East Anglian counties partner with US city of Virginia Beach for mutual business and economic growth

The counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are partnering with Virginia Beach, a US city with booming technology and renewables sectors, to boost transatlantic trade and cooperation through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia, about the size of Bristol, halfway down the US East Coast. 

The MOU was signed on 12 November at the US Embassy in London by the three County Council Leaders: Norfolk's Kay Mason Billig, Suffolk's Matthew Hicks, and Essex's Kevin Bentley. Signing for Virginia Beach was the City's Deputy City Manager, Amanda Jarratt. 

"There is a huge amount of common ground between East Anglia and Virginia Beach," says Amanda. "Our city is one of the main hubs for the US offshore wind industry, as well as technology sectors like software and cybersecurity - and companies from East Anglia are already doing well there". 

Kay Mason Billig, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: "Offshore wind has a significant role to play in our future prosperity with the huge windfarms being developed off our coast and the Operations & Maintenance Campus in Great Yarmouth, and we also have a burgeoning technology sector, so there are obvious areas where Virginia Beach and Norfolk can mutually benefit from this agreement."  

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said: "The success of companies like Chorus Intelligence in the US market shows what is possible through international collaboration. With Suffolk's delivery in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and tech innovation, supported by hubs like OrbisEnergy and Innovation Martlesham, we look forward to working with Virginia Beach to share knowledge and drive growth in both regions." 

Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: "The technology and renewables sectors are hugely significant to the Essex economy, and will become even more so in the future. Signing this agreement with Virginia Beach alongside our close partners at Suffolk and Norfolk county councils is extremely exciting and we look forward to the benefits it will bring to economies on both sides of the Atlantic." 

One of the companies present at the event was Suffolk-based IT firm Chorus Intelligence, whose Chief Executive Neil Chivers said: "we set up our US operation in Virginia Beach in 2021 and it couldn't have gone better".  

The three counties see the partnership extending across business, research, academia and training. It supersedes a 2021 MOU between the now defunct New Anglia LEP and the US city, which included a joint presence at conferences and trade shows, business webinars, and advice on offshore wind training from East Coast College in Lowestoft. 

Several offshore wind farms are under construction along the US East Coast, including the largest, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia Beach. This attracted the UK subsidiary of Cadelar, formerly Seajacks based in Great Yarmouth, which provides jack-up vessels for their construction, to also establish a US presence there. 

Several initiatives are under discussion for 2025 and beyond, including assistance for US investors and exporters interested in East Anglia.