They are drawn from all sectors of our region's economy – those which have been the bedrock and those which will become the bedrock of our future.
But the companies selected for our Future50 business support programme, revealed this week, all share an ambition and determination to grow and succeed – and to do so here.
They include a pioneering AI company founded by a teenager, a social enterprise trying to help the disadvantaged and a manufacturer trying to break our global addiction to disposable packaging.
They have each been chosen because they embody what we believe are the brightest hopes for our economy's future.
In recent weeks and months, organisations including the New Anglia LEP and our county's chambers of commerce have been making the point that it time to stop focusing on our region's shortcomings and instead turn the spotlight on to the brilliance within our business community.
Getting to know the Future50 class of 2018 is a good start.
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