Location:
Essex is an historic county in the East of England that covers
3,670 km², and has a population of over 1.7 million. The county
town of Chelmsford is sandwiched between London and Cambridge.
Central London is only a 35 minute train ride or 40 miles away
and the M11 gives fast access to Cambridge, 45 miles north or
less than an hour away. Essex has over 350 miles of North Sea
coastline, stretching from the ports of Tilbury to Harwich.
Felixstowe in nearby Suffolk, just an hour away, is one of the
fastest growing areas in Europe containing the UK’s single most
important cluster of seaports and a vibrant business community
spanning many industry sectors. In the north of the county is the
oldest recorded town of Colchester, a garrison town. To the west
is Harlow, a centre for electronics, science and pharmaceutical
companies. |
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Transportation Services:
Essex has an excellent logistics network and includes major connections
to the national motorway network via the M11 and M25 motorways, the
UK’s single most important cluster of international deep-sea container
ports at Harwich, nearby Felixstowe in Suffolk, Tilbury and the new
massive London Gateway Port, due to open in 2009, and Stansted Airport,
the third largest airport in the UK, also a major commercial airport
and is London’s second largest airport for freight, transporting over
£8 billion worth every year accounting for approximately 13 per cent of
all UK air freight. The county also has a long established regional
airport, London Southend Airport which is also a major asset of the
Thames Gateway Regeneration Zone. Together these make it easy to do
business anywhere in the UK and the world.
Main kinds of Financial Assistance on Offer:
INVEST Essex
offers Grants for Business Investment.
Other kinds of financial
assistance on offer:
INVEST Essex offers
assistance with accessing research & development funding in partnership
with the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). Research and
development grants, Proof of Concept grants, new ideas and developing
innovative businesses (Essex Innovation Programmes), Beyond 2010.
Available Sites Include:
Serviced vacant sites
are available; prices vary considerably subject to location.
Major Business Parks
Include:
Chesterford Research
Park, Saffron Walden: 250 acres; London Gateway, Stanford le Hope:
1,500 acres; Severalls & Colchester Business Park, Colchester: 150
acres; Cranes Farm, Basildon: 630 acres.
Science Parks:
Chesterford Research
Park, Saffron Walden covers 250 acres and specialises in
bio-technology, life science and R&D companies. Major occupiers include
Pfizer, Illumina and BioFocus DPI. The Park has links with Cambridge
University and the University of Essex.
Office Developments
Include:
Colchester Business
Park and Chelmsford Business Park both offer various high spec office
accommodation ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 sq ft.
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Prices |
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Average Price per acre |
Rent per square foot |
| Vacant
Serviced Land – varies considerably dependent upon location |
Existing
Factories - £5.00-£10.00
High-tech units - £11.00
New Offices - £9.00-£20.00 |
Major Industries in the Area:
Financial & business services,
logistics & distribution, advanced manufacturing – automotive, aerospace and
pharmaceutical, creative industries, ICT, software & advanced electronics,
environmental technologies.
Major Companies in the Area:
Ford (US), Konica Minolta, Olympus Keymed (Japanese), Selex (Italian).
Alphasense, BAE Systems, Britvic, e2v technologies, GlaxoSmithKline, Maldon
Salt, Raytheon, Wilkins & Sons (UK).
e2v technologies |
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Advice and Assistance:
INVEST Essex gives free and confidential advice and assistance to incoming
companies, including information on availability of sites and premises, skills
and training. It offers links to all business support organisations together
with familiarisation tours of the area.
Contact:
Liz Parkin, Inward Investment Manager, INVEST Essex, Aquila House, Waterloo
Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1BD. Tel: +44-(0)1245-702480. Fax:
+44-(0)1245-702445. E-mail: invest.essex@exdra.co.uk Web:
www.investessex.co.uk
Summary:
Essex has a pedigree as a superbly located, self-starting, vibrant business
environment with a rich history of innovation and entrepreneurship. It continues
to be home to technological innovation, inspirational creativity and talent and
a large number of early stage businesses. This entrepreneurial spirit is
reflected in a high level of employment and an outstanding concentration of R&D
intensive companies.
Essex is at the heart of a thriving knowledge economy, with a highly-skilled
workforce, world-class universities and specialist schools that make the county
a breeding ground of technological innovation, inspirational creativity and
talent.
Essex has earned a reputation as an entrepreneurial and vibrant business
environment and is among the UK’s top economies. This position is set to be
further galvanised by a £5 billion investment over the next 15-20 years into
Essex’s industry, infrastructure and housing, which will create over 100,000
jobs, adding stimulus to Essex’s internationally competitive economy.
Essex also offers a great quality of life, with England’s longest coastline,
huge areas of unspoilt countryside and superb leisure facilities.
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