In this blog, AUG Director Alistair Lomax reflects on the event and the exciting alignment between ARU’s mission and the region’s future.

The Arc Universities Group moved to Anglia Ruskin University just a few weeks ago – and already, the timing feels perfect. Our arrival coincided with the Sustainable Futures Conference on 17 June, hosted at ARU. It was an event that captured the essence of our mission: blending big-picture thinking with regional focus, and grounding ambition in collaboration and impact.

The conference addressed sustainability at three levels: globally relevant themes, challenges and opportunities specific to the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor, and a more local lens on the Cambridge–Peterborough–Fenland area – where infrastructure, housing, and skills need urgent attention to unlock growth.

Sustainability is a core theme at ARU, and Professor Roderick Watkins, Vice-Chancellor and now our Chair at AUG, set the tone brilliantly. In his opening address, he framed universities as civic institutions, inherently collaborative and socially minded, with a responsibility to drive environmental and societal benefit. His words reflected the spirit of the day – and why AUG’s new home at ARU feels so fitting.

Learning from the past, building for the future

Jason Longhurst brought a valuable depth of experience to the stage, reflecting on three decades of work in regional growth. As someone who championed the Growth Corridor in its earliest form – and who’s worked across four local authorities – Jason now brings his influence to bear through Prologis, the Supercluster Board, and the UK Business Council for Sustainable Development.

He walked us through the evolution of the Corridor with visuals from past strategies, prospectuses and reports – a fascinating retrospective. There was a touch of nostalgia for the days of regional delivery agencies, but also a clear-eyed view of what’s missing today: coherence, continuity, and properly resourced delivery.

Jason’s reflections reminded us how lucky we are to have someone at the table with such grounded experience across local government, environmental stewardship, and investment at scale.

Skills, systems and strategic momentum

The quality of the day continued with expert contributions from across the skills and policy landscape. Michael Croiss of The Green Edge gave a sharp overview of the green skills gap, while we were especially pleased to welcome Melanie Collins from the newly launched Skills England. We’re already in discussion with Mel and her team about how we can work together to align skills provision with the region’s projected growth.

It was also great to see Cllr Bridget Smith, a consistent voice for environmental responsibility in regional development, and to celebrate Zoe Metcalfe’s well-earned promotion to Director of Global Resilience at AtkinsRéalis – announced during the conference itself.

All of this took place as I quietly celebrated our AUG move to ARU – and the remarkable alignment between ARU’s strategic priorities and the ambitions of the wider region.

A region in the spotlight

The conference couldn’t have come at a better moment. Just days before and after, a series of national announcements placed the Growth Corridor centre stage:

• Rachel Reeves’s January speech marked the Oxford–Cambridge Corridor as a priority for her economic agenda.
• The Comprehensive Spending Review committed £2.5 billion to East West Rail, unlocking infrastructure needed to realise the region’s full potential.
• The release of both the Infrastructure Strategy and Industrial Strategy, within days of each other, referenced the region prominently – as a testbed for innovation and growth with national significance.

These announcements weren’t just political noise. They suggest the beginnings of a serious, sustained commitment to the region’s development – and we’re ready to respond.

From 100 Together… to 500?

A few days later, I travelled to Oxford for the 100 Together event at the Blavatnik School of Government – another conference focused on sustainable regional growth, but from a different angle.

Headlined by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, it asked a simple question: Can 100 people change the world? With thought-provoking sessions on local energy systems, environmental accountability, and climate-focused investment, the event echoed many of the themes from Sustainable Futures.

There was a shared belief in the power of collaborative leadership. We even explored how governments might enable all schools and public buildings to generate solar energy – and what this would mean for both investors and taxpayers if scaled across, say, all of Oxfordshire.

But as I listened, I found myself thinking: What if we did this not just in Oxford, or Cambridge – but across the whole Corridor?

The potential is immense. The goodwill is there. What if, instead of 100 people, we brought 500 together?

Looking ahead

As we settle into our new home at ARU, I’m more excited than ever about what’s ahead. The words spoken at these conferences – and in so many new strategies – now need to be backed by delivery. That’s where AUG, working with our university partners, regional stakeholders and government, can make a real difference.

I look forward to playing a part in that from our new base – helping to connect ideas to action, and collaboration to meaningful change.

Alistair Lomax

Director, Arc Universities Group

June 2025