after a year of facility openings and job creation.

References

1. ^ Steve Beel  (www.ipswich.co.uk)
2. ^ Gateway 14 (www.ipswich.co.uk)
3. ^ Bauder (www.ipswich.co.uk)
4. ^ Freeport East  (www.ipswich.co.uk)