Why it matters: The programme addresses a critical gap, with over half of small businesses in the UK experiencing cyber breaches in the past year and fewer than one in 20 following government-recommended security steps, according to the government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024.
The details: The six-month Cyber Innovate to Elevate (CItE) programme will support 10 to 15 businesses across South-East Suffolk, including Ipswich and North Essex, to develop practical, scalable cybersecurity solutions tailored to their specific needs.
Led by Freeport East in partnership with the University of Essex, the initiative connects companies with academic expertise while involving Master's and doctoral students in solving real-world cyber challenges.
The programme focuses on trade, logistics and clean energy sectors – priority areas for Freeport East where cyber risks are well-publicised and tackling them helps strengthen local capability and trust.
What they're saying: Steve Beel, CEO at Freeport East, said: "Creating new jobs and becoming a global hub for clean energy, international trade and digital services has always been the goal of Freeport East. With this new initiative partnering with the University of Essex, not only can we boost job growth in the East of England, but we also enable local businesses to stay secure and competitive in an increasingly digitalised economic environment."
Dr Robert Singh, Director of the Research and Enterprise Office at the University of Essex, commented: "At the University of Essex, we are proud to be at the forefront of the Cyber Innovate to Elevate programme, which is an exciting new collaboration through which we will help small and medium-sized enterprises across the Freeport East region address critical cybersecurity needs."
The bigger picture: The programme builds on the success of a previous initiative involving Freeport East partners.
The Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils' Innovate to Elevate programme gained interest from over 200 businesses and saw the university deliver 22 innovation projects across the region.
This latest bid achieved success in a highly competitive funding environment, with only 20 projects funded out of 145 applications through Innovate UK's Cyber Local initiative.
The Freeport East–University of Essex collaboration scored 85.4%, demonstrating both the strength of the proposal and the region's growing role in national innovation strategy.
Dr Marta Fernandez De Arroyabe Arranz, Deputy Director of the University's Institute for Analytics and Data Science, adds: "Cybersecurity is no longer a peripheral concern for small and medium-sized enterprises – it's central to their resilience, customer trust, and long-term success. Our Cyber Innovate to Elevate programme is designed to directly address this. By combining tailored support, academic collaboration, and regional insight, we're not just raising awareness – we're turning it into action."
What's next: CItE forms part of Freeport East's wider commitment to supporting local innovation, strengthening digital capabilities, and building a model of cyber resilience that can be replicated across other Freeport regions.
The bottom line: Local businesses now have access to fully funded cybersecurity expertise that could prove crucial for their survival and growth in an increasingly digital economy where cyber threats are mounting.
