Focus: East of England
The East of England is targeted as a location by knowledge-driven businesses across the globe with innovation at their heart. The region is top in the UK for R&D and offers US companies a gateway to the markets of the UK and Europe. The area, which comprises Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, offers eight Europe-facing seaports and is home to London Stansted, which has flights to more European destinations than any other airport worldwide.
David Riches is CEO of East of England International (EEI), the official international business support organization for this UK region. He says: “As the international gateway to the UK, the East of England is renowned worldwide for its dynamic environment and unique mix of major multinationals, new start-ups and university research facilities. We have the strongest biotech and ICT clusters in Europe and a reputation for world-leading innovation, which is helping our companies in the current economic storm.”
“We also have a long history of innovation here. The world-famous University of Cambridge celebrates its 800th anniversary this year, reminding us of the amazing chain of discoveries and inventions that have taken place at the heart of this region. Cambridge is associated with the greatest number of Nobel Prize winners in the world. Today, our region’s research is still at the core of a vast range of the very latest commercial technology.”
R&D Strength
Commercial R&D spending in the East of
England accounts for one-quarter of the
UK total – that’s three times the national
average. This demonstrates a forward-thinking
approach which appeals to world-class
professionals, ensuring the largest concentration
of R&D engineers in the country.
The top four companies by research spend – GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, BAE Systems and BT – have all established major R&D centers in the region. Industry works hand in hand with academia in the East of England, progressing some of the world’s most exciting technologies. The University of Cambridge’s Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics (CAPE) – partners a small group of industrial companies, including the US’s Dow Corning. Their collaborative work looks set to revolutionise bill boards.
They are using smectic A liquid crystals and colored dyes. This is a true e-ink technology; one electrical pulse colors the liquid crystal ink and a second pulse clears it. Pictures can remain for many years with no electrical power feeding them. Academia embraces entrepreneurship in the East of England. The University of Cambridge has recently won funding to open a Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in NanoScience. The Centre will equip the next generation of researchers with the skills and experience to become nanoscience entrepreneurs by turning basic science research into future applications. This gives some indication of the caliber of staff available to incoming companies.
Assurances of the quality of East of England research just keep on coming. The latest is the news that the Institute of Food Research in Norwich has been ranking second in the world for its agri-food R&D. Global players already enjoying R&D bases in the region include Broadcom, Genzyme, Hitachi, Microsoft, Toshiba and Qualcomm.
Skills
It was the region’s strong talent pool that enticed Microsoft to invest $100m in an R&D lab with the University of Cambridge. Bill Gates said he was unable to tempt key staff away from Cambridge, so he decided the best way to tap into the Cambridge brain was to set up a research facility here. The region’s well-educated workforce has been an important factor for a number of foreign investors looking to gain an international perspective.
There are currently 133,000 full-time students and 10 world-class universities in the region, including Cranfield University, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, and University of Cambridge.
Communication links
The geographical location of the region makes it easily accessible
by land, air and sea. Situated immediately north of London, the
East of England offers space for companies to expand without the
high capital costs associated with locating in a major urban center.
With eight seaports facing Europe – including Felixstowe, the UK’s
largest container port – the region offers a strategic location for
potential investors.
There is also easy access to eight airports, providing fast and
affordable routes to the rest of the UK, mainland Europe and
North America.
Quality matters
Lifestyle is an important factor too. The East of England appeals to internationally-mobile professionals and their families, with its wide range of outdoor spaces and coastline, enabling a healthy work/life balance. Quality of life is important in attracting and retaining high-quality staff, as Emma Drake from Sagentia highlights: “The excellent quality of life here is helpful when recruiting staff, two-thirds of whom have a second degree, both business and industry experience and excellent interpersonal skills, enabling them to work effectively with clients from small start-ups to blue chip global players.”
Strong proposition
“The East of England has all the ingredients for success in a highly competitive international marketplace and a far stronger proposition than any other region in the UK,” says David Riches. The majority of investments are knowledge-driven, pivoting on a fulcrum of R&D, innovation and creativity and requiring access to the right capital, the right skills and world-class academic institutions. “One of the greatest attractions of this region is that we really can claim to be a one-stop-shop for international trade and investment advice, attracting inward investment and also securing export successes for companies in new markets. This two-way give-and-take approach holds considerable benefits when building relationships.”
Sector strengths
- Technology
- Life sciences, healthcare and medical devices
- Automotive, aerospace and engineering
- Food and Drink
- CleanTech, energy, environmental services and sustainable construction
- Financial services
East of England International not only helps foreign-owned businesses tap into the area’s resources and networks, but its Business Development Team also provides free and confidential sector intelligence and comparative data on factors crucial to each business’ unique success. The organization’s Investor Development Team also works with established companies, helping them to grow and expand into the rest of the UK and into overseas markets.
For more information, contact:
East of England International
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 450450
E-mail: info@eeia.com
Website: www.eei-online.com
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