Ports:

Overview

Shape the Future of Kent & Medway’s Gateway Economy

Your insight. Our investment. Real impact for the local economy.

Kent & Medway plays a nationally significant role as a gateway for trade, travel and logistics. Councils, universities and colleges are working together to agree a single, long‑term plan for economic growth – and we need sector expertise at the table.

This Ports, Transport & Logistics Workshop is your opportunity to directly influence where public investment, collaboration and action are focused over the next 10 years.

Why attend?

This is not another presentation‑led event. It’s a working session designed to guide decision‑makers.

We are asking businesses to:

• Tell us what is really holding back growth across ports, transport and logistics
• Identify the biggest opportunities to strengthen capacity, resilience and competitiveness
• Help prioritise the practical actions and investments that will make the greatest difference

What you tell us will:

• Directly inform the Kent & Medway Local Growth Plan
• Shape public investment and delivery priorities
• Feed into engagement with central government on infrastructure, trade and transport policy

In short: this is where sector insight turns into action.

What is the Local Growth Plan?

The Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP), working with Metro Dynamics, is developing a 10 year Local Growth Plan to set a clear economic direction for the region.

Local Growth Plans are requested by central government and are becoming a core way government understands local economies, sets priorities, and decides where to work jointly with regions.

Government has been clear that Local Growth Plans must, as a minimum:
• Set out a single, joined up vision for economic growth, shaped with input from businesses and other partners
• Provide a robust, evidence based picture of the regional economy, identifying distinctive sector strengths and opportunities, aligned with the national Industrial Strategy
• Identify clear shared priorities for joint working between local areas and central government, creating a platform for collaboration and coordinated action
• Include a focused investment pipeline of priority projects (typically 4–10 per region) that are critical to unlocking growth

Ports, Transport & Logistics Workshop – what we’ll focus on

Building on the completed evidence base, the session will explore:

• Strategic port, freight and transport infrastructure
• Skills, workforce and future capability needs
• Innovation, digitalisation and efficiency
• Resilience, connectivity and cross‑border trade

Who should attend?

This session is particularly valuable for:

• Port‑related and logistics businesses
• Freight, transport and supply‑chain operators
• Infrastructure and delivery partners
• Investors and developers
• Organisations involved in skills, innovation or funding
• Councils, Universities and College leaders and staff

Networking included

Attendance is free, and places are limited.

A complimentary buffet lunch will be provided, offering opportunities for peer‑to‑peer networking with sector leaders and decision‑makers.

Part of a wider programme

This workshop is part of a coordinated series shaping the Local Growth Plan across Kent & Medway during the week of 11 May. You are welcome to attend multiple sessions, including:
• Digital – Mon 11 May
• Agri-food & Agri-tech – Weds 13 May
• Energy – Thurs14 May
• Cross cutting priorities – Fri 15 May