The Haven Gateway is the UK’s principal gateway for boxed freight and includes the UK’s largest container port - the Port of Felixstowe. In addition there are four other Haven ports – Ipswich, Harwich Navyard, Mistley and Harwich International Port. Ipswich is the largest agri-port in the UK and Harwich International a major passenger gateway and the UK’s third largest cruise port.40% of all the UK’s freight crosses the Orwell Bridge and the port, with its deep sea facilities and close proximity to the Channel shipping lanes, is first point of callin Europe to the world’s largest freight ships. With Phase 1 of the Felixstowe Southconfiguration due to open later in 2010, capacity at Felixstowe is set to expand by 50% placing increase demands on the rail and road network.

The Ports and Logistics industry already delivers some 32,000 jobs across the Haven Gateway, at an average wage 20% above the regional average.

Key Facts

• This sector employs some 32,000 people across the sub-region - 18% of the workforce
• Phase One of Felixstowe South reconfiguration will be completed in late 2010
• The average wage in the sector is £29,000 – approximately 20% above the regional average

The Market

Proximity to ports is one of the key locational advantages for many businesses across the sub-region and historically the Haven Ports have underpinned economic growth in this region for centuries. Initially in agricultural goods and machinery and more recently in global containerised freight, the Haven Ports are critical to the success of UK plc – daily ro-ro servicing of the London fruit and veg markets: exporting of grain from the Suffolk agricultural economy and the importing of timber from the Baltic states; aggregates to serve the Olympics; an increasing role in servicing offshore wind farm development and the UK’s largest container port.