Cumbria: a great example of regional economic potential

The county of Cumbria, for many, epitomises rural England. But the Wordsworthian reverence for the Cumbrian countryside isn’t an accurate reflection of the county’s economic footprint – and its true potential.

Cumbria is home to some of the UK’s most innovative front-line industries such as nuclear, advanced material manufacturing, a growing construction sector. And that’s on top of the agricultural and tourism industries that drive economic activity across the county and generate billions of pounds in revenue. Yet this is a narrative that is rarely championed, so Cumbria doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

However, with levelling up still firmly on the agenda and the deepening issues surrounding the price of energy, Cumbria's unique natural assets and business culture present an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on critical sectors of the national economy.

Cumbria is already home to a nuclear cluster

With the high price of natural gas and the instability