In half a century, something remarkable has risen from the fields of North Buckinghamshire. Dr Philip Smith MBE, chair of Milton Keynes Business Leaders Partnership, shares his vision of the prospects for the city.
Salute the past,
BIg anniversaries and big birthdays are a time for us to take stock of what we did right, what we did wrong and what we did not do at all.
And they are a time to look
forward because our experiences can shape future success and help to avoid failure. Milton Keynes Business Leaders
Partnership marks the 50th anniversary of the official designation of Milton Keynes with pride. Pride in those whose vision of a new way of living was realised, those who designed and built the roads and redways, the houses, factories, shops and offices, and made room for green space, trees and water.
Pride in the pioneers who came
to live and work here and those who followed. And immense pride in the massive contribution business people and organisations have made with jobs, wealth and opportunities. In half a century something
remarkable has risen from the fields of North Buckinghamshire. Things are not perfect; like any 50-year-old, Milton Keynes’ joints are not what they were - things creak and wear out. But if a city’s time is measured in centuries, Milton Keynes is only a relative teenager.
The city was built with good housing, good jobs, shopping, leisure time and the car in mind. Unlike many towns and cities, there was no one industry or single factory whose decline could threaten an entire community. It has been successful by continually welcoming, creating and nurturing businesses of many sizes and sectors, as well as reacting positively to the next emerging challenge or opportunity. While it might seem that it was
lived in black and white, 1967 was a time much like our own. Harold Wilson’s ‘white heat of technology’ speech still burned bright, challenging Britain to adopt emerging science and industries. People had cars, new homes, consumer goods, television soaps and travel. There was immigration and a new liberal attitude to sexuality.
What will Milton Keynes look like in the next 50 years? It will be
celebrate the present, shape the future
bigger, with 200,000 more people by 2050 and all the opportunities and challenges that brings in providing work, housing, schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and sustaining an economy to underpin it. What will be different from 1967,
even from today, will be the speed with which these and other opportunities and challenges emerge.
Digital connectivity and globalisation have already transformed how we create and run our businesses and how we do business with each other. Tomorrow the tempo of doing business will increase exponentially and the biggest challenge facing Milton Keynes and each of us is to equip all our young people with the skills to navigate and survive an ever faster,
‘It is essential that the voice of business, upon whose success everything is built, is clearly heard.’
more complex and competitive world and to seize its opportunities. Much of the strength Milton
Keynes has displayed over the past 50 years was planned-in from the beginning, like the road system that tomorrow will carry driverless cars summoned by a smart phone. The rest came from its people. Some of that planning and vision has faltered in recent years, but thinking about tomorrow’s Milton Keynes has already begun with the MK Futures 2050 Commission. Informed by voices from across the community, it is on the right track, particularly about connectivity, a digital future and Smart Cities, but it is essential that the voice of business, upon whose success everything is built, is also clearly heard. So, as we celebrate our city’s
golden anniversary, let us salute the past, acknowledge the present and come together to shape an even greater golden future.
www.mkblp.co.uk Nurturing the next generation of successful business
SINCE 1692, the respected private bank and wealth manager Coutts has been proud to support many of the world’s most interesting, game-changing and exceptional people, businesses and not for profit organisations. These three centuries have given Coutts a rare ability to anticipate clients’ needs and the understanding that wealth is not simply a figure on a balance sheet but an approach, a lifestyle and a world of opportunity. At some point in everyone’s life comes the stage when they begin to think about what they will contribute to future generations. For Milton
Keynes, 2017 is the year to reflect on 50 years of unique new-town culture while looking to the future vision for what the town will become. Coutts believes an important part of their role is helping clients leave a lasting legacy, whether that be about investing in causes, passing wealth to the next generation or ensuring the longevity of a business. Over the last few decades the Coutts
Entrepreneur client base across the broader enterprise community has grown significantly. With the rise of crowd funding, tech start-ups and the popularity of TV programmes like
07899 062892 Helen Pattichis
helen.pattichis@
coutts.com 07824 418127
www.coutts.com 46 Business Follow the conversation on twitter: @couttsandco using #Coutts
Dragon’s Den, much has been written about small businesses and first-time entrepreneurs and Coutts is proud to be able to connect their successful clients with local entrepreneurs starting their journey. By tapping into our vast network of clients and in-house experts and facilitating introductions through the free business accelerator Entrepreneurial Spark, recently opened in Milton Keynes in August 2016, Coutts believes in nurturing the next generation of successful businesses, making a valuable contribution to our community.
For more information about becoming a Coutts client or to speak to a local expert, contact: Steve Hutchings
steven.hutchings@
coutts.com
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