30 Apr 2026
The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) is playing a key new role in supporting joined-up thinking on the future of coastal and rural areas in the North East and beyond.
We are pleased to be working in partnership with the North East Combined Authority as Secretariat for the new North East Coastal and Rural Taskforce. This Taskforce brings together partners from across local authorities, national government, business, community and academia to tackle shared challenges and shape practical solutions. The learning from this can help make sure devolution works for coastal and rural areas in all parts of the UK.
Coastal and rural communities have a huge amount to offer – from natural assets and innovation in land-based sectors to strong local identities and enterprise. But they also face persistent challenges, including access to services, workforce shortages, climate pressures and underinvestment.
The Taskforce creates a space to address these issues collaboratively, ensuring that policy and investment better reflect the needs and opportunities of these places.
As Secretariat, NICRE is supporting the shaping and coordination of the Taskforce’s work, helping to bring partners together, facilitate discussions, and ensure that evidence and learning are at the heart of decision-making. Our role builds on NICRE’s wider mission to put research into practice for the benefit of rural economies.
The Taskforce is focusing on three priority themes:
- Agriculture, land use and nature
- Climate adaptation and resilience
- Coastal and rural communities
These themes reflect both regional priorities and national policy agendas, recognising the important role rural and coastal areas play in areas such as food production, net zero and community wellbeing.
Running until 2027, the Taskforce will develop a series of Coastal and Rural Economy Transformation Blueprints. These will set out practical models, ideas and policy recommendations that can be tested in the North East and shared more widely.
A key aim is to ensure that devolution delivers for coastal and rural areas – not as an afterthought, but as a central part of regional growth and innovation strategies.
Alongside partners, we will be engaging with businesses, communities and stakeholders across the region to test new approaches and share what works. By combining local insight with robust evidence, the Taskforce aims to support more inclusive and resilient rural and coastal economies.
This is an important opportunity to rethink how we support these places and to ensure their voices are part of shaping future policy.
To find out more, visit our Taskforce microsite or get in touch at [email protected].
