Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) is the UK’s newest city region and it is brimming with prospects, positivity and pride. It is a place where culture and heritage meet innovation and modernity, village meets town, country meets coast, creativity meets digital, businesses flourish and people thrive. BCP Council is the tenth largest urban local authority in England and our communities are vibrant and diverse, with an outstanding quality of life, where everyone plays an active role – a globally-recognised coastline of opportunity, where people love to live, learn, work, explore, invest, relax and play.

The local authority can play a role in underpinning the innovative drive within health through forward-thinking approaches to place-making, stewardship of natural and man-made environments to promote healthy living and supportive technology such as 5G which we are rolling out in our urban centres and gigabit fibre.

Chris Shephard, Director of Economic Development at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, said

“In Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, we have an older population than most other areas in the UK. The challenges our area is faced with now and into the future, others will face in the years to come. This is actually an opportunity, both to support our ageing population so that they live happy, healthy lives for longer, and also economically. This could be through the development of new products and services by locally based businesses, through specialist research and practical application through our universities and college, and through collaboration between the NHS, universities and businesses or other organisations to explore new concepts and procedures underpinned and enabled by ground breaking technology. Collectively we have this capability in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and with the Dorset ICS and the exciting Innovation Hub programme, we have the opportunity to harness these elements and see real innovation happen that will bring benefits to all of us now and into the future.”

For more information please visit bcpcouncil.gov.uk