Cambridgeshire and the East of England helping power economic success
Cambridgeshire and the wider East of England are critical economic drivers for the UK, with growth powered by international, knowledge-intensive industries, new data reveals.
Exclusive analysis released by London Stansted reveals services exports in the Cambridgeshire County Council area grew by 152% between 2016 and 2023, faster than it did in any major region of the UK, including London (101%). The average for England as a whole was 75%.
The analysis, produced for London Stansted by WPI Economics, also highlights 62% of total trade in services in Cambridgeshire CC involved partners from outside of the EU.
This was again higher than any major region in England, including London (61%) and the wider East of England (60%).
The data also reveals the wider East of England continues to go from strength to strength with international services trade in the region growing by 96% between 2016 and 2023. Growth was particularly strong beyond the EU, where services trade increased by 112%.
The findings were released as 600 leaders from across research, industry, investment, government and the wider innovation ecosystem gathered at the at the Innovate Cambridge Summit 2026 at the Guildhall, Cambridge, to explore the next phase of innovation-led growth for Cambridge and the UK.
London Stansted plays a key role in providing international connectivity for the region, serving 200 destinations across 40 countries, and offering more scheduled connections to Europe than any other UK airport.
World-leading carriers Emirates and Turkish Airlines also connect passengers to hundreds of global destinations via their hubs in Dubai and Istanbul and act as a gateway to the world for the East of England.
Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said:
"It’s been very clear for a long time that Cambridge and the wider East of England play vital roles in the economic success of the UK, and this new data clearly underlines the truly global nature of the region’s economic growth and the importance of the UK’s international trading relationships.
“The research shows Cambridge is the country's global services superpower and the region’s star performer with its world-leading innovation economy thriving on global connectivity.
“London Stansted is a key enabler of this economic growth, supporting the region in attracting world-leading businesses in technology, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and research.
“London Stansted already serves more European destinations than any other airport in the UK, and key airline partners such as Emirates and Turkish Airlines provide up to 350 onward connections across the globe via their world-leading hubs in Dubai and Istanbul.
“This research shows international connectivity is fundamental to economic success, and we expect to play an even greater role supporting the growth of the region through our investment plans to expand our capacity.
“Our transformation programme is about creating an airport ready for the future, attracting new airlines and serving even more routes. We’re confident this investment and vision will help sustain on-going economic success and power the future ambitions of Cambridge and the East of England.”
Previous WPI Economics research, called Services Superpower, found that services are central to the UK’s economic strength, with fast-growing sectors such as fintech and life sciences relying on international connectivity to trade, attract investment and drive growth.