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UK

Page history last edited by Brian D Butler 11 years, 9 months ago

What is the difference between the UK, Great Britain, and England?

 

 

About The United Kingdom:  UK

The UK continues to be Europe’s most popular investment location. This number one position is being strengthened by the growth in new economy sectors. Three of the world’s leading airports at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester make the UK a truly global hub.

 

Access to capital is a key driver for the new economy, so London’s role as a global financial center is an important factor in the UK’s appeal. The concentration of venture capital in the UK is attracting new investors every day.

 

Key target sectors include biotechnology, healthcare equipment, IT, electronics, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. New economy leaders are well represented in the UK including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sun, Cisco Systems, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Siemens, Compaq, Monster.com, Pfizer, Amgen, Dell, EDS, Charles Schwab, Amazon.com, Vodafone/Airtouch and Razorfish.

 

The UK workforce is especially skilled in those sectors where foreign investment is most extensive - electronics, engineering, science, information technology, telecommunications and finance. A world leader in many fields including design, innovation and R&D, it offers many of the brightest people in today's rapidly developing high tech industries.

 

Some of the world's leading edge research and development is carried out in Britain. UK universities now work very closely with industry and many international companies conduct R&D in the country because of its favorable intellectual property laws. In pharmaceuticals, software, telecommunications, automotive design and many other fields British-based R&D is unsurpassed.

 

 

 

Table of Contents:


 

 

Historical - Rise of Britain:

 

"Britain's rise to its once-extraordinary power represented an unintended gift from Napoleon. It had global ambitions before the Napoleonic Wars, but its defeat in North America and competition with other European navies meant Britain was by no means assured pre-eminence. In Napoleon's first phase, France eliminated navies that could have challenged the British navy. The defeat of the French fleet at Trafalgar and the ultimate French defeat at Waterloo then eliminated France as a significant naval challenger to Britain for several generations...

 

...'This began to change in the late 19th century with two major shifts. The first was German unification in 1871, an event that transformed the dynamics of Europe and the world. Once unified, Germany became the most dynamic economy in Europe. Britain had not had to compete for economic primacy since Waterloo, but Germany pressed Britain heavily, underselling British goods with its more efficient production.

Read more: Britain's Strategy | Stratfor 

 

 


 

 

Geopolitical Issues & Strategy:

 

"It has spent the last 20 years defining its place not in the world in general but between continental Europe and the United States in particular."  Read more: Britain's Strategy | Stratfor 

 

 

 


 

Economy

 

 

Currency Issues:

 

see our page: Why is the UK not in the Eurozone?

 

Crisis Update 2011:

"The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has announced the biggest cuts in state spending since World War II.  Savings believed to amount to about £83bn are due to be made over four years.  The Chancellor, George Osborne, told parliament that 490,000 public sector jobs would be cut over four years because the country had "run out of money". Experts predict a similar number of job losses in the private sector.  Most Whitehall departments face budget cuts of 19% on average, while the defence budget will be cut by 8%. The retirement age is to rise from 65 to 66 by 2020.Some incapacity benefits will be time-limited and other money will be clawed back through changes to tax credits and housing benefit. A new bank levy will also be brought in."   read more from BBC here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10162176

 

 

 

 

 

Bank crisis 08-09

 

Britain’s government took more measures to shore up its battered banking system. It plans to guarantee top-rated asset-backed securities and to limit the potential losses on banks’ toxic assets, for a fee. The Bank of England was given the power to buy up to £50 billion ($68 billion) of company debt. See article

 

 

 

 

Austerity 2010:

 

"The new UK coalition government has announced £6.2bn (7.2bn euros) of savings in 2010-2011, making it clear that this is just the first step in an austerity drive aimed at cutting the huge deficit of £156bn, which is above 11% of GDP. The biggest of all the departmental cuts will be at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, totalling £836m. David Cameron's government hopes to make big savings by delaying or stopping government contracts and projects, by cutting consultancy and travel costs and by slimming down public sector agencies known as quangos."  read more here:  BBC.com

 

 

Financial Crises of the Past

 

IMF Crisis 1976

 

1992 - Currency Crisis

 

  • George Soros became known as "the Man Who Broke the Bank of England" after he made a reported $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crises.
  • UK forced out of ERM (exchange rate mechanism).... see page on Euro

 

Black Wednesday - 16 September 1992
4 min - 18 May 2007,  Uploaded by OpenPoliticsyoutube.com

 

 

Doing business in the UK

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

UK Trade & Investment

Department of Trade & Industry

66-74 Victoria Street

London

SW1E 6SW

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 20 7215 8000

fax: +44 (0) 20 7828 1281

 

 

Education

Education market:

see also our discussion on Education business models

 

The market for Education in the UK is massive - there are 26,562 different schools in the UK, and 157 universities and classroom based learning is only part of the picture. There is also adult education, distance learning, workplace training and many qualifications that could be thought of as niche, but have high enrolments each year. On top of formal education there is informal education that is best represented by language learning and the "Dummies guide to" range of books.

 

Education startups in the UK:

 

Sums Online - Proving a range of flash based maths activities to a school and home audience - becoming the leader in classroom based PDA maths - marketplace: schools

WildKnowledge - Providing Windows Mobile based survey software for use inside and outside the classroom on PDAs - marketplace: schools

Notely.net - A range of tools for students to plan and manage their studies - marketplace: university students

School Of Everything - A connecting tool to directly link people who want to study with teachers of that subject - marketplace: individual learners and teachers.

uHavePassed - Online quizzes that can be taken off line focused on Handy Education(convenience) - marketplace: (currently) students for UK driving test

Learnitlists - Widget based vocabulary training, making personalised learning ubiquitous across many websites - marketplace: language learners

Fonefonics - Complete multi-media language courses delivered via mobile phone, focusing on teaching English to those without computer access - marketplace: employment agencies, language learners

• Many other language based sites offering elearning

 

 

Politics

 

2010:  "Ed Miliband narrowly defeated his elder brother David to become leader of Britain’s Labour Party, the main opposition force. In his first speech as leader Mr Miliband (the younger) distanced himself from the Blair-Brown era, insisting a “new generation” was in charge. Mr Miliband (the elder) said he was stepping down, for now, from front-line politics. See article

 

Culture

 

Book recommended to understand English culture here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Places in the UK

 

 

East Midlands

The East Midlands is the third largest region in England, covering an area from the southernmost county, Northamptonshire, which is only 50 miles from London, to 100 miles North. Its location in the middle of England means that most of the UK market can be reached within a day. East Midlands International Airport offers passenger and freight access to major European cities.

 

The region is strong in a number of areas such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, automotive components and engineering. More than 1,000 overseas owned companies are located in the area, including one of Britain’s largest ever inward investment projects - the Toyota car production plant located in Derbyshire. Other investors include Nippon Seiko, Caterpillar and Cosworth Engineering.

The high technology sector across the region is provided with a skilled workforce from Nottingham's two renowned universities.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

East Midlands Development Agency

Apex Court

City Link

Nottingham

NG2 4LA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 115 9888300

fax: +44 (0) 115 853 3666

 

 

Nottinghamshire

Nottinghamshire is a county located in the East Midlands region of England. Its central position means that over half the population of the UK live within one and a half hours drive time of the City of Nottingham. There are four international airports within 2 hours drive time (East Midlands Airport, Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford International Airport and Manchester Airport) and there is an hourly rail service to London.

 

The county is making a considerable investment in its digital communications infrastructure and is installing a comprehensive fiber optic infrastructure for telecommunications and cable television in the area.

 

Nottinghamshire’s economy is made up of companies in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, precision engineering and professional services sectors.

 

The county has attracted over 60% of the total foreign investment in the East Midlands with companies such as Capital One, Toray Textiles, Johnson Controls, Ericsson, Kyoshin Europe, Plastek, Flexfab Horizons, OMB and F10 Eften Europa.

 

There are over 45,000 students at the regions two universities and access to a further seven universities within an hours drive time. The University of Nottingham is rated the fourth best in the UK for teaching and research and has more applications per place than any other university. Nottingham Trent University has one of the largest business schools of its kind in the UK.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr David Mather

Inward investment and property services

Nottinghamshire County Council

Inward Investment & Property Services

County Hall

West Bridgford

Nottingham

NG2 7QP

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 115 9772054

fax: +44 (0) 115 977 2431

 

 

Nottingham

Nottingham is the capital of the East Midlands region in the UK. The city has a transport network which enables access to all other major UK cities and international travel via Birmingham and Manchester airports.

 

The city has a broad-based manufacturing infrastructure which is made up of large home-grown companies and an increasingly important innovative sector made up of small and medium sized research companies. Key industries in the city are clothing and textiles, pharmaceuticals, food, drink, tobacco and engineering with two home-grown companies being particularly well-known - Boots the chemist and Raleigh Bikes.

 

A number of the small and medium innovative companies are located on Highfields Science Park which is home to over 50 high technology companies. Many of these tenants have grown out of research conducted at nearby Nottingham University. Nottingham has two highly reputed universities; the university of Nottingham which is among the top UK universities for private research funding and Nottingham Trent university which covers subjects from art and design to science, mathematics and fiction.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Gerry Emmerson

Inward Investment

City of Nottingham

Exchange Buildings

Smithy Row

Nottingham

NG1 2BS

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 0115 9155381

fax: +44 (0) 0115 915 5144

 

 

 

Newark & Sherwood

The Newark & Sherwood District covers one third of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. The predominant industries in the area are mineral extraction and manufacturing with the engineering and food and drink sectors being particularly well represented.

 

Newark is on the Main East Coast Rail Line which links London to Leeds, York and Edinburgh. For air travel, East Midlands Airport is within easy reach, as are the main east coast ports.

 

There are a number of business parks which offer accommodation to companies looking to move into the region. Parts of the district benefit from being eligible for financial aid from Europe which can be allocated to companies moving into the area.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Newark & Sherwood District Council

Kelham Hall

Newark

Notts

NG23 5QX

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1636 655258

fax: +44 (0) 1636 655312

 

Northamptonshire

The county of Northamptonshire, with a population of 598,000, is located in the center of England some 70 miles north of London. The county is well served by the national road and rail networks with two major motorways and several major trunk roads passing through the county, both north to south and east to west - giving companies easy access to the rest of UK. Air freight may be sent via East Midlands Airport and there are good road and rail links to London Heathrow and Birmingham International Airports.

 

There are more than 350 foreign-owned companies in the county including Christian Salveson, Marconi, Panasonic, Coca-Cola Schweppes, Ford Motor Company, Levi Strauss and Volvo.

 

Northamptonshire is a global centre of excellence for high performance engineering and design in the field of Motor Sports. Local companies include British American Racing, Cosworth Engineering, Jordan Grand Prix and Maclaren.

 

The county has long been a major center of the UK's footwear and leather industries and is the home of the world-famous, iconic Dr Martens boots.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Jez Goodman

Manager, Economic Development Team

Invest in Northamptonshire

8 Spencer Parade

Northampton

Northamptonshire

NN1 5AA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1604 609380

fax: +44 (0) 1604 609390

 

 

 

Leicester

Leicestershire is located in the East Midlands region of England. With links to the national road network, Leicestershire is ideally situated for getting across the UK by road. There are 30 London trains a day and two accessible international airports, offering 300 flights per week to Europe and a daily service to New York.

 

Leicestershire has a vibrant precision engineering sector and is moving from its traditional manufacturing base to attract an increasing number of companies from the high-tech industries. The region also has a thriving financial and business services sector.

 

The region is home to Matsuura, Marconi, GEC Alsthom, TVM Healthcare, Canon UK, Viking Direct and one of the UK's most famous name in motorcycles, Triumph.

 

There is a student population of around 48,000 graduates per year, excelling in areas of design, engineering, banking, finance and the sciences. The National Space Science Centre, a Landmark Millennium Project, is also located in the County.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr William Presland

Invest Leicestershire

7-9 Every Street

Town Hall Square

Leicester

LE1 6AG

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 116 225 4071

fax: +44 (0) 116 222 1520

 

 

 

Derby

The city of Derby is located in the east midlands region of England and has a population of 220,000 which is expected to grow to 250,000 by 2020.

 

The city is home to around 6,000 companies with a strong emphasis on engineering. Some of the major employers in the region are Rolls Royce Aerospace, Adtranz, Toyota and Acordis. There is also a growing hi-tech/software sector and a new expanding university of over 13,000 students.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Julie Elgie

Derby City Council

Roman House

Friar Gate

Derby

DE1 1XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1332 255000

fax: +44 (0) 1332 256222

 

 

 

Lincolnshire

Located on the east coast, Lincolnshire, the UK's fourth largest county covers an area of 5,921 sq km. The traditional strengths that built the county's prosperity - agriculture and engineering - are still there, together with the ancillary industries that have grown with them, notably distribution and food processing. But real growth is also coming from the high-tech and new economy businesses that are recognising the unique potential of Lincolnshire as a platform for future growth.

 

Its highly strategic location means it can serve the whole of the UK and provide the vital link into mainland Europe. The Midlands, South East, North West and North East are all within easy reach by road while the bustling east coast ports, rail network and four regional airports complete the optimum logistics mix.

 

Lincolnshire is diverse in character and beauty against a rural backdrop; the main centres are growing and diversifying fast. From Lincoln, the stunning Cathedral City, through to historic market towns such as Boston, Grantham, Stamford, Louth, Sleaford and Gainsborough, to bustling coastal towns like Skegness.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ivan Annibal

Head of Operations

Lincolnshire Development

Beech House

Witham Park

Waterside South

Lincoln

LN5 7JH

UK

 

 

tel: 01522 823432

 

 

 

 

East of England

Stretching from the edge of London in the south to remote coastal and rural areas in the north and east, this area can truly lay claim to be a high-tech region, based in particular around the university city of Cambridge. The East of England consists of the six counties - Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk - and the four unitary authority areas - Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

 

Although the East of England has a diverse economy with a significant manufacturing base, it is gaining a global reputation for IT, biotechnology and all aspects of research and development.

 

With a population of 5.5 million people, the East of England is one of the fastest-growing regions of the UK, with the lowest recorded crime rate in England and unemployment levels of 3.3 per cent - well below the national average.

 

The title “Silicon Fen” is well earned, following Microsoft’s decision to build its first R&D center in the region as well as the emergence of home-grown new economy leaders such as ARM Holdings and Zeus Technologies (two of only six European companies listed by Red Herring as the most important new economy companies in the world). Cambridge University’s recent deal with MIT to establish a joint venture in the region will create even more demand for business space in the East of England.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Jan Andrews

Invest East of England

2 Quayside

Cambridge

CB5 8AB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1223 450450

fax: +44 (0) 1223 450451

 

 

Peterborough

Peterborough is located in the eastern region of England, approximately 80 miles north of London. The population of Peterborough is 156,000 and within a 30 minutes drive is 350,000.

 

Several large multi-national companies have their headquarters or major operations based in Peterborough. These include: Thomas Cook Holidays, Travelex, Budget Insurance, Royal and SunAlliance, Perkins, Peter Brotherhood, Geest, and Churchill Insurance.

 

Peterborough has strong representation in sectors such as the food industry, environment, financial and business services, engineering and warehouse and distribution.

 

Peterborough is a ‘city in the country’ where there are excellent facilities to support a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. Over 2,000 acres of public access parkland alongside the River Nene brings the countryside right into the city centre. Here you can enjoy golf, country walks, cycling, watersports, fishing, horse riding, trips on the Nene Valley Railway or a host of other leisure pursuits.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Helen Bosett

Relocations Administrator

Greater Peterborough Investment Partnership

5 The Forum

Minerva Business Park

Lynch Wood

Peterborough

PE2 6FT

UK

 

 

 

 

Norwich

The city of Norwich is located in the Eastern region of the UK and has a population of 300,000. The area is well known for its financial services, electronics, engineering and media/printing/publishing sectors. It has also become a major research hub concentrating on health and life sciences.

 

Norwich Research Park is Europe’s largest and most successful single-site concentration of research and development in the areas of plants, microbes, food, diet & health, the environment and information systems.

 

The Park has 1500 science staff, 500 postgraduate students, £90 million invested in new facilities in recent years and an annual turnover of £100 million. Organizations contributing to the Park’s activity are the University of East Anglia, the John Innes Center, the Sainsbury Laboratory, the Institute of Food Research, British Sugar Technical Center, Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust, Zeneca, Plant BioSciences Ltd and Cambridge Discovery Chemistry. Together these organizations form a powerful co-operative force, each focused on complementary areas of research.

 

The Park is to expand further with a new Innovation and Business Center for Information and Communication Technologies, additional state-of-the-art laboratories for commercial use, incubator units and other facilities for biotechnology start-ups. Larger companies have the opportunity to specify bespoke buildings to meet their specific needs.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Sean Steadman

Norwich City Council

City Hall

Norwich

NR2 1WH

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1603 212545

fax: +44 (0) 1603 213009

 

 

 

Luton

Luton is situated just north of London in the Eastern region of England. It has an international airport enabling rapid access into the rest of Europe and is well connected to a national rail network in the UK.

 

Luton has a strong manufacturing sector with a number of companies operating in the vehicle, engineering, electronics and aerospace industries. The financial services sector is also a thriving one in the town. Companies in Luton include Scholl, SKF, Anritsu Wiltron and Electrolux.

 

These companies pull on the annual supply of graduates from the University of Luton and other nearby training/academic institutes such as the Cranfield Institute of Technology.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Deborah Harrison

Luton/Dunstable Partnership

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1582 546970

fax: +44 (0) 1582 546971

 

 

Ipswich

On England’s eastern coast, Ipswich is a dynamic regional center for business and commerce.

 

There is easy access to the motorway network, the ports of Ipswich and Felixstowe are close by and Stansted Airport provides national and international travel. There are also good rail links to London, the Midlands and the North with trains to London every 15 minutes taking just over an hour. There are over a third of a million people living within 20km of Ipswich.

 

Ipswich has a diverse economy with strengths in many sectors such as hi-tech, insurance and financial services, call centers, shipping and logistics and engineering. Well known names such as AXA, TXU, Willis, Royal & Sun Alliance, CGU, Anglia Countrywide, BT, Agilent Technologies (HP), Medite, Fred Olsen, P&O, Textron and Celestion all have a base in Ipswich.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Simon Meecham

Economic Development Manager

Ipswich Borough Council

Economic Development Unit

Civic Centre, Civic Drive

Ipswich

Suffolk

IP1 2EE

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1473 432019

fax: +44 (0) 1582 546971

 

 

 

Cambridge

In the heart of the East of England's "Silicon Fen", Cambridge is at the forefront of the knowledge-led economy. With one of the world's best universities at its center, the city is a much-sought after location for the new economy, with its developed cluster of IT, telecommunications and biotechnology companies.

 

Proximity to London, good communication links, pleasant surroundings and a skilled labor force have all contributed to making the area a magnet for new high technology investment.

 

Cambridge was chosen by Microsoft as the home for its first R&D facility in Europe. The area is also home to such major firms such as Philips, Sun Microsystems, Olivetti, Nokia, Amgen, Unipalm, PIPEX and Mitsubishi.

 

Cambridge University is a renowned seat of learning and research, much of which is at the forefront of scientific and technological invention. A recent joint venture between the university and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reinforces the city position as one of Europe's leading technology locations.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Jan Andrews

Invest East of England

2 Quayside

Cambridge

CB5 8AB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1223 450450

fax: +44 (0) 1223 450451

 

 

 

Basildon

Basildon is a district situated in the South of Essex, 30 miles east of London in the UK. It offers fast road connections to all of London's airports, and to the ports of Harwich, Tilbury, Dover and Felixstowe. There are 5 stations in the district offering regular and rapid connections to London.

 

The town is home to many companies of international reputation: including Ford Research and Engineering Center - Europe's most advanced center of its kind, Commercial Union, First Data Resources, GEC Marconi, York International and Musto.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Basildon District Council

St Martin's Square

Basildon

Essex

SS14 1DL

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1268 533333

fax: +44 (0) 1223 450451

 

 

 

Suffolk

Based in the East of England, Suffolk is an extremely well connected business location. It boasts the UK's largest container port and is next to Britain's fastest growing airport - Stanstead - which offers scheduled passenger services to more than 100 destinations worldwide, as well as handling more than 190,000 tonnes of cargo a year. The county lies just one hour north east of London and only minutes away from Cambridge and its world-famous university-led cluster of high-tech businesses.

 

Suffolk has the University of Cambridge, Essex University and the University of East Anglia on the doorstep. It has also brought Massachusetts institute of Technology and University College London here. Suffolk College offers foundation degrees in e-commerce and West Suffolk, Otley and Lowestoft Colleges help to make Suffolk workers the smartest in the country.

 

The county of Suffolk, with the city of Ipswich at its economic centre, is home to a number of key industry networks and high-growth clusters including:

 

Cambridge-Ipswich Hi-Tech Corridor - the county is linked to clusters of over 1500 technology companies covering telecommunications, research and development, e-business solutions, web and internet services, software and hardware development, systems integration, photonics biotechnology and bluetooth. Well established examples include IP-City and the Cambridge Network, one of the worlds leading technology clusters.

 

Energy - The East of England Region and the area around Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth in particular is home to one of the UK's most important clusters of energy related businesses. Further information on the alternative energy sectors can be obtained from the East of England Energy Group.

 

Shipping & Logistics - Much of the UK's international trade passes through the 'Haven Gateway' area covering the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich. Suffolk has built up a particularly high level of expertise in shipping and logisitics and other related sectors.

 

Other more specialised business clusters in Suffolk are as diverse as horseracing (Newmarket in Suffolk is home to the world famous headquarters of the British horseracing industry), advanced engineering, food processing and contact centres.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Julian Munson

Inward Investment Manager

Suffolk Development Agency

Felaw Maltings

Felaw Street

Ipswich

IP2 8SJ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1473 406714

 

 

Greater London

London is one of the world’s most important cities and is a clear leader in the new economy.

 

An established World, European and UK headquarters location, London’s key sectors include banking, insurance and financial services, pharmaceuticals/healthcare/biotechnology, research & development, sales and marketing, print and publishing and perhaps most importantly high technology.

 

London is Europe's most successful city at attracting foreign companies thanks to its many locational advantages such as being the largest global hub for international air travel (nine out of 10 of the busiest air routes between Europe and the US are to and from London). Other key features are unrivalled access to financial markets, an international workforce and world-leading academic institutions.

 

A thriving cluster of new economy firms (across a range of sectors such as software and services, electronics, e-commerce and telecommunications) have turned London into a global leader in the internet age.

 

Cities

 

London

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Andrew Cooke

London First

1 Hobhouse Court

Suffolk Street

London

-

SW1Y 4HH

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 20 7925 2000

fax: +44 (0) 20 7925 2022

 

 

North East England

The North East region of England is situated on the east coast of the UK and has a population of 2.6 million. The region's capital is Newcastle upon Tyne, which lies 274 miles from London, on the main railway line between London and Edinburgh.

 

The region's high-tech strengths lie in biotechnology/life sciences, software and microelectronics, with specific expertise in the semiconductor sector.

 

Major overseas companies that have located in the North East include Sanofi-Winthrop, BASF, Pirelli, Nissan, Komatsu, Sanyo Electric, Samsung Elecronics, Philips, Lite-On Technologies, Bristol Myers, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Procter & Gamble and one of the world’s largest suppliers to the semicon industry, the American owned Applied Materials.

 

The region's indigenous strengths can be seen in the example of home-grown success stories such as Sage. From its home base and worldwide HQ in Newcastle, Sage has grown to become the world's leading provider of accounting software to small and medium sized businesses.

 

There are five major universities and 24 colleges in the North East including the highly respected universities of Durham and Newcastle.

 

The recently developed International Centre for Life in Newcastle features a commercial bioscience center, human genetics institute, a public visitor attraction featuring interactive learning displays celebrating the life sciences and a bioethics forum, all on a single site.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Peter Shields

ONE North East

ONE North East House

Sandyford Road

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 8ND

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 191 261 0026

fax: +44 (0) 191 232 9069

 

 

Teesside

Comprising the towns of Middlesbrough and Stockton, Teesside lies 40 miles to the south of Newcastle on England's North East coast.

 

Home to the UK’s second largest port and connected to the rest of Europe by air, sea and rail, Teesside is one of the UK’s manufacturing heartlands. The Tees Valley is considered to be a European center of chemicals excellence, offering an inexhaustible water supply and a highly developed local cluster of companies.

 

Recently, thanks to a large available workforce and generous incentives, the area has become a popular location for call center operations.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Tees Valley Development Company

Aurora Court

Riverside Park Road

Middlesbrough

Teesside

TS2 1RY

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1642 862000

fax: +44 (0) 1642 862020

 

 

 

County Durham

County Durham is located in the North East region of England. Major north/south road and rail links, connecting London with Scotland, run through the heart of the County.

 

Regional Airports at Newcastle and Teesside offer direct flights to many European cities, and connections to further international destinations.

 

The County has a thriving electronics and information technology sector with particular strengths in components technology, materials technology and consumer electronics. Home to over 60 companies in the materials technology field, Durham has become one of the most significant clusters of this kind in Europe.

 

Key investors in the County include Nippon Silica Glass, NSK (the first Japanese company to set up in North East England in1976), Sanyo, Black & Decker, 3M, Caterpillar, Electrolux, Norsk Hydro, Filtronic Compound Semiconductors, TRW, SMK, Orange and EDS. The county is also home to one of the largest concentrations of Scandinavian investment in the UK.

 

Durham University has a worldwide reputation for academic excellence in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geological Sciences, Physics and Mathematical Sciences. The University offers consultancy and technical support to companies in the field of electronics through the Regional Centre for Electronic Technologies (ReCet).

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr John Elliott

County Durham Development Company

County Hall

Durham

DH1 5UT

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 191 383 2000

fax: +44 (0) 191 386 2974

 

 

 

Sunderland

Sunderland is located in the north east region of England. It is a hub for the automotive sector in the UK as shown by Nissan’s major manufacturing investment in the area, which has attracted a host of second and third tier suppliers including Lucas, TRW, Calsonic, Ikeda Hoover and Magna Kansei. Together, these component manufacturing companies provide jobs for around 11,000 people.

 

Other major multi-nationals that have decided to locate in the area include TRW, One 2 One, LG Electronics and Nike. The city has also become a popular location for customer call centers.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

TWeDCo

Investor House

Colima Avenue

Sunderland Enterprise Park

Sunderland

SR5 3XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0)191 516 9099

fax: +44 (0) 191 516 9098

 

 

 

Gateshead

Gateshead lies across the famous Tyne Bridge from the neighbouring city of Newcastle in the North East of England. It is situated on the A1 motorway (the main north south route in England) with access to two deep water seaports, an international airport and one of best serviced rail stations in the country.

 

Gateshead has been chosen by international companies such as Armstrong World Industries, Ingersoll Dresser Pumps and Komatsu.

 

In addition to Team Valley, one of Europe's largest industrial estates, a number of new developments are increasing Gateshead's attractiveness to investors.

 

One of the UK's most important new waterfront developments is taking shape at Gateshead Quays, where art galleries, a hotel, music center and conference facilities are being built. The adjacent 50 acre Baltic Business Park is likely to attract significant interest.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

TWeDCo

Investor House

Colima Avenue

Sunderland Enterprise Park

Sunderland

SR5 3XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0)191 516 9099

fax: +44 (0) 191 516 9098

 

 

 

Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne is the capital of the north east region of England. Newcastle International Airport is the eighth biggest regional airport in the UK and serves most major European business centers along with routes to Canada and the United States. The flight time to London is approximately 1 hour.

 

High-tech specialisms include electronics, software, offshore technology, advanced materials, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications.

 

Newcastle's great new economy success story is the global growth of software provider Sage. This locally grown firm is now the world's leading supplier of accounting and payroll software to the SME market. Sage has its corporate HQ in Newcastle.

 

The city is also home to one of Procter and Gamble's four major Technical Research Centers and other companies such as British Airways, BT, Vickers Defense Systems and Lloyds Bank are also located in the area.

 

Newcastle upon Tyne has two universities, with a total student population of more than 44,000. The University of Newcastle has a reputation for excellence in medicine, engineering and computing sciences.

 

Newcastle is renown for its youthful, dynamic lifestyle which makes the city hugely attractive to many young people.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

TWeDCo

Investor House

Colima Avenue

Sunderland Enterprise Park

Sunderland

SR5 3XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0)191 516 9099

fax: +44 (0) 191 516 9098

 

 

 

North West England

The Northwest region of England offers investors a well-networked base for their operations. Manchester International airport offers daily flights to over 40 European cities and 7 North American cities and road and rail links provide fast connections to the rest of the UK.

 

The region has become a home to international shared service centers and companies from the automotive, IT and life science fields.

 

Over 30,000 people in the region are employed in the development of IT and software systems with companies such as EDS, Cap Gemini, Sema Group, Hyperion Solutions, Oracle and IBM topping the list of investors. World-class universities in the region have a strong technology base and produce nearly 2,000 computer science graduates each year.

 

The National Computing Center, the UK's largest network of advanced workstations and the National Center for Virtual Environments are both based in the Northwest, along with the country's largest university computer science department at Manchester University.

 

In the life sciences sector, an annual gross output of $3 billion makes the Northwest the second largest life science region in the UK. 14,000 people, representing 20% of all UK life science workers, are employed in the region giving easy access to a pool of skilled labor. The UK's largest medical school is in Manchester and companies can also pull on graduates from Europe's leading Masters course in Bioinformatics. Companies which benefit from this environment include AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Rhône-Poulenc Rorer and Eli Lilly.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Michael Roberts

Head of Inward Investment

North West Development Agency

PO Box 37

Renaissance House, Centre Park

Warrington

Cheshire

WA1 1XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1925 400100

fax: +44 (0) 1925 400400

 

 

Wirral

Wirral is located in the North West region of England. The area is linked to the national motorway network and is close to the main rail network which runs from Liverpool station. Manchester International and Liverpool Airports are within a 45 minute drive time.

 

Companies based in Wirral include Lever Brothers, Champion Spark Plug, Premier Brands UK, Mobil Oil, Candy Domestic Appliances, Quest International, Volclay, Chemdal and Vauxhall.

 

The Wirral Metropolitan College has a student population of over 25,000 and provides the skills necessary for local industry. The college has recently expanded to establish an International Business and Management Center.

Companies in the area can also pull on graduates from the nearby University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr David Hunt

Wirral Direct

Egerton House

Tower Road

Birkenhead

Wirral

L41 1FN

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 151 650 6915

fax: +44 (0) 151 650 6967

 

 

 

Wigan

Wigan lies at the heart of the North West region in England. Wigan is part of the Greater Manchester conurbation of some 2.6 million people, while 10 million live within an hour’s drive of the Borough. It is served by one of the best motorway networks in the UK, and nearby Manchester Airport, offering flights to 175 destinations worldwide.

 

Investors in the region include HJ Heinz and Co, Miliken Industrials Limited, a subsidiary of Miliken Inc of the USA, and PPG of Pittsburg, the world’s second largest manufacturer of single strand fiber glass.

 

Wigan is home to a number of fully serviced real estate sites, such as Martland Park, which is home to companies operating in the manufacturing, retail and distribution sectors. The Park is one of the largest food operations in Europe.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Wigan Borough Partnership

Wigan Investment Centre

Waterside Drive

Wigan

WN3 5BA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1942 705705

fax: +44 (0) 1942 705272

 

 

 

Warrington

Warrington lies mid way between the twin cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North West England. Close to Manchester Airport and at the interchange between several major motorways and with direct train access to London and Scotland, the town serves as a strategic location for many businesses.

 

A designated New Town, Warrington has seen unparalleled growth over the last two decades and is now one of the most important areas for business in the region.

 

Thanks to major technology employers such as BNFL, AEA Technology and BT, the town is at the heart of a growing tech cluster that includes Birchwood Science Park and several new developments which cement the area’s reputation as a science base in the north of England.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Verity Deaville

Economic Development Team

Warrington Borough Council

International Business Centre

Delta Crescent

Westbrook

Warrington

WA5 7WQ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0)1925 715185

fax: +44 (0)1925 715111

 

 

 

Merseyside

Merseyside is in the North West of England with the city of Liverpool at the heart of the region. Two international airports (Manchester and Liverpool) are within a 30 minute drive time and rail services connect Liverpool with other UK cities.

 

Major sectors in Merseyside are pharmaceuticals, vehicle manufacture, distribution and call centers. Companies operating in the pharmaceutical sector include Glaxo Wellcome, Eli Lilly and Medeva. Merseyside is also home to seven of the world's leading vehicle manufacturers, more than any other European country. Ford, General Motors, Delphi Delco Electronics Systems and Pilkington Glass are just a few of the companies operating in this field.

 

The research-based companies locating in the area benefit from a supply of skilled workers from the 50,000 students at the region's three universities - The University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University College.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Janice Glackin

Mersey Partnership

Cunard Building

Pier Head

Liverpool

L3 1ET

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 151 237 3920

fax: +44 (0) 151 227 2325

 

 

 

Manchester

With a population of more than 2.5 million, a wide range of successful businesses, an international airport and the largest student population in Europe, Manchester deserves its global reputation for business, transport, sport, cultural and lifestyle excellence.

 

Manchester plays host to world-class businesses from operations including pan-European Shared Services Operations and Customer Contact Centres and sectors including Financial Services, Digital Industries, Biotechnology and Food Related activity.

 

Some of Manchester’s best known businesses include Astra Zeneca, Sharp, Brother, Fujitsu Services, Photronics, IBM, Siemens, Michelin, and Marks and Spencer.

 

Manchester boasts four universities within a five mile radius of the City

and in 2004 the merger of the University of Manchester and UMIST next year will create the UK’s largest university.

 

The area benefits from excellent transport links with the fully-open M60 orbital motorway and fast links to cities throughout the UK and Manchester Airport which offers 180 direct destinations across the globe.

 

The workforce of 1.2 million is recognised as being of the highest quality by prospective employers and Manchester has a high standard of living with a plethora of cultural, eating and drinking and shopping attractions.

 

Accommodation for both business and people is affordable and widely available. All this adds up to make Manchester the all-round best choice for business in the UK.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Jack Glonek

MIDAS

Trafford Wharf Road

Wharfside

Trafford Park

Manchester

M17 1EX

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 161 877 3000

fax: +44 (0) 161 848 8638

 

 

 

Cumbria

Cumbria is England's second largest county, located in the North West of England and covering 6,810 square kilometres. Around half the county is designated as National Park or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The total population of Cumbria is 490,000

 

Airports at Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Teesside and Liverpool provide links to London, other UK cities, Europe and destinations world-wide. There is a high standard of telecommunications across the region, offering high-technology companies all the necessary infrastructure in a scenic location.

 

The major sectors in the region are life sciences, food & drink, pharmaceutical & healthcare, electronics, call centers & deepwater technology. For companies involved in marine engineering, the Furness area of Cumbria is known throughout the world as a center of excellence in the construction of sophisticated military ships and submarines. For the life sciences investor, the region is home to the Westlakes Science and Technology Park offering world-class research facilities in breathtaking natural surroundings.

 

Investors in the region include British Nuclear Fuels, Carnaud MetalBox, Eastman Chemicals, Eddie Stobart, GEC Marine / VSEL, Glaxo Wellcome, Johnson Control Automotive, Kangol Kimberley Clark, New Balance Athletic Shoes and UCB Films.

 

A number of Higher and Further Education establishments provide a workforce to sustain the region’s economy; Westlakes International Research and Graduate Center, University of Northumbria - Carlisle Campus, Cumbria College of Art and Design and the University College of St. Martin – Cumbria, amongst others. In addition to the local colleges, there are 18 universities within 2 hour drive, plus a further 7 in southern Scotland.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Jack Stopforth

Chief Executive

Cumbria Inward Investment Agency

Redhills

Penrith

Cumbria

CA11 0DT

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1768 895350

fax: +44 (0) 1768 895510

 

 

 

Cheshire

Cheshire is the most affluent county in the north of England and bordering the great cities of Manchester and Liverpool has many advantages for investing companies.

 

Its concentration of motorways, roads and railways makes most areas of the UK within easy travelling distance. Cheshire is also well served by both Liverpool and Manchester international Airports.

 

The city of Chester is an emerging financial services location that has experienced major success with the Chester Business Park. It has attracted investment from companies such as MBNA International Bank, Bank of Scotland and Marks & Spencer, most of whom have expanded on their existing facilities in the Park.

 

To the south of the county, the town of Crewe is the historic home one of such world leading brands like Rolls Royce Motor Cars and Bentley. Recent investors in Crewe include mobile telephone group, Caudwell and a host of technology companies on Crewe Business Park (described by The Times as being "the UK's first green business park").

 

Life sciences feature strongly in Cheshire thanks to global players like AstraZeneca, Avecia and Aventis Pharma - all with major facilities in the area. Added to this is a host of successful biotech start-ups across the county.

 

The northern fringe of the county borders Manchester and Liverpool - with a number of high-tech firms choosing to base themselves in Cheshire. The North West's universities are on the doorstep of Cheshire, providing crucial local access to graduates in all fields.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Cheshire County Council

Economic Development

County Hall

Chester

CH1 1SG

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 845 760 3456

fax: +44 (0) 1768 895510

 

 

 

Blackburn

Blackburn, with a population of around 140,000, is one of the largest towns in Lancashire, in the North West of England.

 

The town is at the heart of the motorway network located on the M65 linking directly to the M6 and M61 and the national network and has one of the largest manufacturing bases within the UK, accounting for 37% of the total workforce.

 

With growing industry clusters in aerospace, plastics, chemicals and paper, there is a wealth of talent with a diverse range of skills. There is also a growing base of diverse technology orientated companies on Greenbank Technology Park, including a Technology Management Center and a new state of the art ICT center of excellence for IT and high technology training.

 

There is a strong business base in the area with companies like ICI, Akzo Nobel , Philips Components, Graham & Brown, Borden and Shorrocks with significant investments.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Blackburn with Darwen Council

Town Hall

Blackburn

Lancs

BB1 7DY

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1254 585585

fax: +44 (0) 1768 895510

 

 

 

Halton

Halton is located between the two cities of Manchester and Liverpool in the north of England. The regional road/rail/air network is efficient with access to Manchester and Liverpool airports and an intercity rail service which connects Liverpool to London.

 

Its main business is in chemicals, food processing, clothing, metal products and furniture manufacturing. The main service sectors are retail, financial, public and health administration.

 

The Heath International Center provides managed office space to companies locating in the area. Facilities on the site include video conferencing, restaurants, meeting rooms, lecture theatre, trade library and on site secretarial support.

 

The region has seen growth in its Call Center sector and to ensure that local call centers are able to source qualified staff, a training facility dedicated to the needs of the Call Center industry has been opened in Runcorn.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Halton Borough Council

Economic Development Unit

Halton

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 151 420 9428

fax: +44(0)1514209413

 

 

 

Preston

The area includes the districts of Chorley, Preston and South Ribble in the North West of England. With a population of over 300,000, Central Lancashire is located less than 30 miles north of the Merseyside/Greater Manchester urban belt.

 

Central Lancashire is at the heart of an enviable and improving transport network, offering rapid business links by road, rail, air and sea. As well as direct access to several motorways, Manchester airport is within easy reach.

 

To seize commercial opportunities, such as e-commerce, and handle the rapid growth in data traffic as the internet matures, Central Lancashire offers a modern communications network, backed by significant new investment by BT.

 

The area has a major presence of hi-technology manufacturing industry. Local investors include British Telecom, British Aerospace and Computer Sciences Corporation.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Michael Roberts

Head of Inward Investment

North West Development Agency

PO Box 37

Renaissance House, Centre Park

Warrington

Cheshire

WA1 1XB

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1925 400100

fax: +44 (0) 1925 400400

 

 

 

 

Ellesmere Port

Ellesmere Port is located in the north west region of England in between the two cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

 

The economy is dominated by the manufacturing industry with more than two out of every three jobs in this sector. Three main industries are pre-eminent in the manufacturing sector - petroleum products, chemical and road vehicles - and they account for half the total jobs in the Borough and five out of every six in the manufacturing sector.

 

Investors who have chosen to locate and expand in the region include Shell, Vauxhall Motors and Air Products. The Shell Group's continued investment in their plant has made their Stanlow Refinery and Petro Chemical Works the most complex site of its kind in Europe, and Vauxhall Motors have created one of the most modern car production plants in Europe.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Charles Holmes

Principal Economic Development Officer

Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council

Economic Development

Council Offices

4 Civic Way

Ellesmere Port

CH65 OBE

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 151 356 6645

fax: +44 (0) 151 356 6600

 

 

 

 

Liverpool

The city of Liverpool is in the Merseyside sub-region of North West England. Two international airports (Manchester and Liverpool) are within a 30 minute drive time and rail services connect Liverpool with other UK cities.

 

Major sectors are pharmaceuticals, vehicle manufacture, distribution and call centers. Companies operating in the pharmaceutical sector include Glaxo Wellcome, Eli Lilly and Medeva.

 

The research-based companies locating in the area benefit from a supply of skilled workers from the 50,000 students at the region's three universities - The University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Hope University College.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Janice Glackin

Mersey Partnership

Cunard Building

Pier Head

Liverpool

L3 1ET

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 151 237 3920

fax: +44 (0) 151 227 2325

 

 

 

 

Crewe

The town of Crewe lies in south Cheshire, close to the cities of Stoke-on-Trent to the south, Manchester and Liverpool to the north. It has been the traditional home of the railway industry in the UK thanks to its central position on the rail network, linking most major north/south and east/west routes. Regular rail links to Manchester Airport mean that international flights are just a short distance away.

 

The largest employers in the town are Railtrack, Caudwell Communications and Rolls Royce Motors - with the luxury cars such as Rolls Royce and Bentley being made in Crewe. New employers are moving into the town's business park, which is regarded as one of the UK's most environmentally-friendly parks.

 

Crewe is fast-gaining a reputation for excellence in sport too, with the town's football team, Crewe Alexandra, being famous for its innovative youth initiatives thanks to the UK's longest serving football manager, Dario Gradi MBE.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Cheshire County Council

Economic Development

County Hall

Chester

CH1 1SG

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 845 760 3456

fax: +44 (0) 1768 895510

 

 

 

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the UK’s most successful regions when it comes to attracting high-technology investors.

 

The region lays claim to Europe's most sophisticated digital, fiber optic, broadband telecommunications infrastructure, enabling fast voice and data communications worldwide. Companies who have chosen to locate in the region include Allstate Corporation, Bombardier, Dupont, Fujitsu, Galen, Humax Electronics, ICL, Nortel Networks, ntl, phone.com and Seagate.

 

Frequent air services to the rest of Europe and the US, including over 20 daily flights to London and fast, modern motorways linking industrial and business centres to any airport or seaport within two hours.

 

Northern Ireland's two universities, the Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster, which has centers at Belfast, Jordanstown, Coleraine and Londonderry, have a longstanding commitment to leading-edge research and to working closely with individual companies in the development of new products and process, as well as on recruitment and training. International links include a tie up with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Miss Bernie McGrath

Invest Northern Ireland

64 Chichester Street

Belfast

BT1 4JX

Northern Ireland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 28 902 33233

fax: +44 (0) 28 905 45000

 

Antrim

Situated close to Belfast, the regional capital of Northern Ireland, Antrim has attracted many international companies.

 

These include the Daewoo Group of Korea - the company has carried out two major expansions to its facility and now employs close to 900 people. Another Korean owned company, Daehwa Metal manufactures components for the consumer electrical industry. Japanese electronics company Fujitsu, established a manufacturing base in 1992 to produce electronic equipment.

 

Among the main benefits that Antrim offers are a well educated workforce, excellent road infrastructure, the sixth largest airport in the UK - Belfast International Airport, convenient sea ports at Belfast (14 miles) and Larne (20 miles), availability of financial incentives from Government, availability of training grants and the provision of an aftercare programme for new investors. Additionally, a local Technology Park is dedicated to the specific needs of technology based industries.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Antrim Borough Council

Council Offices

The Steeple

Antrim

BT41 1BJ

Northern Ireland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1849 463113

fax: +30 (0) 31 510 500

 

 

 

 

Londonderry

The City of Londonderry also known as Derry, stands on the banks of the River Foyle in the scenic North West region of Northern Ireland.

 

The City has a truly international outlook and its links to the United States provide a bridgehead between America and Europe.

 

A well educated workforce, attractive incentives and an exceptional quality of life, make the city a popular choice for business.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Miss Bernie McGrath

Invest Northern Ireland

64 Chichester Street

Belfast

BT1 4JX

Northern Ireland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 28 902 33233

fax: +44 (0) 28 905 45000

 

 

 

Belfast

Belfast is situated in Northern Ireland and, with its young population, has become a dynamic center for ICT and software companies. There are over 300 companies involved in software activity in Belfast and an active trade association, the Software Industry Federation. The University of Ulster has the largest informatics department in the UK and Queens University Belfast has a center of expertise in Digital Sound Processing and telecoms.

 

The biotechnology and life sciences sector is also a vibrant one in the city. Companies such as Boxmore Healthcare, Biocolor and Scinex pull on the skills of the University of Ulster’s top rated department of biomedical sciences.

 

Other investors who have chosen to locate in the area include Nortel Networks, Fujitsu, Northbrook Technology, Lucas Aerospace, Seagate and Raytheon.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Miss Bernie McGrath

Invest Northern Ireland

64 Chichester Street

Belfast

BT1 4JX

Northern Ireland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 28 902 33233

fax: +44 (0) 28 905 45000

 

 

 

Scotland

Scotland is internationally recognized as a key location for high-tech companies looking to move to Europe. Situated in the North of the UK, it has international airports in its two main cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow and also in Prestwick and Aberdeen.

 

Scotland demonstrates considerable strength in the services, aerospace, biotechnology, electronics, healthcare, information systems, semiconductor and software sectors. The country is extremely advanced in developing an infrastructure to further the development of companies in these sectors.

 

In the services sector Scotland has become a major location for call centers and shared service centers. It is leading the way in training in this area and looking at how e-business impacts back-office operations. The country is a base for over 400 electronics companies with investors such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Compaq, Packard Bell, NEC, Sun Microsystems and Mitsubishi. The Alba Center in west Lothian provides research facilities for companies involved in semiconductor design and a network of software development centers across the country ‘incubate’ home-grown companies and provide a base for foreign companies operating in the software field.

 

For healthcare companies Scotland offers five of the UK’s top 20 medical teaching schools, eight university campus science parks and six international clinical research companies. Major employers include Ciba-Geigy, Roche, Glaxo, Zeneca and SmithKline Beecham.

 

Investors are attracted to Scotland by its extensive academic base (13 Universities), world-class research and co-location with some of the leading names in the world of technology.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

Buyout boom in Aberdeen

There were only three private-equity firms with offices in Aberdeen, Scotland, three years ago. Now, that number has jumped to more than nine. The oil and gas sector has seen increased activity particularly in these areas, similar to the dot-com boom a few years ago. The Scotsman (08/12) 

 

 

 

Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway covers 6425 square kilometres in the south west corner of Scotland and has a population of approximately 148,500. The region is the closest part of the UK to Ireland, providing a short sea crossing of just 90 minutes to Belfast.

 

Development potential exists in several sectors of the local economy including tourism, plastics, niche marketing and telecommunications. The food processing sector is also one of strategic importance with an annual turnover of approximately £314 million and employing over 2,500 people.

 

At the heart of Dumfries and Galloway’s plastic sector is the DuPont European center for the production of plastics film. The Dumfries Plastics Park is located next to the DuPont plant and enables specialist companies to benefit from the services the plant offers.

 

Other investors in the region include BNFL, Chirex, P&O, Penman, Helmet Integrated Systems and Scottish & Universal Newspapers.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Dunbartonshire

Dunbartonshire is one of the regions in Scotland in the north of the United Kingdom. A motorway network means direct access to Edinburgh, Glasgow Airport and the Central Belt of Scotland via the Clydeside Expressway and Erskine Bridge.

 

There is an extensive incubator program in operation across the region, offering a launch pad for any technology company looking to move into Europe. bioAdventures is a biotechnology business incubator located in Clydebank. It provides accommodation of a high specification and commercial support services for new biotechnology businesses, enabling them to start-up as easily and productively as possible.

 

Companies locating in Dunbartonshire have access to graduates from the extensive Scottish university network.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Tayside

The Tayside region in the eastern part of Scotland has become a key location for companies in the high-technology sector. Its major urban area, Dundee, is now recognized as a city focused on its science and research sectors. Tayside is one hour from Edinburgh airport and two hours from Glasgow airport by car.

 

Within Tayside, key sectors are engineering, oil and gas, food and drink, tourism and life sciences. There is a range of specialist accommodation facilities across Tayside which house a growing population of dynamic high-tech companies. The Dundee Medipark has been developed for the companies who are moving to Tayside to take advantage of the leading-edge research coming out of the Universities of Dundee and Abertay and the Scottish Crop Institute. Companies which make up the life sciences cluster in the area include Axis-Shield, Cyclacel and Argonex. A building developed by the Wellcome Trust is the largest single investment in R&D facilities in recent years.

 

Tayside Software Center, located on Dundee Technology Park works to assist the local and foreign-owned companies operating in the software sector and Perth Business Park offers quality accommodation to companies from a range of sectors.

 

Major companies in the region include CGU, Alps Electric, Tokheim and Madison Cable. More recently Tayside was delighted by BT’s decision to set up a call center in the area, employing 1000 people.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

 

Scottish Borders

The Scottish Borders is located in the south east of Scotland and stretches from the outskirts of Edinburgh to the border with England. A good road network means that Edinburgh and Newcastle airports are between an hour and an hour and a half's drive from most towns in the region's center. The region has a population of 106,000, employed in sectors such as engineering, design, marketing and electronics.

 

Further education in the area is provided by Borders College and Heriot Watt University at Netherdale Campus, a center of excellence in textiles design and technical textiles.

 

Heriot Watt has enabled "Best National Standard" Wide-band internet facilities to be installed in the Central Borders which can be accessed for use by private business, enabling companies to operate globally from their Scottish borders base.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

Highlands & Islands

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is the most northerly part of the United Kingdom. The area stretches from the Shetland Isles in the north, to Campbeltown at the southern tip of Argyll. With a population of 373,000 and an area of 39,050 square kilometres the Highlands and Islands is one of the most sparsely populated parts of the European Union.

 

Links by air, sea, road and rail ensure that international markets are effectively served by the increasingly export-orientated economy. The low cost of industrial property and the area's reputation for producing top-quality products and services are additional attractions.

 

The Highlands and Islands has its own skilled, adaptable, and extremely stable workforce which is as much at home in computing, electronics, and pharmaceuticals as in the traditional sectors of tourism, agriculture and the fishing industry.

 

The area is becoming an interesting location for companies considering moving back-office functions to a lower cost base, without compromising on quality. The Highlands and Islands is attractive for small and medium facilities - especially finance and admin, customer services and contact centres, with BT and Vertex being examples of major companies with a presence here.

 

A variety of export-orientated enterprises prosper in the region, including industrial and consumer textiles; electronics; call centers and business process outsourcing bureaux; cosmetics; white goods, healthcare products and services; and food and drink producers, among many others.

 

Investors from the above sectors include Norfrost, Mupor, Manpower and Telecom Service Centers.

 

The University of the Highlands and Islands will, over the coming years, provide a broad range of exciting opportunities for the people of the region to enhance and develop their knowledge, abilities and skills.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Highlands & Islands Enterprise

Cowan House

Inverness Retail and Business Park

Inverness

IV2 7GF

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1463 234171

fax: +44 (0) 1463 244469

 

 

 

Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city and is well connected both domestically and internationally thanks to an extensive motorway network and an international airport.

 

Key growth sectors include call centers, information communication technology, new media and computing/software with major investors such as Atlantic Telecom, BBC, BT, Cabeltel, Excell Multimedia and Vodafone.

 

Glasgow has three universities and a student population in excess of 85,000. Each of the universities has long traditions of working closely with industry and commerce. Together they provide areas of excellence in medicine and science, engineering, languages and advanced software technologies.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is located in the Lothian region of Scotland and is fast becoming the political center of the country, with the new Scottish Parliament being built within its borders. Edinburgh and Lothian has also become a major magnet for technology companies, who are attracted to the area by the leading edge research being carried out in the Universities. Edinburgh has a major rail station with frequent services to London and an Airport just outside of the city.

 

Biotechnology is one of Edinburgh’s success stories – there are over thirty companies, three Universities and specialist research centers which are active in the sector. The region is also home to the Roslin Institute, which received international renown with the cloning of “Dolly” the sheep. Collectively the sector contributes over £220 million per year to the Lothian economy.

 

Another fast growing area is the electronics sector with multinationals such as Packard Bell and NEC having operations in the region.

 

Edinburgh and Lothian has the fastest growing concentration in Europe of specialised accommodation for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and veterinary industries. This is centered around four Science Parks; Pentland Science Park, the Roslin biotechnology Centre, Herriot Watt Research Park and Edinburgh Technopole.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Dundee

Dundee is located on the east coast of Scotland in the Tayside region. The city has rapidly become known as the “City of Discovery” with its fast growing life science cluster.

 

The city is home to one of the largest life science and research communities in the UK outside of Oxford and Cambridge. It has world class research and accommodation facilities including a new £13million Wellcome Trust Biomedical Research Center and Dundee Medipark which houses tenants such as Axis-Shield, Cyclacel, Karl Storz and Upstate Ltd.

 

To maintain and encourage the growth of the sector, BioDundee was established as a body to create an environment where continuous learning, continuous improvement, and innovation can take place.

 

Tayside's growing digital media sector boasts 10% of Scotland's games companies based in the city. Business such as Simian Industries and VIS Interactive are here as well as the Scottish Games Alliance who relocated from Glasgow to Dundee. Interactive Tayside has been set up to support the network.

 

Added to this, the success of the Tayside Civil Service Jobs Campaign has borne fruit recently with the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, Department of Work & Pensions and more recently Inland Revenue have all decided to relocate here.

 

The city’s two universities (Dundee and Abertay) provide employment for over 3,500 people and have become internationally recognized for their leading-edge research. The Universities and Further Education College produce over 5000 graduates annually, ensuring that the Dundee workforce is educated to a high standard.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is located on the North East coast of Scotland and is one of the most prosperous cities in the UK.

 

The region’s main markets are in oil and gas, software and technology development, commercial and professional services, biotechnology and the life sciences.

 

Around 800 technology companies are based in Aberdeen specialising in areas such as downhole drilling and subsea technology, medical science, engineering, nutritional research and environmental and agricultural consultancy. The strength of the technology cluster in the city is in part due to the two universities and five international research institutes. Between them Aberdeen university and the Rowett Research Institute boast 7 Nobel prizes. This cluster of companies and academic institutes ensures an impressive pool of labor.

 

The research bodies recently came together to create the Aberdeen Research Consortium. This network serves to facilitate technology transfer across the area and to promote the combined strengths of its members.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Moray

Moray stretches along the North East top of Scotland in the UK. It is home to two commercial harbours and four leisure harbours with quayside facilities. Proximity to Aberdeen and Inverness Airports provides domestic and international travel links. There is also a regular rail service to Aberdeen and Inverness with onward journeys to London and other UK cities.

 

Major industries in the area are related to fishing, boat building and the import and export of cargoes. Other sectors are food-processing and whisky production. Moray is home to United Distillers & Vintners and a training center, ‘The Home of Johnnie Walker’ which offers services to the worldwide trading partners of the company.

 

For accommodation purposes a new technology center has been developed in Elgin and a new training unit for Tornado pilots has been opened at a local RAF base. Forres Enterprise Park also provides a home to companies looking to locate in the region.

 

The workforce is trained at Robert Gordon University, Moray College and the nearby University of Aberdeen.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

 

Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire is located on the West Coast of Scotland. The area benefits from superb communication links via Greenock Ocean Terminal, rail and motorway connections and Glasgow International Airport being only a 15-minute drive away.

 

Renfrewshire forms an integral part of Scotland's Silicon Glen with many of the world's leading electronics companies such as IBM and National Semiconductors located within the area. To accommodate investors, a number of business parks are available. Inchinnan Business Park is located next to Glasgow International Airport and the main motorway and is aimed at companies in the electronics and biotechnology sectors. In particular it is aimed at higher order functions such as Research and Development and Marketing. Existing tenants on the park include Dun and Brad Street, Clydesdale Bank and Samsung Semiconductors.

 

Another development, Rashielee, is over 38 acres and is focused on light industrial, business and R&D companies. Companies located there are the Taiwanese manufacturing company Foxconn and the German company EBT.

 

Local higher education is strongly connected to the needs of industry through its strong vocational base.Pupils going on to further and higher education can choose from renowned local institutions or Scotland’s total of 13 universities and 45 colleges.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

 

Lanarkshire

Lanarkshire is located in the heart of Scotland, midway between the country's two major cities of Glasgow & Edinburgh. This enables easy access to both of the city’s Airports. More than 60% of Scotland's population live within an hour's drive of Lanarkshire - a workforce of almost 1.5 million people.

 

The Lanarkshire economy is a diverse one, supporting a range of sectors including: services, engineering, electronics, biotechnology, software and healthcare.

 

To assist companies from these sectors, a number of specialist business sites have been developed across the region. They each offer high specification units designed to meet specific business needs. One of these sites is The MediPark, a 32 acre development dedicated to the needs of medical-related companies. The Park's facilities include Scotland's only major Ethylene Oxide Contract Sterilisation facility, and a Commercial Gas & Steam sterilisation facility. The MediPark is located within Strathclyde Business Park, Scotland's largest and most successful business park.

 

International companies who have located in the region include Honeywell, Oki, First Direct and Haemonetics.

 

The region has a strong academic environment with five Further Education Colleges supporting 30,000 students. Investors also pull on students from Scotland's eight universities, all within a one hour drive time, including; Heriot Watt University, Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and the University of Strathclyde.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

 

Grampian

Grampian is located in the north of Scotland in the UK. The area has a strong track record in attracting inward investment with over 300 multinationals operating in the region's boundaries.

 

The vast majority of the projects are oil and gas related. These investors were originally attracted to the area by the market opportunity of the North Sea but they now serve a wider marketplace encompassing West Africa, Middle East and the former Soviet Union.

 

The authorities in Aberdeen and Grampian are now looking to attract second tier and new investment to the area. It is transforming itself from a Noth Sea oil services gateway to an international technology export hub, concentrating on the software, e-commerce, telecoms & electronics, environmental sciences and specialist oil and gas sectors.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Forth Valley

Forth Valley is located between east and west and the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland in the UK. Its major towns are Alloa, Falkirk and Stirling.

 

Chemicals is the major industry in the area with an initiative – ChemEcosse –to attract new chemical companies to the Grangemouth area. Existing producers include chemical operators BP, Zeneca, Rohm & Haas, EniChem UK and GE Plastics who have sites at Grangemouth. Within a 70 mile radius of Grangemouth other major companies have manufacturing operations such as Glaxo, ICI, DuPont, Roche, SmithKline Beecham, Ciba Specialty, Exxon, Rheox, Courtaulds, ChiRex and Monsanto. Eleven local universities provide high quality graduates for the chemicals industry and academic support for chemicals activities. The local further education college supports the industry with training for chemical operators, engineering maintenance and laboratory staff.

 

The region is also aiming to expand on its e-commerce activities with the development of Glenbervie Business Center, a site which is specifically to accommodate e-commerce occupiers. The Center is only 22 miles from Edinburgh Airport, and is the same distance from Glasgow city center. Larbert mainline railway station is only one mile away from the site. The region also houses Central Business Park, already home to companies such as Thomas Cook Direct and Exabyte.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Fife

Fife, along with its key towns of Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, enjoys a strategic location in the Central Belt of Scotland. Edinburgh Airport, offering daily domestic, European and International flights is just 30 minutes away. Fife has a total population of 351,000.

 

The key sectors in Fife are Telebusiness and Semiconductors.

 

Scotland boasts the largest concentration of semiconductor companies outside Silicon Valley in the US. There are seven companies with eight wafer fabrication sites in Scotland. Fife is particularly well represented across the semiconductor industry. Major semicon investors in Fife include Raytheon, Seme Fab, Micronas, Hyundai and Compugraphics International.

 

Investors in the telebusiness sector include BSkyB, Bank of Scotland Direct Banking, Telewest and Excell Multimedia.

 

Local colleges provide valuable resources for call center recruitment and training support including a live call center.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

Ayrshire

Ayrshire is located in Scotland in the north of the UK. It offers easy access to Glasgow Airport providing domestic and international flights.

 

The region is particularly strong in the whisky blending, mining, engineering and textiles industries. The area is also becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Claudia Triquart

Scottish Development International

Atlantic Quay

150 Broomielaw

Glasgow

G2 8LU

Scotland

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 141 228 2828

fax: +44 (0) 141 228 2089

 

 

 

South East England

The South East is the largest region in the UK and is a magnet for high-tech companies who are attracted by a world class academic base, strategic transport links and co-location with other global leaders in the technology world. The South East is within easy reach of London Heathrow and Gatwick airports and 25% of the UK's motorway network.

 

The region is Europe's leading location in the IT sector with 8 out of 10 of the world's leading software companies having a HQ or significant operation in the area. Other leading sectors are pharmaceutical, telecoms, electronics, avionics and marine technology.

 

There are over 3,500 overseas companies in the South East - the highest percentage in the UK. Investors include EDS, Madge Networks, Xerox, Hewlett Packard, Dell, 3 Com, Microsoft, Oracle, JD Edwards, Novell, Computer Associates, Genzyme, Glaxo Wellcome and Pfizer.

 

The academic base to support the research in the region is world-renowned. There are more graduates than anywhere else in the UK and investors can pull on a workforce from universities such as University of Brighton, Oxford University, University of Buckingham, Cranfield University and Reading University.

 

The South East also provides a wide range of research accommodation for the potential technology investor; Oxford Science Park, Sittingbourne Research Center, Surrey Research Park and Sussex Innovation Center, to name just a few. The South East is a dynamic location for any company looking for entry into Europe.

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Verity Russell

SEEDA

Cross Lanes

Guildford

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1483 484200

fax: +44 (0) 1483 484247

 

Ashford

Ashford lies in the south east of England in the county of Kent and has a population of around 100,000.

 

Recent years have seen major infrastructure improvements including a new motorway, the Channel Tunnel, the International Passenger Station and the completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link expected by 2007. These developments have boosted the town’s status as a gateway from continental Europe.

 

Key sites and locational advantages combine to create a ‘Channel Tunnel Corridor’ for development in Kent. Ashford has Europe’s largest market on its doorstep with 85 million consumers within a days delivery.

 

Key sectors identified as crucial for the area’s future prosperity include printing and publishing, high-tech engineering, communications, business services and pharmaceuticals.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Locate in Kent

2 Kingshill Avenue

Kings Hill

West Malling

Kent

ME19 4AQ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 1732 520 700

fax: +44 1732 520 701

 

 

 

Dover

Dover district is located in the county of Kent in the South of England and is the nearest point in the UK to mainland Europe. Dover port and the Channel Tunnel enable day visits to cities such as Paris, Brussels and Lille. Proximity to London and its airports at Heathrow and Gatwick means that Dover offers an excellent location advantage to technology companies operating throughout the Continent.

 

The district has a track record of attracting blue-chip investors such as Pfizer’s research, development and manufacturing operation which now employs over 3,500 people, and the Dover based Avo Megger Instruments which manufactures electronic-test, measuring and monitoring equipment.

 

The White Cliffs Business Park is Dover’s flagship business site, located close to the freight and passenger services to mainland Europe and next to the motorway connecting Dover to London and the United Kingdom transport network.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Dover District Council

White Cliffs Business Park

Dover

Kent

CT16 3PD

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1304 821199

fax: +44 (0) 1304 872062

 

 

 

 

Thanet

Thanet is 75 miles from Central London and is particularly well located for companies with European interests. It has links to the UK motorway network, cross channel freight services from Ramsgate New Port, airfreight and passenger facilities at London Manston Airport, easy access to the Port of Dover and the Eurostar services from Ashford's International Passenger Station. The district has three serviced business parks with a fourth airside business park under development.

 

Sectors which contribute to the region's economy are automotive, aviation, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. Companies that have located in Thanet include Cohline, Cummins, Grupo Antolin, Air Atlanta, MK Airlines, Global Crossing, Interoute, and Rusco Pharmaceuticals.

 

The University of Kent at Canterbury serves to produce a workforce for such blue-chip investors whilst Canterbury Christ Church University College opened a satellite campus in October 2000.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Tom McGuckin

Thanet District Council

PO Box 9

Cecil Street

Margate

CT9 1XZ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1843 577038

fax: +44 (0) 1843 295343

 

 

 

 

Thames Valley

The Thames Valley corridor takes in some of Europe’s most high-tech locations including Reading, Oxford, Bracknell and Slough. Stretching to the west of London’s Heathrow airport, along the M4 motorway, the area boasts excellent communications.

 

A major regional cluster of research and development, telecommunications, computing software and internet related activities, the Thames Valley is at the forefront of the new economy in Europe.

 

Local universities include the world-leading Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, Reading University and Thames Valley University.

 

Some of the world’s biggest multinational corporations are located in the area and include Hitachi, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, NEC, EDS, Nortel, Oracle, Oxford Instruments, Panasonic, Sharp, Amazon.com, Siemens, Silicon Graphics and Sony.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Thames Valley Economic Partnership

100 Longwater Avenue

Green Park

Reading

Berks

RG2 6GP

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 118 945 0040

fax: +44 (0) 118 945 0037

 

 

 

Hampshire

Hampshire

 

The county of Hampshire on England’s south coast includes the urban areas of Southampton and Portsmouth, both renown for their naval and maritime associations and to the north, the thriving town of Basingstoke. The county has 1.6 million inhabitants and includes 165,000 students.

Leading employers who have chosen Hampshire include British Aerospace, Digital, Dolphin Telecom, IBM, Lilly Industries, GEC Marconi, Motorola, Philips, Pirelli Cables, Plessey Research and Technology, Siemens, Sony and Xyratex. Over 600 overseas-owned companies have operational offices already located here.

Hampshire is close to the London airports of Heathrow and Gatwick with good links to the Channel Tunnel. Southampton International Airport offers direct daily flights to Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich, Dublin and many other European and UK destinations.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Hampshire Economic Partnership

Russell House

1550 Parkway

Solent Business Park

Fareham

PO15 7A6

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1962 732266

 

 

 

Milton Keynes

England’s youngest ‘new city’ has enjoyed three decades of incredible economic growth and success. Now, it’s about to enter its most exciting development phase yet…

 

In a country steeped in history, it is no surprise that even England’s youngest city is now more than 30 years old. Milton Keynes, known locally as simply MK, is ideally located midway between London & Birmingham; Oxford & Cambridge.

 

New investors continue to arrive in Milton Keynes, where existing companies are also expanding. New jobs have grown at an average rate of three per cent a year over the last five years. And its location at the centre of the Oxford Cambridge Arc (the UK equivalent of Silicon valley if you like) puts it directly in line for significantly more hi-tech, entrepreneurial investment.

 

Recent arrivals in the area include Virgin Active, Novotel, EDS, Polestar and global book e-tailer Amazon which employs 1500 people. Blue chip companies which have chosen to locate and grow in Milton Keynes include BP Amoco, VW Audi and DaimlerChrysler. Yet MK is an ‘enterprise city’ with 86 per cent of businesses employ 20 or fewer people.

 

Some twenty per cent of companies investing in Milton Keynes over the last 10 years have an overseas parent and the success story looks set to continue. US companies already well established, with headquarters or regional offices, include American Express, American Homes Network, Amway, Amscan… and all the way through the alphabet to Unisys.

 

Excellent links

 

MK has a tremendous geographic position. Companies can service customers in the highly-populated south East of England and the Midlands quickly and easily. MK has excellent transport and communications links and many companies are using it as a base to expand their markets into mainland Europe. It’s an excellent city to move around as well, partly thanks to the American style grid system.

.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Debra King

New Projects Manager

Invest in Milton Keynes

Tempus

249 Midsummer Boulevard

Central Milton Keynes

Bucks

MK9 1EU

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1908 660007

fax: +44 (0) 1908 230130

 

 

 

 

Kent

Kent and Medway is the closest English region to continental Europe placing it between the markets of London (seven million consumers) and Europe (360 million consumers) and home to more than 300 foreign-owned firms.

 

Key sectors include biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, financial services, hi-tech engineering and call centers.

 

Recent biotechnology and pharmaceutical investors include Genzyme, Murex, BioFocus, Glaxo Wellcome, Pfizer, Abbott and Aventis. For these kinds of companies, the Kent and Medway area offers access to skilled scientists, production operatives and technicians with specific pharmaceutical experience.

 

Greenwich University and the University of Kent at Canterbury both conduct leading-edge research on a range of biotechnical, biomedical and medical research projects in collaboration with commercial sponsors. London teaching hospitals and Kent and Canterbury Hospitals are within the region for clinical trial projects. Kent is further developing this sector with a cluster club, Kent BioScience Network, to promote the business and academic interests of organizations in the area.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Locate in Kent

2 Kingshill Avenue

Kings Hill

West Malling

Kent

ME19 4AQ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 1732 520 700

fax: +44 1732 520 701

 

 

 

 

Sussex

Sussex is located in the South East region of England. Its geographic position means that it has quick and convenient access to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the national motorway network and continental Europe.

With over 400 new media companies developing innovative content and technologies, Sussex has one of the largest new media clusters in Europe. Wired Sussex is working to grow this cluster and promote the effective use of new media technology by all Sussex businesses. Taking an industry-led approach, Wired Sussex, (a wholly owned subsidiary of Sussex Enterprise), runs a range of initiatives under the themes of growth, collaboration and innovation

 

The Universities of Sussex and Brighton are major assets to the region, ensuring a plentiful supply of new recruits to local industry. Both universities are partners in the Academic Corridor project which links education establishments based in a geographical 'corridor.' The Sussex Innovation Center, housed on the University of Sussex campus is a prime location for high-technology companies looking to locate in the South East of England and currently undergoing massive expansion.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Sarah Turner

Wired Sussex

23 Old Steine

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 1EL

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1273 666830

fax: +44 (0) 1273 666832

 

 

 

 

Surrey

As a county in the South East of England, Surrey belongs to one of the strongest regional economies in Britain. The county's close proximity to London gives enormous advantages to companies who locate there and the county has both the UK's major international airports of Heathrow and Gatwick on its borders.

 

Surrey’s key sectors include finance and banking, company headquarters, R&D facilities and the manufacture of high technology products.

 

In the service sector, which accounts for over three-quarters of the employment in the county, the fastest growing areas are insurance, professional and technical services. While in manufacturing, Surrey has developed major expertise in pharmaceuticals and telecommunications equipment.

 

Investors in the county include Sterling Winthrop, Borax, AutoDesk, Sony, Canon Research Europe and Ericsson.

 

Almost half the resident workforce in Surrey is either managerial or professional. It is a workforce composed largely of people who have attained a high level of skill in their chosen careers. Over 25 per cent of the Surrey workforce is educated to university entrance level, a higher percentage even than London. And Surrey has a greater proportion of graduates than any other area in South East England.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Rob Lewtas

South East England Development Agency

Cross Lanes

Guildford

Surrey

GU1 1YA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1483 484 200

fax: +44 (0) 1483 405 901

 

 

 

 

Brighton & Hove

Brighton is just over 50 miles to the south of London on England’s south coast, making the capital within an hour’s reach and Europe within two. One of the world’s busiest airports, London Gatwick is just 25 minutes from Brighton., with Heathrow just over an hour away.

 

A combination of a happening lifestyle, large student population, good universities and a supportive local infrastructure have made Brighton one of the UK hotspots for the new economy with hundreds of fast-growing new media companies based there.

 

A fully digitised telecommunications system has reduced cost and improved quality of voice and data transfer in the town, which along with a full ISDN network and fibre optic trunks, make this a truly connected place.

 

Brighton’s 30,000 students contribute to the city’s youthful dynamism, whilst many of the 6,000 students who graduate from the universities each year add to the innovative energy of the workforce. 18% of the local workforce is educated to degree standard or above.

 

Over 4,000 people speak two or more languages at work, and with a keen emphasis on language courses at the universities, the supply of multi-linguists is a valuable local resource.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Bill Smith

Inward Investment Officer

Brighton & Hove Council

Economic Development Team

King's House

Grand Avenue

Hove

BN3 2LS

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1273 290011

fax: +44 (0) 1273 291123

 

 

 

 

Reading

Reading lies in the heart of the Thames Valley corridor that takes in some of Europe’s most high-tech operations. To the west of London’s Heathrow airport, along the M4 motorway, the area boasts excellent communications.

 

A major regional cluster of research and development, telecommunications, computing software and internet related activities, the Thames Valley is at the forefront of the new economy in Europe.

 

Local universities include the world-leading Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, Reading University and Thames Valley University.

 

Some of the world’s biggest multinational corporations are located in the area and include Hitachi, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, NEC, EDS, Nortel, Oracle, Oxford Instruments, Panasonic, Sharp, Amazon.com, Siemens, Silicon Graphics and Sony.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Thames Valley Economic Partnership

100 Longwater Avenue

Green Park

Reading

Berks

RG2 6GP

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 118 945 0040

fax: +44 (0) 118 945 0037

 

 

 

 

Oxford

The historic university city of Oxford, lies in the high-tech Thames Valley corridor in South East England.

 

Excellent communications links include major motorways providing fast access to Heathrow airport, Greater London and Birmingham.

 

A major cluster of research and development, biotechnology, telecommunications, computing software and internet related activities, the area is at the forefront of the new economy in Europe.

 

Local centers of academic excellence include the world-leading Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Thames Valley Economic Partnership

100 Longwater Avenue

Green Park

Reading

Berks

RG2 6GP

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 118 945 0040

fax: +44 (0) 118 945 0037

 

 

 

South West England

The South West of England has a well established transport infrastructure with excellent airports, road, rail and seaports providing quick and easy access throughout the region as well as to the rest of the UK and Europe. It is within an easy drive time of Heathrow and Birmingham Airports with further flights from regional airports. With a population of 4.8 million and a labor force of 2.4 million, the South West has the fastest growing population in the UK.

 

South West England boasts an established, diverse, world leading research and development capability. The spirit of innovation continues to attract new research, design and development operations to the region.

 

One-third of Hewlett Packard's global research activity is based in its Bristol Laboratories. Lucent Technologies activities in South West England include a Bell Lab and both Lucent and Motorola have their global centers of excellence for GSM cellular telephone technology in the region. Toshiba has chosen to set up a new telecommunications research laboratory in Bristol which will develop the next generation of cellular telephone and wireless communications technologies. Other investors include Honda, Intel, Orange PCS, Rank Xerox, Raychem and Thompson Marconi Sonar.

 

The region is also home to a number of research institutions such as the Center for Applied Microbiological Research (CAMR) which has forty years of experience in pioneering micro biological research and the study of infectious diseases.

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Tim Bagshaw

Head of Inward Investment

South West of England Regional Development Agency

Sterling House

Dix's Field

Exeter

Devon

EX1 1QA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1392 229 557

fax: +44 (0) 1392 214 848

 

 

 

Dorset

The county of Dorset lies in the south west of England along a coastline which includes key towns such as Poole, Weymouth and Bournemouth and has a combined population of about 665,000.

 

Rail links to the whole of the UK are supplied through a variety of different routes. London Waterloo is 90 minutes by train from Bournemouth with an hourly service in operation provided by South West Trains. Other services provide direct links to the Midlands, the North West and Scotland.

 

Its location, bordering continental Europe and its superb environment make it the natural choice for industries at the forefront of technology. Its economy contains a wide range of business sectors, from under-water exploration to banking and insurance. In addition Dorset is the base of major army installations including the Royal Armoured Corps, and the Royal School of Signals, employing some 10,000 people. Until 1995, Portland Naval Base played a major part in the economy, and now the private port is a center for economic development.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Dorset County Council

County Hall

Colliton Park

Dorchester

DT1 1XJ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1305 224677

fax: +44 (0) 1305 221200

 

 

 

 

Swindon

Swindon is located in the South West region of England at a mid point along the M4 motorway corridor. Road and rail links to London, Bristol and South Wales are excellent and the journey time by road to Heathrow airport is about one hour.

 

Swindon is at the center of one of the UK’s largest technology hubs. Key industries in the town include electronics, information technology, the automotive industry and financial services. It is also rapidly being recognized as a world class center for the GSM/UMTS industry.

 

A new university is being established in Swindon in partnership with the University of Bath. The university has developed strong links with local companies through a Business Services Center. Research groups will be established in Swindon specializing in materials technology and biotechnology. The university will provide a full range of engineering, science and computer courses on the new campus.

 

Major employers in Swindon include Honda, INTEL, Motorola, Lucent Technologies, Tyco Electronics, Intergraph and Ericsson Components.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Chris Worthington

Swindon Borough Council

Premier House

Station Road

Swindon

SN1 1TZ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1793 466420

fax: +44 (0) 1793 466442

 

 

 

Devon

Devon is located in the South West corner of England. As a location it offers a high standard of communications, attractive/modern business parks, a highly skilled and loyal workforce, competitive rates and a wide ranging business support network.

 

The economic base of the region is increasingly centered on the pharmaceuticals & healthcare, high technology, environmental, financial and business service sectors.

 

The pharmaceutical sector accounts for over 2,000 employees involved in the manufacture of prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines and products such as soaps, perfumes and cosmetics.The telecommunications, electronics and precision engineering industry is expanding as a result of an increase in foreign investment and the expansion of existing businesses. In the environmental technology field Zeneca is investigating water quality, Eco Sci and Marcus Hodges Environment are creating new methods of processing waste and the company Solomat is developing portable instruments to measure air and water quality.

 

Other companies located in the region include Reuters, Cox Pharmaceuticals, Wrafton Laboratories, Plessey Siemens, Nortel, Toshiba, British Aerospace and Pall Ilfracombe, Europe’s leading manufacturer of high performance disposable membrane filters.

 

There are two Universities in the region; in Exeter and Plymouth. The Universities house specialist research centers such as the Polymer Center and Electro-magnetic compatibility Test Center. And the University of Plymouth has developed its own science park – the Tamar Science Park.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mike Wharton

Devon County Council

County Hall

Topsham Road

Exeter

EX2 4QD

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1392 383205

fax: +44 (0) 1392 382849

 

 

 

 

Exeter

As the regional capital of the South West of England, Exeter is well connected to the region's other major centers of Plymouth and Bristol. Its regional airport has extensive domestic routes and connects to international flights via Birmingham.

 

The University of Exeter is renowned for its research and innovation and is one of the most popular universities in the UK. The University of Plymouth’s Faculty of Arts is in Exeter and offers specialist courses in media arts, publishing and three dimensional design. Business support in the areas of research and development is of a high order, with specialists available in a wide range of fields to meet the needs of particular industry sectors: IT/multimedia, healthcare, engineering and electronics, biotechnology, the environment and business and management.

 

Companies can locate on any one of four business parks in the region or at the innovation center – purpose-designed R&D business units on the University of Exeter campus.

 

Investors in the region include Excel Logistics, BT, Digital Impact, Vodafone and Time Computers.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Maureen Goridemurden

Exeter City Council

Civic Centre

Paris Street

Exeter

Devon

EX1 1JJ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1392 265134

fax: +44 (0) 1392 265625

 

 

 

 

Bristol

Bristol, the largest city in the South West of England, has a catchment area of 4 million people within a one hour drivetime.

 

The city boasts an excellent motorway and rail networks to all major cities, an international airport offering frequent flights to major international destinations and a modern port.

 

Particular sectors worth note in the economy are the financial services, advanced engineering and media sectors. Bristol is the base for major companies such as British Aerospace, Orange, Hewlett Packard, NatWest Life, Lloyds Bank and the BBC. It is also home to many growing companies such as Aardmann Animations.

 

With a wide range of educational establishments such as the University of Bristol and University of the West of England, the city offers outstanding opportunities to employees moving to the area and an impressive base for any research company.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms April Arnatt

Bristol City Council

Economic Development Office

PO Box 918

Bristol

BS99 3EF

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 117 922 2931

fax: +44 (0) 117 922 2935

 

 

 

 

Cornwall

Cornwall is a county in the south west of England, with a population of just under 500,000. This maritime county is surrounded on three sides by sea and boasts the longest coastline of any English county.

 

Connected to the rest of the UK by the national rail network, Cornwall has a small airport at Newquay with daily flights to London Gatwick and connections to the United States. There are ferry services to both France and Spain.

 

The European Union recently announced that the county was eligible for the maximum permitted grants to incoming companies, thus representing a major advantage for international investors.

 

The county's long-established industrial base provides a good supply of highly skilled workers, with inward migration adding to these skills. The performance of Cornwall's workforce is outstanding. Independent studies and government statistics continue to tell the same story; above average skill recruitment, an above average proportion of young people, above average productivity and profitability, and below average absenteeism.

 

Cornish workers have one of the best records for industrial relations, reliability and loyalty in the UK. Developed skills, from electronics to design, are widely available and last year a Dunn and Bradstreet report showed Cornwall to be the UK’s most profitable county.

 

Cornwall is also home to some of the world’s best surfing conditions - something which attracts thousands of young people each year. This gives the county a distinct edge in the new economy, where attracting the best young talent is crucial to success.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Bobby Harbisher

Cornwall Enterprise

Pydar House

Pydar Street

Truro

Cornwall

TR1 1EA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (1872) 322 872

fax: +44 (1872) 322 841

 

 

 

 

Wales

Wales is rapidly developing a reputation as a leading location for technology companies in Europe. Wales is now home to four of the world’s top six electronics manufacturers, including Sony and Panasonic, as well as 230 software companies employing over 8,000 computer analysts and programmers. Three key factors contributing to this investment are Wales’ technology infrastructure, world-class academic institutions and business support programs.

 

An initiative by BT, the WDA, Llwybr.Pathway and the European Regional Development Fund, has resulted in a £6 million investment in ADSL technology, making Welsh rural areas the first in the UK to receive expanded new wave services. NTL and 3 Com are currently implementing the UK’s first high speed Internet access network across South Wales, offering Internet access and data transfer speeds of up to 413kbs.

 

Wales’ academic institutions have also embraced the new e-conomy. The University of Cardiff has the first E-commerce Innovation Center, and the UK’s only Professor of E-commerce. The University of Glamorgan and University of Wales College, Newport specialize in Java and web design respectively, while overall 27,000 students graduate every year with computer science qualifications from universities in Wales and the M4 corridor.

 

Wales has a Regional Technology Plan project managed by the WDA that promotes a long-term innovation and technology strategy and implementation progam for Wales. Additional support is available through Team Wales, an informal partnership of public and private sector organizations, led by the WDA, to help companies establish, grow, develop and then re-invest in Wales.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Elaine Jones

Project services manager

Welsh Development Agency

Principality House

The Friary

Cardiff

CF10 3FE

Wales

 

 

tel: + 44 (0) 1443 845500

fax: + 44 (0) 1443 845589

 

 

Wrexham

Situated in North East Wales on the border with England, Wrexham is widely recognized as the principal commercial center of North Wales. The city is within just 90 minutes drive time of around twenty million people and less than 45 minutes drive from Manchester Airport.

 

Over 10 years of commercial success have transferred Wrexham into what is now unmistakably a vibrant and dynamic commercial center.

 

Good communications mean successful international companies such as Hoya Visioncare, BICC, Air Products, Brother Industries and Sharp, who need to distribute their products quickly and reliably to both the UK and overseas customers, have chosen to locate in Wrexham.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Wrexham County Borough Council

Lambpit Street

PO Box 1291

Wrexham

LL11 1WV

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1978 292440

fax: +44 (0) 1978 292445

 

 

 

Swansea

Swansea is located in South Wales in the United Kingdom. The City and County of Swansea has a population of 231,180 contained within 380 square km. The area is well served by an hourly rail link to London, the M4 motorway and sea links to Ireland. Cardiff International Airport is just 40 minutes to the east.

 

The workforce is concentrated within the service sector which employs over 80% of all employees. The public administration, health and education sector is the most dominant employer category. The manufacturing sector is also an important one with specific expertise in the manufacture of fabricated metal products and rubber and plastic products.

 

Companies located in the region include EDS, Alstom Drive and Controls, Valeo Climate Control, 3M, Inco Europe, International Rectifier and Alcoa.

 

The county is home to the University of Wales Swansea, which has a total of 10,200 students. Swansea Institute of Higher Education, Gorseinon and Swansea Colleges have an additional 9,060 students.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Tony Morgan

Inward Investment Manager

Swansea Bay Partnership

Head, Economic Development

County Hall

Oystermouth Road

Swansea

SA1 3SN

Wales

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1792 545050

fax: +44 (0) 1792 636603

 

 

 

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales in the United Kingdom. It is a vibrant and dynamic city with a large student population. It takes less than three hours to travel to London by train and the city has its own international airport.

 

Wales has an excellent track record of attracting overseas investment. It houses only 5% the UK’s population yet has attracted more than 20% of the inward investment.

A recent investment in Cardiff was Ascom Telecommunications, a Swiss telecom equipment company, expanding its operation in the city area.

 

As the main business hub of Wales, Cardiff has seen investment in its business services sector and an increase in the number of high-tech companies locating in the city to be close to the academic base.

 

Cardiff is a seat of learning with over 23,000 students attending Cardiff University; the University of Wales College of Medicine; University of Wales Institute, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Cardiff Business School, part of Cardiff University, is recognised as one of the top business/research institutions in Britain.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Elaine Jones

Project services manager

Welsh Development Agency

Principality House

The Friary

Cardiff

CF10 3FE

Wales

 

 

tel: + 44 (0) 1443 845500

fax: + 44 (0) 1443 845589

 

 

 

 

Rhondda

Rhondda is located in South Wales in the UK, within a two and a half hour drive time to London. The M4 motorway provides a direct route to London while other motorways lead to the Midlands, North and the capital city of Wales, Cardiff. The airport at Cardiff offers services to UK destinations and 12 European cities.

 

The area has adapted to embrace diverse industries including avionics, plastics and food processing. To assist companies operating across these sectors, training centers have been set up which add to the existing skills of the adaptable workforce.

 

Rhondda’s Further Education colleges also work to provide a well-trained supply of labor. Each year around 20,000 students graduate from local universities and colleges including the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales Cardiff.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Stephen Jones

Rhondda Cynon Taff Borough Council

Valleys Innovation Centre

Navigation Park

Abercynon

CF45 4SN

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1443 665050

fax: + 44 (0) 1443 845589

 

 

 

Newport

Newport, population 139,000, is the third largest city in Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is situated on the M4 motorway between the cities of Cardiff (12 miles to the west) and Bristol (30 miles to the east). London is 110 minutes away by train, with trains every hour. The M4 motorway skirts the city, providing fast access to London and the Channel Tunnel to the east. There is an international airport just 35 minutes drive time away (Cardiff International) and true to its name the city has a large port that can handle ships up to 35,000 tonnes.

 

The city has a long manufacturing history. The metal manufacturing industry is still well represented in the city with Corus and Alcan having large plants. Newport is now also host to some leading edge firms in the electronics sector such as LG Electronics, Surface Technology Systems (STS), International Rectifier, Trikon Technologies and Alcatel. Service sector industries such as Lloyds TSB and HSBC Select and Liberata, have also been attracted to Newport through a combination of highly accessible top quality business parks, a highly skilled and motivated workforce and a quality of life for key workers which is second to none. Most of the development sites in the city are in areas where occupiers are eligible for Regional Selective Assistance from the Welsh Assembly Government.

 

Major development news in Newport include: the construction of the £50 million Southern Distributor Road 2002 - 2004, Newport Unlimited Wales’ first Urban Regeneration Company will be driving forward development opportunities with some £30 million funding from the National Assembly, Welsh Development Agency and Newport City Council. Last but not least, Newport is to host the 2010 Ryder Cup.

 

The City of Newport is also home to the University of Wales Newport, which has a total of 8,000 students & over 100 different courses. Subjects for which it has developed a particular reputation include art & design & mechatronics.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

John Dainton

Inward Investment & Research Manager

Newport City Council

Civic Centre

Newport

South Wales

NP20 4UR

United Kingdom

 

 

tel: 01633 232522

fax: 01633 232334

 

 

 

West Midlands

The West Midlands is home to more than 1,800 overseas companies from 34 different countries. The region’s major locations of Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick, Telford, Wolverhampton and Stafford are well served by major motorways and an international airport to the south east of Birmingham.

 

While the region is famous for its automotive and manufacturing strengths that continue to play a major role, new sectors such as electronics, telecommunications, software and business services are growing quickly. The region plays host to many global names such as IBM, JBA, Oracle, Mysis, Compaq, NEC, Hitachi, GPT Marconi, Fujitsu, AT&T, Siemens, ABB, Epson, Tatung, Sitel and Charles Schwab.

 

Home to a major software/computing cluster the region has around 600 software companies and the region has one the highest rates of graduates in Computer Science and IT related subject in the UK. This was a major factor in Oracle’s recent decision to base its UK headquarters south of Birmingham.

 

Major universities include Birmingham, Aston, Keele and the University of Warwick is ranked fifth among the UK’s 100 Universities for quality and research and has recently formed a partnership with Pennsylvania’s Carnegie Mellon University, a world leading home of the new economy.

 

The region also plays home to DERA - Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, the largest research organization of its kind in Western Europe. Specializing in research in electronics, opto-electronics and semiconductors, DERA Malvern has 1400 scientists and engineers undertaking world class research on a wide range of topics.

 

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Richard Butler

Advantage West Midlands

3 Priestley Wharf

Holt Street

Aston Science Park

Birmingham

B7 4BN

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 121 380 3500

fax: +44 (0) 121 380 3636

 

Warwickshire

Warwickshire is a county in the Midlands in England. London is 65 minutes away by train and both Birmingham and Manchester international airports are within easy reach.

 

The region is strong in vehicle assembly, aerospace, telecommunication and precision engineering. It is the center of the UK’s automotive and component manufacturing industry with the highest concentration of vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers in the UK.

 

The presence of SITEL, the World’s No1 Call Center Consultancy and training provider has helped Warwickshire’s reputation as a location for call center operations. Other companies in the region include IBM, TNT Express, Autobar, Danzas Distribution, DHL,Federal Express , Rover, Ford and MSX International.

 

The University of Warwick is ranked among the best research universities in the UK, particularly for its work in business studies, physics, mathematics, biological sciences and computer sciences. Warwick Business School has an international reputation for management training. And the University's Science Park has attracted more than 100 companies.

 

The second University in the region, Coventry, is renowned for its courses in engineering, business management, health sciences, information technology and automotive design.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Sara-Louise Lee

Warwickshire Investment Partnership

PO Box 43

Warwick

Warwickshire

CV43 4SX

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1926 412830

fax: +44 (0) 1926 410268

 

 

 

 

Telford

Telford is located in the West Midlands at the hub of the UK's transport network; 30 miles, 40 minutes west of Birmingham on the M54 motorway.

 

There are over 4000 companies in Telford, including over 150 overseas firms from 15 countries that continue to thrive and grow with the town. All have contributed to the towns' economy with not only investment but also new technologies, working practices and job opportunities. The local economy is therefore both dynamic and varied, with companies ranging from SMEs to over 200 large-scale firms.

 

Recognised by both manufacturing and service companies nationally and internationally, the long list of companies established in Telford is a testament to its success. With a proud and unique industrial heritage, Telford continues to develop and grow both from inward investment and existing business. Thanks to an entrepreneurial culture and a capacity to innovate, the town is able to actively encourage companies to take full advantage of its strategic location.

 

Telford's central geographical location, excellent communication links and light engineering skills make it a natural location for component manufacturers. Principal engineering processes available in Telford include plastic moulding, metal processing, turning and finishing. Growth in Research and Development continues as companies seek to add value to local production.

The Advanced Engineering Cluster Centre provides access to a package of support and collaborative opportunities for these businesses.

 

Telford boasts one of the UK's highest concentrations of Japanese manufacturing companies, with 12 of the 14 companies involved in producing goods. In recent years Maxell, Ricoh, Epson, Makita and Denso have established campus-style developments for European manufacturing headquarters; some with associated research and development facilities.

 

Another key sector lies in polymers: Telford acquired the name of 'plastics valley' in 1987, and the success continues with a strong company base and key support organisations in the town playing an important role in sector development. The Polymer Cluster Group was set up to encourage and develop this speciality locally.

 

The highest numbers of overseas investments are from the USA and Germany, with a combined number of over 60 key companies established in the town. Many, like Gibson Greetings, Fruit of the Loom and Cedo, have made Telford their European manufacturing headquarters or distribution base, as have French-owned Lyreco.

 

Large service sector employers include Lloyds TSB, Cap Gemini, Natwest and the Windsor LifeAssurance Group. Public sector organisations and educational establishments are also well represented. These include the Inland Revenue, the Land Registry, Ministry of Defence, Telford University Campus, Telford College of Arts and Technology, and Harper Adams University College.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Kim Gilmour

Inward Investment Manager

Telford Development Agency

Jordan House

Hall Park Way

Telford Town Centre

Shropshire

TF3 4NN

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1952 237741

fax: +44 (0) 1952 293270

 

 

 

 

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is located in the West Midlands region of England. It is a County made up of nine districts, each with their own different characteristics and specializations. Its location means easy access to the rest of the UK via the motorway network, Stafford rail station or Birmingham International Airport.

A recent development in Staffordshire is an Innovation Center located in Keele. The Center is a result of a joint venture between Keele University and Pochins, a British property developer. Recent tenants in the Center include Synetrix Ltd, a specialist networking integrator, and Anserve Ltd, an independent bio-analytical testing company.

 

The three-storey building provides flexible office and research and development facilities for the area and can offer flexible occupation agreements.

Other companies located in the area include Michelin, Caudwell Communications, Alstom, electrical firm Instem, and Perkins Engines.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Tony Joynson

Instaffs (UK) Ltd

Mill Court

Mill Street

Stafford

ST16 2AJ

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1785 604060

fax: +44 (0) 1785 606910

 

 

 

 

Coventry

Coventry is located in the West Midlands region of England. The city has immediate access to five motorway links which connect to the complete UK road network. The whole of England is within five hours drive of the City, reaching a market of 40 million within just three hours. For more distant travel, the closest major airport is Birmingham International.

 

The city is one of the UK’s leading centers for manufacturing and a fast-growing location for service and hi-tech industries. Over 100 internationally owned companies operate from the city and it is the chosen location for well-known names such as Jaguar Cars, Peugeot, Rolls Royce, AAH Pharmaceuticals, Unipart Yachiyo Technology , Marconi Communications (GPT) and Cable and Wireless.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Coventry Investment Office

Coventry Centre for Investment

John Sinclair House

St Nicholas Street

Coventry

CV1 4LY

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 247 6831205

fax: +44 (0) 247 6832180

 

 

 

 

Birmingham

Birmingham is the regional capital of the West Midlands in England and sits at a strategic point on the country’s motorway network, 185 km to the North West of London. Birmingham Airport offers daily flights to the United States, Canada and most major European cities.

 

Traditionally a center of engineering and manufacturing expertise, the city is increasingly attracting high-technology companies. The region is home to eight Universities, the Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA), and research parks at the Universities of Birmingham and Aston.

 

The city also has a thriving professional and financial services sector, with every Big Five consultancy firm being represented, as well as major law firms and banks.

 

Over 1,000 overseas owned companies have chosen to locate in the West Midlands including Adept Technology, BOC and Honeywell Control Systems.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Locate in Birmingham

PO Box 2470

Alpha Tower

Suffolk Street Queensway

Birmingham

B1 1TR

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 121 303 2222

fax: +44 (0) 121 303 2622

 

 

 

 

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire is in the West Midlands region of England, located at the cross roads of the national motorway network. Rail services connect Wolverhampton and Stafford to the major cities of London, Manchester and Birmingham and the international airports at Birmingham and Manchester are only an hour away by road. Both offer daily flights to the USA and Europe.

 

Major investors in the region include Goodyear, Lucas Varity, Groupe Schneider, Torrington Company (subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand) and Schenectady Europe Ltd.

 

There are 8 universities in the area and a number of colleges. The University of Wolverhampton forms the focal point of education provision. It is the third largest in the UK with over 25,000 students on five campuses and four hospital sites. The University has links to education and training projects in over 70 countries. The Wolverhampton Further Education College has two campuses within the area and a Business School and Center of Engineering Excellence means that the region is well positioned to supply a workforce with skills across a wide range of disciplines.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Karen Riley

Wolverhampton City Council

Civic Centre

St Peter's Square

Wolverhampton

WV1 1SH

UK

 

 

 

 

Black Country

The Black Country is located in the heart of the United Kingdom, just to the north of Birmingham. It covers 35,600 hectares and comprises the three Metropolitan Boroughs of Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell and the City of Wolverhampton.

 

With a resident population of 1.1 million the Black Country accounts for about 21 per cent of the population of the West Midlands. It remains the location of 36,000 businesses which employ just under 0.5 million people.

 

The Black Country has a strong self-identity characterised by a network of traditional independent industrial towns and urban villages and this heritage has evolved into its current unique manufacturing and service sectors.

 

With over 400 overseas companies located in the Black Country including famous names such as Thyssen, TRW, Sandvik, Lear and Johnson Controls, client confidence in the area is well established.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Grant Seeley

Director

Black Country Investment

Black Country House

Rounds Green Road

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 2DG

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0)845 357 2222

fax: +44 (0)121 569 2322

 

 

 

Worcestershire

The county of Worcestershire is located south of Birmingham. Its transport infrastructure gives ease of access, while the balance of urban and rural environment offers a quality of life that is second to none. The County’s proximity to Birmingham is convenient for a range of business services, excluding the costs and congestion associated with being situated within the region’s capital.

 

Malvern Hills Science Park, located adjacent to the research establishment QinetiQ, has been successful since its beginning in 1999. Phases 1 and 2 are home to over 20 companies in product development, and Phase 3 is imminent. The Science Park is integral to the development of the Central Technology Belt.

 

Finance/banking are strong in Worcester City, the choice for companies such as npower, Sanctuary Housing and WS Atkins. The Pershore Group of colleges offer land-based study and CORE Food & Drink, a research, training and consultancy facility.

 

Major distributors like Robert Wiseman Dairies chose Worcestershire because

“when we were looking to invest £35m in a new facility we had a number of key requirements. After visiting several locations it became clear that Worcestershire met and indeed exceeded all of these”.

 

Enduring home-grown companies include Brintons Carpets, Lea & Perrins, Royal Worcester Porcelain, Morgan Motor Cars, Evesham Technologies, and remarkable in a landlocked county Sealine, leaders in the manufacture of handcrafted motor yachts.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mrs P Prosser

Worcestershire County Council

PO Box 373

County Hall

Spetchley Road

Worcester

WR5 2XG

UK

 

 

 

 

Yorkshire

Yorkshire and Humber is a region in the North of England. Halfway between Edinburgh and London, it lies at the center of the UK's motorway network and the country’s fastest railway links. Passengers can reach London from most areas of Yorkshire within 2 hours. Two official Channel Tunnel terminals, at Doncaster International Railport and Wakefield Europort link freight through Dover in the south east of England to Calais in northern France and for passenger traffic, the region has two international airports at Leeds/Bradford and Humberside, providing access to over 42 countries. Travel time to the international airport at Manchester takes around one hour.

 

Growth sectors include automotive components, medical equipment, electronics, printing and packaging, food and telecommunications. Financial and professional services have grown so rapidly in the last ten years that Leeds (region’s capital city) is now recognized as the UK’s legal and financial capital outside London.

 

The region produces over 10% of the UK's graduates each year, with 40% qualifying in science and technology related subjects.

Students may choose from nine universities and 40 colleges in the area. In accommodation terms, Yorkshire houses six of the UK’s 47 national science parks. These parks have been credited with being the best in the country for creating spin-off companies - an average of 8.9 per university compared to only 3.6 nationally.

 

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Jennie Frost

Yorkshire Forward

Victoria House

2 Victoria Place

Leeds

LS11 5AE

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 113 394 9722

fax: +44 (0) 113 243 3930

 

 

 

North East Lincolnshire

North East Lincolnshire is located in the Yorkshire & Humber region of the UK, at the mouth of the Humber Estuary, a major shipping channel. There are good communications by road, rai, air and sea, on a domestic and international level. Humberside International Airport is just 15 minutes from the industrial center.

 

The Port of Grimsby and Immingham is one of the UK’s largest and most efficient ports, handling around 47 million tonnes of cargo per year, and more foreign trade than any other UK port. Cargo can access the majority of mainland Europe within 24 hours of leaving the factory with freight-only rail lines running from the ports and specialist terminals.

 

The area is particularly strong in the food, chemicals and ports & distribution sectors. The food sector is concentrated in Grimsby, known as ‘Europe’s Food Town’, with a skilled workforce of over 27,000 and an impressive range of infrastructure serving the manufacturers. Major investors in the chemical sector include Novartis, Acordis and Ciba, again backed up by a skilled workforce and specialist services.

 

One of the prime development sites in the region is Europarc, a new 129 acre fully serviced business park offering a range of plot sizes. It is also the site of a state-of-the art Innovation Center offering 28 business suites to knowledge-driven businesses.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Ms Lisa King

Inward Investment and marketing officer

North East Lincolnshire Council

Municipal Offices

Town Hall Square

Grimsby

DN31 1HU

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1472 325954

fax: +44 (0)1472 325955

 

 

 

 

Barnsley

Barnsley is at the heart of Yorkshire in the north of England. It is well located to take advantage of the national motorway network with companies being a 50 mile distance from Manchester and the Midlands. London can be reached within 2 hours by rail and there are 4 international airports within a one hour drive time.

 

Barnsley offers a competitive financial package to investors, which can include tax breaks, exemption from business rates until 2005 and incentives for recruitment and training.

 

Companies who have been attracted by the Barnsley offer include the Japanese company Koyo Bearings, Galpharm Pharmaceuticals, Mion Electronics and H&W Systems, a US medical packaging company.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Jeffrey Pickering

Barnsley Development Agency

Beevor Court

Pontefract Road

Barnsley

S71 1HG

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1226 204116

fax: +44 (0) 1226 286606

 

 

 

 

Bradford

Situated in West Yorkshire, the city of Bradford is served by two major airports, Leeds-Bradford International Airport and Manchester International Airport (approximately an hour away) and two rail stations.

 

Key sectors include financial services (particularly insurance), chemicals, automotive, utilities and electronic component manufacture. Bradford has a long standing reputation as a major financial and business centre.

 

High technology firms such as Pace Micro Technology (manufacturer of satellite and digital TV receivers) and Filtronic Comtek (designers and manufacturers of microwave filter systems) are based in the area. Foreign owned companies include Denso Marston (manufacturers of automotive components) and Ciba Specialty Chemicals.

 

The University of Bradford is nationally respected for strong electronics, chemicals, engineering and computing departments and its pharmacy school. The internationally acclaimed Management Centre offers high calibre management training and a world class MBA course.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Dr Michael Rollason

Invest in Bradford

Design Exchange

Bradford

BD1 1BD

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1274 434270

fax: +44 (0) 1274 431379

 

 

 

York

York is ideally located in the center of the UK, mid-way between London and

Edinburgh with excellent road and rail connections.

 

'Science City York' is an initiative promoting growth in the science and

technology sector within the local economy, focusing on three established

clusters: Bioscience York (bioscience and healthcare), e-science York

(information and communications technology) and Heritage and Arts

Technology. The aim is to boost York's knowledge based economy, bringing

businesses and academics together and providing extra help to exploit the

commercial opportunities available within the fundamental research carried

out in York, create genuine bottom line benefits and make businesses grow

faster. At present, some 3,100 life scientists work within eight miles of

York Minster and over 130 ICT companies employ more than 2,400 people in the

city.

 

York's reputation in the field of bioscience and healthcare was boosted when

Smith & Nephew relocated its Group Research Centre for worldwide healthcare

to York Science Park.

 

The quality of the University's research into healthcare-related fields

provided a major factor in Smith & Nephew's choice of site - with key

departments receiving a World Class rating from the government's Funding

Council. York's standing was further enhanced by the creation of the Hull

York Medical School in 2003.

 

The city also is home to a number of world-class technical facilities

including Xceleron, Europe's first Commercial Biomedical Accelerator Mass

Spectrometer and the Technology Facility, six inter-connected laboratories

at the University of York which are open for commercial use. Specialist

incubation facilities, York Biocentre and York IT Centre, have been built on

the Science Park adjacent to the university.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Imelda Havers

york-england.com

20 George Hudson Street

York

YO1 6WR

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1904 641118

fax: +44 (0) 1904 554403

 

 

 

Sheffield

Sheffield is the fourth largest city in England, located at the heart of the country just 160 miles from London. Excellent infrastructure and good access to the motorway network mean that the rest of the UK is quickly and easily accessible. There are 3 international airports within a 50 mile radius providing access to the continent, North America and beyond, and the city is almost equidistant between the Humber and Mersey ports.

 

The city is building on excellence in engineering and manufacturing to forge a reputation in high-tech biomedical industries, particularly surgical blades and orthopaedic implants, and 7.2 % of the city’s working population are employed in 3000 enterprises within the booming cultural and creative industries.

Key sectors include:

 

· Advanced Manufacturing & Metals

· Creative Industries

· Business, Finance & Professional Services

· Digital Industries

· Biomedical / Healthcare

 

Recent investors include Boeing, Insight, Dixons, CGNU, Consignia, Kingfield Health and William Hill.

 

Sheffield has two universities, educating over 45,000 students, and producing 12,000 graduates a year. The University of Sheffield ranks 6th for academic research quality in the country, and Sheffield Hallam University the top new university for research, according to the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. Sheffield College, with 80,000 students, is the largest further education college in Europe.

 

The City can also offer an excellent quality of life, with over one third of Sheffield being within the Peak District National Park, and an exceptional range of cultural and sporting facilities – The Crucible Theatre (Theatre of the Year 2001), the Lyceum Theatre, Ponds Forge International Sports Centre and the National Ice Centre (due to open 2003).

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr David Fletcher

Director – Investment & Marketing

Sheffield First for Investment

1 St James Row

Sheffield

S1 2EU

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 114 223 2354

fax: +44 (0) 114 223 2346

 

 

 

Leeds

Leeds is the capital of the Yorkshire and Humber region in the North of England. A lively and young city, it has successfully made the transition from its traditional industrial base to become a vibrant services center. The city is in an excellent location for motorway access to the rest of the UK and daily flights from Leeds Bradford and Manchester International Airports provide passenger and freight services to worldwide destinations. Leeds City Station offers frequent Intercity connections to the rest of the UK and Europe, via the Channel Tunnel.

 

Major sectors are services, manufacturing, call centers and media. The fastest growing sector is in financial and business services. 69,000 people are employed in service jobs, accounting for 21% of total employment in the city. Leeds is recognised as one of the top financial centers in the UK and the largest legal center outside London.

 

The city is also a major attractor of telephone-based customer services: "call centers." An important regional media center, there are companies producing television and radio programs, the UK's largest provincial morning newspaper and high quality design, advertising, marketing and public relations services.

 

Companies in the area include Agfa Gavaert, Elida Faberge, DePuy, First Direct, Arthur Andersen, Vickers Defence Systems and Kodak Polychrome Graphics.

 

The city has two Universities, the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University with a collective population of 46,000 undergraduate students.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Leeds Development Agency

The Leonardo Building

2 Rossington Street

Leeds

LS2 1HD

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 113 247 4516

fax: +44 (0) 113 247 4517

 

 

 

 

Rotherham

Rotherham is a metropolitan borough in Yorkshire, in the north of England. It covers 118 square miles (306km²) and, although 70 per cent rural, it is a thriving center for business.

 

The borough has easy access to the national motorway network which links with London, Manchester, Liverpool and the major ports on the east and west coasts. It has its own railway station and is just minutes from mainline stations at Sheffield and Doncaster that offer daily rail services to London in just under two hours. A City Airport sits on its doorstep and four international airports are about a one-hour drive away.

 

Rotherham is still a major steel producer, but has expanded its industrial base away from the traditional steel and coal foundations. Recent years have seen strong growth in the IT, high-value engineering, food, healthcare, construction and service sectors.

 

Recent investors include Toyoda Gosei, part of the Toyota group, Nikken Kosakusho, Mitsui-Fanuc, Riso and SMC Pneumatics. They are among 70 overseas investors from 20 countries.

 

Companies moving into Rotherham can benefit from a readily available pool of skilled and semi-skilled labour. The workforce, regularly praised by inward investors, incorporates a wide range of skills, with one in ten of the population holding a degree or professional qualification.

 

There are two universities in neighbouring Sheffield as well as private research centers which include Corus’s (formerly British Steel) Research and Development Laboratories in Rotherham. REACT, the Rotherham Engineering and Computing Technology Center incorporates the Regional Technology Center and facilities for advanced product design and rapid prototyping.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr Andrew Nettleton

RIDO

Reresby House

Bow Bridge Close

Templeborough

Rotherham

S60 1BY

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1709 372099

fax: +44 (0) 1709 837 953

 

 

 

 

Kingston-upon-Hull

Kingston upon Hull is the regional center of East Yorkshire in the North of England. It is ideally located for companies serving European or world markets as the Port of Hull is a major east coast port in the UK and all UK cities are within a four hour drive time. Main line rail services provide a daily commuter service to London and there are three international airports - Humberside ( 30 minutes), Leeds/Bradford (1 Hour) and Manchester (2 Hours).

 

The city attracts major inward investment in areas as diverse as food production, healthcare and information technology. The city is an established Center of Excellence for the food Industry with 15% of the UK's food production originating around the Humber Estuary. Hull is also key area for the handling, storage and distribution of food.

 

The assets of the region have been recognised by market leaders, including Smith & Nephew and Merck-Seven Seas, Reckitt & Coleman and Sumitomo Heavy Industries who have established operations in the region.

 

The City boasts two Universities; The University of Hull and the Humberside campus of the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside. These institutions, together with the City Council and a Training and Enterprise Council work in partnership to meet the human resource requirements of new and expanding businesses.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Hull Economic Development Agency

Kingston upon Hull City Council

Anchor House

Silvester Street

Kingston upon Hull

HU1 3HA

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1482 612161

fax: +44 (0) 1482 612160

 

 

 

Doncaster

Doncaster is located in Yorkshire in the North of England. Its transport infrastructure means that the national motorway network is easily accessible and London can be reached within 90 minutes by rail. For international travel, Doncaster depends on the main Northern airports at Manchester and Leeds/Bradford. There are plans underway to convert a former RAF base in the region into a commercial airport.

 

The town is investing heavily in its telecommunications infrastructure so that it may attract call-center type operations. Existing call center operators include BT and the customer service center for English Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS.)

 

The area offers one of the highest levels of financial assistance available in the UK, which is just one of the factors which has worked to attract companies such as Schott Fibre Optics, BMW, Portola Packaging, Omega and Isotron.

 

Investment Promotion Agency:

 

Mr James Wilson

Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council

Enterprise House

White Rose Way

Hyde Park

Doncaster

DN4 5ND

UK

 

 

tel: +44 (0) 1302 734734

fax: +44 (0) 1302 734125

 

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