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Overview:
The North West has the UK’s largest regional economy with an estimated value of
£106 billion making it the 12th largest in Europe. Manchester, voted Britain’s
‘Best City for Business’ after London, and Liverpool, Capital of Culture 2008,
are the major cities. Lancashire, with its great industrial past is reinventing
itself with modern manufacturing and advanced engineering; Cheshire is home to
some of the world’s most successful multinational companies; and Cumbria is full
of contrasts from its natural beauty to its skills in nuclear energy.
The region’s strong R&D base includes the largest concentration of universities
in Western Europe producing 50,000 graduates per annum, and Manchester
University is the largest single site university in Europe. Private sector R&D
is one third higher than the UK average.
“Good road links, high
quality local staff and a great quality of life have been vital to our continued
investment in Runcorn”
Chris Harrison, group managing director, Fresenius Kabi and Calea
Key sectors: life
sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemicals, R&D; aerospace, automotive,
engineering, manufacturing, defence, energy, including renewables; ICT,
software, digital industries; food processing; distribution; contact centres and
shared service centres, financial and professional services.
R&D strengths:
biopharmaceutical, life sciences, medicine, software, computing, ICT, robotics,
Composites environmental technologies, engineering, manufacturing and business.
Major investors include:
Airbus, Amaze, Arvato Services, Asahi Glass, AstraZeneca, Avecia, Avis, BAE
Systems, BBC, Bank of New York, Bentley Motors, Bizarre Creations, Bosch,
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chiron Vaccines, Cisco, Delphi Delco Electronics Systems,
Eastman Chemicals, Eli Lilly, Ericsson, ExxonMobil, Ford, Formfill, Fujitsu,
General Motors, GETRAG Ford Transmissions, Google, Handleman, Hitachi, IBM, ICL,
Infogrames, I-Soft, JP Morgan Invest, Jacobi Carbons, Jaguar, Johnson Controls,
Kellogg’s, Koito Aerospace, Kratos, Lever Fabergé, Leyland Trucks, MBNA
International, MedImmune, Michelin, Microsoft, Musco Lighting, Netario, Nokia,
Novartis, Oracle, Philips, Photronics, Piolax, Polynorm, Prinovis, QVC, Qualitek,
Quinn Glass, Reebok, Sanko Gosei, sanofi-aventis, SCA Hygiene, Schwann’s
Consumer Brands, Sharp, Siemens, Sony Psygnosis, State Bank of India,
Surfcontrol, Tangoe, Tata International, Telecity, Ticketmaster, Tomcat UK, TRW
Lucas, Tulip Ltd, Unilever, US Airways, Vauxhall, Warthog.
Grants: Tier 2
Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) grants are available in certain parts of
Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside (see map on Grants
Information).
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