North East England
The region is economically ambitious, outward-looking and culturally rich with a strong reputation for innovation and industrial change.

Business facts
Population of 2.6 million in 2006
GVA per head stood at £14,048 in 2005 and is growing above the national average, exceeding the growth levels of both London and the South East
North East England is one of only two UK net exporting regions with a positive balance of payments

North East England is home to 588 overseas companies from 32 countries, employing over 27,000 people

The region has five universities with over 50 RAE 5 or 5* rated departments and 18 further education colleges attracting almost 96,000 full and part-time students

The region has the 3rd highest graduate retention rate in the UK at 59%
Only London has a higher rate of technology start-ups than North East England

Expenditure on R&D by the region’s businesses is rising year on year with the latest levels of spending reaching £281 million

The region’s ‘Strategy for Success’ is stimulating ground-breaking developments in science and technology based on strengths in new and renewable energies, life sciences and process technologies
Creative industries such as content-based businesses, which include computer games and video production, are now growing faster in North East England than in any other region of England.

There are over 2,800 creative businesses operating in North East England, employing around 26,000 people


North West England
The region has a thriving £106 billion economy, a population of nearly seven million people and 230,000 successful businesses.

Business Facts
The Northwest economy is worth £106 billion, bigger than 14 EU countries, and is home to the internationally renowned cities of Manchester and Liverpool (Manchester 2nd behind London in 2007 UK Cities Monitor of best UK city to run a business, Liverpool 9th).

Europe’s largest concentration of universities can be found in the region with over 50,000 graduates per year. These include The University of Manchester, Europe’s largest single site university. The region also has over 50 Research Institutes, many multi-institutional.

The region is home to a wealth of world-leading businesses including Bentley Motors, Jaguar/Land Rover, Fuji Film, BAE Systems and Unilever. AstraZeneca’s largest global R&D facility is located at Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Over 230 biomedical companies in the region employ over 25,000 professionals in this major growth sector. This includes 6 multinational companies - AstraZeneca, Novartis, Medimmune, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Aventis and Bristol Myers Squibb. The region is also the UK’s largest exporter of phamraceuticals as well as being home to the National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC), Europe's leading biopharmaceutical design centre in Speke, Liverpool.

The region is home to the largest media hub outside of London. Over 31,000 digital and creative businesses employ some 321,000 individuals. mediacity:uk based at Salford Quays in Manchester will be the UK’s first purpose built media city and be home to 5 BBC departments. Once complete, mediacity:uk will provide space for 1,150 media, creative and related businesses.

The Northwest is the largest single centre of aerospace manufacturing and production in the UK and a leading centre of excellence in Europe and accounts for one third of UK aerospace output.

The Northwest is one of the UK’s leading regions for financial and professional services and is home to more AIM-registered PLCs than anywhere else in the UK outside London. Over 80 banks have operations here (40 of which are overseas-owned) with recent investments including The Bank of New York, The State Bank of India and JPMorgan Invest.

The region’s three international airports serve over 270 destinations worldwide. This includes Manchester International Airport, the largest UK airport outside of London, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Blackpool Airport.


Scotland
A high quality business location offering exceptional quality of life, Scotland is a popular base for firms from all over the world.

Business facts

• Scotland was named 'UK Region of the Future 2006/7' by the Financial Times FDI magazine. Scotland came top in economic performance, human resources, IT/Telecoms, transport links, and quality of life.

• Scotland is home to 590 life sciences organisations employing 29,500 people. Life Sciences is a thriving industry in Scotland with a recent £50 million investment to create the Scottish Translational Medicine Research Collaboration.

• Scotland is the fifth largest financial services centre in Europe. Four of the world's clearing banks have their HQ's in Scotland: including the Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS. (Halifax Bank of Scotland).

• Scotland's aerospace industry has a turnover of £2.1billion (2005) and is home to around 10 per cent of the UK's aerospace industry (Scottish Survey Report). Prestwick is regarded as a centre of excellence in MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) and companies such as GE Caledonian and Goodrich have substantially expanded their Prestwick-based operations throughout 2006-7.

• The Scottish Executive has set a target to generate 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable means by 2020 and onshore wind generation supports almost 3000 jobs in Scotland. The Scottish oil and gas industry supports 100,000 jobs, with more than 2,000 service and supply companies active in more than 40 countries worldwide

• Scotland is also a world leader for contact centre operations, having some of the largest and most sophisticated international call centres. There are over 60,000 people employed within 300 contact centres in Scotland and companies such as Direct Line, 02 and Dell have chosen Scotland to locate.

South East England
Easy access to London, comprehensive transport links and a diverse research base bring many companies to the South East. The region is the UK’s highest exporter.

Key facts

• The South East economy is worth £166 billion ($323 billion, €246 billion)

• All major industries are well established in the region with many leading the UK. Sectors with critical mass in the South East include pharmaceuticals, biotech, healthcare, ICT, high-tech engineering, digital media, environmental technology, aerospace and electronics

• The South East is an international transport hub with fast links to European and global marketplaces via three international airports (including Heathrow) and the Channel Tunnel

• The region has the highest rate for exporting in the UK. Goods worth £29 billion ($57 billion, €43 billion) are moved via an efficient distribution network of 11 ports (including Southampton, Thamesport and Dover) and an extensive road network

• Easy and efficient access to Europe’s financial capital London is provided by a comprehensive road network and direct train services to the capital from 77 train stations

• The region has the largest population of any UK region, approximately eight million people.

• Companies based in the South East have access to a highly skilled and flexible workforce. The region produces 74,000 graduates per year

• The South East is home to 24 universities and higher education institutes including the University of Oxford

• The South East is a high-technology and research-intensive economy. 23 percent of Research & Development (R&D) expenditure in the UK is spent in the region, with 45,800 people employed in R&D activities.

                                                                                     Cecilia Helland