ONE OF THE WORLD’SLARGEST CENTRES OFNUCLEAR EXPERTISE

NUCLEAR ENERGY

IN ENGLAND’SNORTHWEST

25,000 skilledprofessionals

300 companies Pioneering R&D centres

KEY STRENGTHS OFENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

Strategic sites for new build

Expertise in the whole fuel cycle

England’s Northwest is home to one of the world’s largestconcentrations of nuclear facilities, with a renowned skillsbase and world-class expertise in nuclear technologyresearch and development.

The UK is one of only a few countries to close the nuclearfuel cycle – post-uranium mining – with the Northwest theonly UK region to contain the whole fuel cycle capability. It handles every aspect from uranium conversion anduranium enrichment to fuel manufacture, power generation,spent fuel reprocessing, and waste management anddecommissioning.

For 60 years, the region has been at the heart of thenuclear industry and is currently home to over half of theUK’s 45,000 nuclear workforce.

This strength and depth of skills and experience ensuresthat the Northwest is extremely well positioned for theglobal nuclear renaissance. The region is key to the UK’smulti-billion pound nuclear new build programme, withstrategic sites already identified.

Many of the organisations that have developed expertisein the UK’s decommissioning programme will also beapplying their knowledge to decommissioning and newbuild programmes internationally.

The supply chain iswell established, extensive and varied.Northwest companies will play a pivotal role in the design,construction and operation of new nuclear power plants, and in providing the fuel cycle operations and technology

World class capabilities in nuclear technologyFew places in the world can match the breadth ofnuclear expertise in the Northwest

required to sustain the nuclear programme formany decadesto come.

The technical expertise and experience is fundamentalconsidering that Sellafield in Cumbria is one of the world’smost complex decommissioning programmes. The region isset to play a central role in the UK’s £70 billiondecommissioning programme of civil nuclear sites.Significant investment in skills is also underway, includingENERGUS, a new £20 million skills centre, and the NationalSkills Academy for Nuclear – both in Cumbria.

The region’s universities are pioneers in nuclear researchand nuclear technology. Innovation has consistently driventhe industry, including the National Nuclear Laboratory andthe University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute – thelead partner in the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing ResearchCentre in partnership with the University of Sheffield.

On top of its outstanding industrial, academic and researchcapability, the Northwest is home to many of the sector’s keygovernment agencies – testimony to its position at thecentre of the industry. Both the Nuclear DecommissioningAuthority and the Nuclear Directorate of the Health andSafety Executive are headquartered in the region.

Add to this the multi-million pound investments bynuclear companies – strengthening their own facilities, skillsand expertise in the region – and it’s clear that England’sNorthwest is the ideal location for investors looking tocapitalise on this exciting global industry.

THE NORTHWEST OFENGLAND HAS ALWAYS BEENTHE HEART OF THE UK’SVIBRANT NUCLEARINDUSTRY. THERE IS PERHAPSNOWHERE ON EARTH WITH ABROADER AND STRONGERBASE OF NUCLEARCAPABILITY AND HERITAGE.”Mike Tynan, Chief Executive, Westinghouse UK

‘‘

The global civil nuclear market is worth £30 billion annually,with a forecast increase to £50 billion by 2023.

The UK new build programme plans to commission over16GW of new nuclear generating capacity in the UK by 2025,involving the construction of perhaps10-12 reactors. Thecost of this programme could be around £40 billion. As thefirst European country to plan construction of a fleet of newnuclear power stations, the UK is an importantmarket in theglobal new build programme and in prime position forinvestment opportunities.

The Northwest is poised to play an integral part in thenuclear resurgence, with more than half of the UK’s 45,000skilled specialists based in the region, working with a variedand well established supply chain of more than 300companies. These companies are able to tap into the potentialassociated with the £50 billion decommissioning programmeat Sellafield, which is scheduled to last in excess of 100years. With an annual spend of £1.3 billion, and a commitmentto diversifying its supplier base, Sellafield and thedecommissioning process offers incredible opportunities forcompanies with expertise in hazardous waste managementand waste handling.

As a recognised centre for the nuclear industry and abase for the UK government’s new strategic sites, there are

At the heart of the nuclear industryFewEuropean regions canequal the capabilities,facilities, skilled specialists and opportunities

several new build nominations proposed for the region, allwithin a relatively short drive.

It’s a hotbed of activity, from governmental agencies,which oversee the sector, to the skills academies and theR&D centres, which includes the National NuclearLaboratory’s Central Laboratory, a flagship nuclear R&Dfacility located at Sellafield.

The Northwest also has a number of licensed sites, allkey to the industry; BAE Systems Submarine Solutions atBarrow employs 5,000 people and retains the capability todesign, construct and commission nuclear submarines.Meanwhile, the UK’s largest nuclear generation site is locatedat Heysham, Lancashire.

Springfields Fuels employs1,400 people from its sitenear Preston, where it manufactures nuclear fuel,intermediate uranium products and uranium hexafluoride,while Westinghouse UK, also located at Preston, is one ofonly two reactor vendors in the UK. Urenco, a leading globalprovider of enriched uranium and associated technologies,employs more than 350 people at its Capenhurst site. Such formidable facilities, which includes significantoperators, ensures a complete industry, with incrediblecapacity for growth as nuclear power moves forward.

£1.3 billionAnnual budget at Sellafield,Cumbria

100 yearsLength of time of Sellafield’sdecommissioning programme

10,000Number of skilled staff workingat Sellafield

Fuel FabricationWestinghouse/Springfields, Preston, LancashireSellafield, Cumbria

Waste Disposal/StorageWaste Disposal –

Low Level Waste Repository, CumbriaDecommissioning –

Sellafield, Cumbria

Uranium ConversionSpringfields,

Preston, Lancashire

Uranium EnrichmentUrenco

Capenhurst, Cheshire

Power GenerationBritish Energy,(Part of EDF Energy)Heysham, Lancashire

Spent ReprocessingSellafield, Cumbria

The Northwest covers the full fuel cycle

Sellafield: Long-terminvestment opportunities

Westinghouse is one of only twocompanies progressing a reactor(the AP1000 design, inWestinghouse’s case) throughthe generic design assessmentprocess with UK regulators,enabling it to be built andoperated in the UK. Based inPreston, Westinghouse UK alsomanages the Springfieldsnuclear fuel manufacturing planton behalf of the NDA.Springfields

was the first plant in the world tomake nuclear fuel and to datehas produced over10 million fuelelements, which have preventedthe emission of one billiontonnes of CO2. The site employsaround1,800 people.Westinghouse is currentlyfinalising arrangements to moveto a long-term leasingarrangement for the Springfieldssite, which will open up the

opportunity for future investmentin new facilities. This arrangementwill cement Westinghouse’sposition at the heart of the UKnuclear industry for manydecades to come. Westinghouseis also actively seeking to growits reactor services anddecommissioning business inthe UK.

WESTINGHOUSE: ONE OF THEUK’S TWO REACTOR VENDORS

Nuclear capability in England’s Northwest

BARROW-IN-FURNESS

SELLAFIELD

HEYSHAM

WHITEHAVEN

CAPENHURST

RISLEY

LIVERPOOL

MANCHESTER

CHESTER

PRESTON

CARLISLE

WORKINGTON

WYLFA

HARTLEPOOL

ROTHERHAM

BRADWELL

SIZEWELL

HINKLEY POINT

OLDBURY

Other key UK sites for new build

AirportPortR&D— Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester Westlakes Science Park, Whitehaven— National Nuclear Laboratory, Birchwood Park, Risley Central Laboratory, Sellafield Springfields, Preston Workington Laboratory, Cumbria— Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Rotherham & ManchesterHub of technical consultancies Birchwood Park, Risley Various locations, Manchester Westlakes Science Park, WhitehavenLicensed sites— BAE Systems Submarine Solutions, Barrow-in-Furness— Heysham 1 & 2 — Low Level Waste Repository, Drigg, Cumbria— Sellafield Ltd, Cumbria— Springfields, Preston— Urenco, CapenhurstNew build nominations* Bradwell, Essex Braystones, Cumbria Hartlepool, Co Durham Heysham, Cumbria Hinkley Point, Somerset Oldbury, Gloucestershire Kirksanton, Cumbria Sellafield, Cumbria Sizewell, Suffolk Wylfa, AngleseyReactor vendor— Westinghouse UK, PrestonNuclear training— ENERGUS, Workington, Cumbria— Nuclear Skills Academy HQ, Cockermouth, Nr Workington— University of Manchester, ManchesterGovernment agencies— Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Westlakes Science Park, Whitehaven— Nuclear Directorate of the Health & Safety Executive, Liverpool

*As of draft National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation, November 2009

Skilled professionals are the lifeblood of the nuclear industry.The region’s dynamic, skilled workforce boasts more than15,000 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)graduates annually. It is home to one of Europe’s largestconcentrations of universities –12 in total – including theUniversity of Manchester, top10 in Europe and top 30 in theworld. There are a further 60 education colleges.

British universities have been at the forefront of teachingin nuclear science and engineering for decades. Across theregion, there are courses of the highest quality training the nextgeneration of nuclear engineers in all aspects of nuclear energyand radioactivity, from nuclear reactors and astrophysics, to radiological protection and applications in medical andlife sciences. Many of the universities are internationallyrenowned for the fundamental and applied research theyundertake on nuclear science and engineering topics.

The Northwest is also a pioneer in nuclear training for16-19 year olds, ensuring a healthy supply of skilled labourfor businesses in the nuclear sector.

From its head office in Cumbria, the National SkillsAcademy for Nuclear (NSAN) helps to develop the worldclass skills required to support the future of the UK’s nuclearindustry. Launched in 2008, it gives employers a stake inskills development by providing a means for hands-oninvolvement in the design and delivery of learning, so thattraining is tailored to the specific needs of businesses. Itoperates via a network of regional training bodies to createlocal ‘centres of excellence’ for nuclear training to fill theskills gaps identified by employers. Working closely withindustry, NSAN focuses on vocational and technical skillsand development and training, linking in to high educationand higher level skills development.

NSAN’s flagship in the Northwest is ENERGUS, a state-of-the-art £20 million training academy, which exemplifiesthe strength of the Northwest’s capabilities and expertise innuclear. Based at Workington, ENERGUS incorporatesengineering workshops built to Formula One standard.ENERGUS provides quality assured training for 250apprentices and a range of industry programmes on the

World class skillsWith some of the finest facilities, research resourcesand academics, the region is well-placed to grow itsknowledge base for the future of nuclear energy

Nuclear Skills Passport, and works with the University ofCumbria to deliver programmes to 200 undergraduates andpostgraduates.

Nuclear and engineering training provider GEN II – whichhas been training apprentices in West Cumbria for nearly10 years – has signed up to deliver its engineeringapprenticeships at the ENERGUS Academy. Courses cover awide range of skills spanning the entire spectrumof electricalandmechanical training, from welders and steel fabricatorsthrough to electrical and instrumentation engineers. It hastrained more than1,000 apprentices since 2000, and in 2009applications for apprenticeships rose by15 per cent, despitethe recession.

The Nuclear Technology Education Consortium (NTEC),co-ordinated by the Dalton Nuclear Institute in Manchester,provides leading-edge training in decommissioning andclean-up, reactor technology, fusion and nuclear medicine.NTEC comprises a number of leading universities andresearch centres across the UK, including the universities ofLancaster, Liverpool, Manchester and Central Lancashire.Together, NTEC represents over 90 per cent of the UK’snuclear postgraduate training.

The Northwest Universities Association operates a higherlevel skills partnership to fund the development of foundationand postgraduate degree courses at the University of CentralLancashire, and it funds, with NSAN, a PostgraduateCertificate of Nuclear Professionalism at the Open University.

There are other specialist courses including DIAMOND(Decommissioning, Immobilisation and Management ofNuclear waste for Disposal) bringing together nuclearexpertise from six of the UK’s leading universities, includingManchester, with a focus on nuclear waste management anddecommissioning. The Nuclear Engineering DoctorateProgramme, led by the Dalton Nuclear Institute, is aprogramme which combines academic research withindustry experience at the highest level. It aims to prepareoutstanding young nuclear research engineers for seniorroles in the nuclear industry.

BEING BASED IN THE NORTHWEST HASALLOWED URENCO UK TO CAPITALISE ON A POOL OF WELL EDUCATED GRADUATESFROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES AND TODRAW ON ENTHUSIASTIC APPRENTICESFROM THE LOCAL TECHNICAL COLLEGES.”Neil Fagan, Communications Manager, Urenco UK

‘‘

15,000 STEM graduates

a year

Growingapprenticeship

base

£20 million state-of-the-artENERGUS academy

National SkillsAcademy forNuclear HQ

Image courtesy of GEN II

Funding the future workforce

The Community Apprenticeship Scheme is a core partof the training strategy for the region. Funded by theNuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), it enablescompanies in the nuclear supply chain to obtainadditional funding to take on apprentices for the firsttime, or to further develop existing apprentice skills fortheir business.

The scheme aims to initially provide up to 75apprenticeships from companies across the UK, withtraining provided at a number of regional centres,including ENERGUS. Skills covered include design, IT,administration, laboratory technician and new areassuch as decommissioning and radiation protection, aswell as more traditional engineering disciplines, such asfabrication and welding, maintenance, electrical,electronics, and instrumentation and controls.

Funding is provided direct to the employer to helpcover wage costs for the apprentices, and bureaucracyis deliberately minimised to make the scheme moreaccessible for small and medium-sized employers. The NDA funding is on top of financial support availablefrom the Learning and Skills Council for apprenticeshiptraining costs.

UrencoUK,basedatCapenhurst,near Chester, supplies enricheduranium to enable nuclearpower stations around the worldto generate electricity.The site is part of Urenco

Limited, a European energycompany which supplies theinternational nuclear industrywith uranium enrichmentservices and advancedenrichment technologies andexpertise. There are three plantson the site, producing enricheduranium using state-of-the-artenrichment technology basedon the gas centrifuge process –the cleanest and most energyefficient system. The site employs over 350people and provides the localcommunity with long term jobsin a technical environment, aswell as opportunities for youngpeople to pursue engineeringand scientific careers in thenuclear industry.

URENCO: AT THE CORE OFNUCLEAR POWER

THE NORTHWEST IS AT THE FOREFRONT OFNUCLEAR TRAINING FOR16-19 YEAR OLDS.

Image courtesy of GEN II

Image courtesy of GEN II

The nuclear industry is large, complex and always evolvingalongside new technology. The material and management ofall elements involves rigorous safety regulation andmonitoring, while the decommissioning process alsorequires a sophisticated structure to ensure the best systemsand processes are adopted and implemented competently.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is thepublic body responsible for the clean-up of the UK’s civilnuclear sites, with a budget of £8.44 billion over three years,it is central to the nuclear future. The NDA is headquarteredat Westlakes Science Park in Whitehaven, close to its mostsignificant project, Sellafield.

The 262 hectare site, which accounts for around two-thirds of the NDA’s annual budget, has been part of the UK’snuclear power programme since the1940s, with Calder Hall– located on Sellafield – the world’s first commercial nuclearpower station. It generated electricity from1956 until 2003.The decommissioning process at Sellafield presents a widerange of opportunities in hazardous waste handling, storingand packaging. As such a wealth of expertise has developedin West Cumbria.

Another fundamental government agency for nuclear isthe Nuclear Directorate of the Health & Safety Executive(ND), which is based in Liverpool. The Directorate’s 250skilled staff, most of which have been in the industry for atleast10 years, is responsible for the granting of site licences.The ND’s specialists use their carefully developed SafetyAssessment Principles to maintain and improve safetystandards. It ensures the UK complies with its international

safeguards obligations, but also gives special assistance tothe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) along withother international organisations. The quality of the individualsis key to its success, with technical expertise across a wideberth of engineering and science disciplines, with skillsranging from reactor physics and radiological protection tomore specialised areas including pressure vessel technology,metallurgy, seismology and heat transfer. As the agencyresponsible for approving reactor design, the ND is integralto ensuring the success of the UK’s new build programme.

The Northwest was also the home to the UK AtomicEnergy Authority in Warrington, before it was restructuredand privatised in 2009. As such Birchwood Park, in Risley –is a flourishing nuclear hub with over 20 companies workingin or servicing the nuclear sector. Birchwood, GreaterManchester and West Cumbria are attracting large numbersof recognised nuclear consultancies, with many firmsspecialising in areas ranging from design engineering toindustry recruitment and decommissioning and liabilitiesmanagement. Most recently Rolls-Royce announced theopening of a new technical office at Birchwood offering abroad range of nuclear expertise for the new build market.“With such a wealth of nuclear expertise in the Northwest,Warrington was an obvious choice,” says Lawrie Haynes,President of Rolls-Royce Nuclear. The close proximity to theindustry makes the region an attractive location forconsultants, aided by the high level agency decision makersalso operating from the Northwest.

Technical expertiseSafety is key to the operation and growth of thenuclear industry with the Northwest the obviouschoice for government agencies and consultancies

THE NORTHWEST IS ANATURAL LOCATION FOR THEHUB OF SERCO’S NUCLEARBUSINESS. THE REGION HASA WEALTH OF NUCLEAR-FOCUSED BUSINESSES ANDAN ABUNDANCE OFNUCLEAR CAPABILITY.” Steve Wheeler, Director of NuclearDevelopment, Serco Defence,Science and Nuclear

‘‘

SERCO: TECHNICALSPECIALISTSSerco is a FTSE100 company, operatinginternationally. Its Northwest office,located at Risley near Warrington,employs more than 400 specialists,focusing on the nuclear industry. It provides technical services to theNDA, Sellafield Ltd and the Low LevelWaste Repository among others. Itsrole is to improve safety, reduce riskand aid waste management, with thecompany contracted during the build ofSizewell B to test and sample thestrength of materials in extremeenvironments – primarily to reduce therisk of issues later. Serco’s on-goingservice contracts involve certificationevery18 months, building a pricelessinformation database. This incredibleexperience in assessing and testingmajor licensed sites places Serco inprime position for the new buildprogramme.“The Northwest is a natural location forthe hub of Serco’s nuclear business.The region has a wealth of nuclear-focused businesses and it is importantto us to be within such easy reach of somany customers, partners andsuppliers, as well as an abundance ofnuclear capability,” says Steve Wheeler,Director of Nuclear Development,Serco Defence, Science and Nuclear.

Low carbon Britain

The UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy (LCIS), launchedin July 2009, has the core objective of ensuring Britishbusinesses are equipped to maximise the economicopportunities and minimise the costs of transition to alow carbon economy. The National Policy Statement for nuclear, to be designated during 2010, will providethe framework to deliver early new nuclear power in the UK, increasing security of supplies to decarboniseour economy. To further develop low carbon economicactivity across the country Low Carbon Economic Areas(LCEAs) are being established to capitalise on distinctregional strengths.

In December 2009 the Northwest and Yorkshire wereannounced as the UK’s LCEAs for nuclear based on theregion’s unique assets and capabilities within the field ofnuclear energy. The aim of the LCEA is to bring togetherknowledge, skills and investment within the sector,delivering benefits for the economy. The Northwest isthe natural base from which to stimulate and developUK economic activity for the nuclear sector and act as agateway to the UK’s market and capability.

Britain’s Energy Coast – West Cumbria

In West Cumbria, where the nuclear industry is thelargest source of employment locally, and a probablelocation for early new nuclear build, it is important toensure the community grasps the opportunities. Newbuild and the nuclear decommissioning process takingplace at Sellafield will add to Cumbria’s growingreputation as a place for innovation in renewable energy.The Britain’s Energy Coast Masterplan sets out how thiswill be achieved andoutlines how the area’s expertise inthe nuclear sector can be used as a springboard for theregeneration of the area.

The Masterplan is an exciting package of projects thatwill establish West Cumbria as Britain’s Energy Coast’ – a centre of excellence for nuclear and other energytechnologies, complemented with high quality localservices. Projects range from the establishment ofpioneering centres for nuclear skills and enterprise, to support for businesses, transport improvements and the development of West Cumbria as a tourismdestination. The programme totals £2 billion in publicand private sector investment over the next 20 years.

Initiatives to capitalise on the Northwest’s nuclear expertise

The National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), which has itsheadquarters in Cumbria boasts an unrivalled breadth oftechnology expertise, includingmany skills unique to the UK.NNL’s Central Laboratory at Sellafield is the flagship nuclearR&D facility in the UK, supporting new reactor build, reactoroperation, fuel processing plants and decommissioning andclean-up. More than 500 staff at the £250 million purpose-built facility run a wide range of radioactive and non-radioactive experimental programmes, as well as offering awide range of analytical services. NNL places a strongemphasis on building links with academia and strengtheningthe quality of nuclear-related skills coming into the industryvia a series of University Research Alliances (URAs). CurrentURAs include a radiochemistry collaboration with theUniversity of Manchester’s Centre for RadiochemistryResearch, and a URA on materials performance, also withthe University of Manchester.

The University of Manchester itself has ambitious plansto become one of the world’s leading academic institutionsand nuclear research is one of its major growth disciplines.The University already has the UK’s largest concentration ofnuclear research, training and educational activities and, in2005, it established the Dalton Nuclear Institute (see panel)to drive forward its ambitions. The Dalton Nuclear Institutehas helped to significantly ramp up the university’s portfolioof nuclear research, which now stands at around £100 millioninvolving 200 researchers.

In July 2009 theGovernment announced plans to establisha Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre(NAMRC) in the north of England. The facility will combinethe expertise of manufacturing companies anduniversities toallowsuppliers towork together to develop new processesfor the manufacture of nuclear components and assemblies,delivering training and workforce development programmesand achieving nuclear standards and accreditation.

Developing a nuclear futureThe Northwest boasts world-leading centres ofexpertise in nuclear technology and R&D

The Dalton Nuclear Institute is a lead partner in the project,alongside the University of Sheffield, and will be responsiblefor the research, development and innovation thatunderpin’s the NAMRC’s work.

The Centre for Nuclear Energy Technology, including itsreactor technology centre, is another centre of nuclearexpertise at the University of Manchester.

In addition to the University of Manchester a number ofother academic institutes boast internationally significantcapabilities in nuclear science and engineering.

TheUniversity of Liverpool has an internationalreputation in the fields of condensed matter physics, nuclearphysics, particle physics and accelerator science.

John Tyndall Institute for Nuclear Research at theUniversity of Central Lancashire is split across two sites inPreston and at Cumbria, working in nuclear science,technology and engineering.

Lancaster University has a multi-disciplinary team ofengineering researchers working in nuclear safety, robotics,nuclear instrumentation, energy policy and environment.The university also co-ordinates the NDA-funded NuclearGraduate Programme, which is backed by more than 20leading nuclear companies and aims to plug a nationwideskills gap in decommissioning.

Cockcroft Institute of Accelerator Science andTechnology at Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus inCheshire, is one of the UK’s leading centres for particleaccelerator research.

University of Salford’s Joule Physics Laboratoryconducts research in atomic collisions and ion-beamphysics. University of Bolton’s Centre for MaterialsResearch and Innovation is a multi-disciplinary centredesigned to cultivate research and innovation activities incollaboration with industry and other academic institutions.

National Nuclear

Laboratory

Dalton NuclearInstitute

John TyndallInstitute for Nuclear Research

DALTON NUCLEAR INSTITUTE: INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED

The opening of the Dalton NuclearInstitute in July 2005 signalled theUniversity of Manchester’s intentionto be the UK’s leading university innuclear research and education andone of the principal internationalplayers in the field. After all,Manchester is where Nobel Prizewinner Ernest Rutherford undertookhis work on splitting the atom.The Dalton Nuclear Institute boastssome of the UK’s most advanceduniversity-based nuclear researchfacilities, including the Centre forRadiochemistry Research, the onlyactive chemistry laboratories in theUK. The University is also home tothe Materials Performance Centre,the largest academic centre

addressing materials issues innuclear in the UK. Such recognisedcentres and facilities have ensuredthat the Institute became a leadpartner in the Nuclear AdvancedManufacturing Research Centre. Dalton is collaborating with theNuclear Decommissioning Authorityto establish the Dalton CumbriaFacility, a £20 million joint investmentto provide specialist researchequipment and facilities.Dalton also works withRolls-Royce,Westinghouse, EDF/ British Energyand Serco. Internationally, Dalton is establishinga global network of collaborations,across Europe, the US, China, Indiaand South Africa.

252,000 BUSINESSES£120 BILLION ECONOMY

For further information about the investmentopportunities in the region, visitenglandsnorthwest.com or call our InvestmentServices team on +44 (0)1925 400195.

The beautifullandscape ofWastwater, theLake District.

The Northwest sits at the centre of the UK, stretching fromCumbria in the north to Cheshire in the south, with two of themost dynamic and cultural cities inManchester and Liverpool.

The economy is both large in size – bigger than15 EUcountries, standing at £120 billion, with 252,000 businesses –and scale; being home to many of the world’s leading R&Dinvestors. Annual private sector expenditure is over £2.2 billion; placing the region ahead of many Europeancountries.

The region has more than seven million people – almosttwice the population of Ireland. In terms of skills, there is astrong tradition of advanced engineering and scientificexpertise, serving specialist areas including the biomedical,pharmaceutical, chemical, aerospace and automotiveindustries, as well as nuclear. It also provides essential skillsfor renewable energy and environmental technology.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA)leads the economic development of the Northwest andworks with companies in a variety of industries and countriesin attracting foreign direct investment. With over 3,000foreign-owned businesses in the region, we have one of theUK’s strongest track records in assisting large companiesand SMEs with location and expansion decisions.

Our Investment Services team offers a range of free andconfidential services designed to assist businesses in makingthese choices. This includes information on: property type,legal and tax issues; recruitment support; availability andcost; financial assistance; and networking opportunities withpotential supply chains and other relevant businesses. We also operate a number of financial support programmesto support businesses with their investment and expansionplans in the region including grants, loans and venturecapital finance.

Well connectedThe Northwest’s excellent transport connections are

another major benefit for investors. In fact, the region is oneof the best connected in the UK, whether by road, rail, sea orair. The road infrastructure is unrivalled. The Northwestboasts 70 per cent more motorways than the nationalaverage and is at the crossroads of the key North-South (M6)and East-West (M62/M56) motorway network, providingdirect access to all British major cities within four hours.

There are three major international airports: ManchesterInternational – the largest British airport outside London – aswell as Liverpool John Lennon and Blackpool International. It is equally well serviced by the rail network. Over 39 trainsper day travel the route between Manchester and London,with journeys taking just two hours, making this one ofEurope’s best served intercity routes.

Beautiful landscapeThe region is not only a great place to do business, but is

an enviable location in terms of standard of living. It is hometo England’s largest national park, the Lake District, andthree areas of outstanding natural beauty: the Solway Coastin Cumbria, Arnside and Silverdale in Lancashire and theForest of Bowland in Lancashire. There are two UNESCOWorld heritage sites, at Liverpool waterfront and Hadrian’sWall, Cumbria, one heritage coast and 32 nature reserves. Infact, almost a third of the region is designated as nationalpark or an area of outstanding beauty.

Coupled with its outstanding connectivity, superblandscape and long-standing commitment to nucleartechnology, these strengths make the Northwest an ideallocation for investors.

The bigger pictureWith a larger economy than Hong Kong, more than amillion graduates and a leader in R&D, the Northwestis an ideal location for investors

300 COMPANIES25,000 SKILLED PROFESSIONALSPIONEERING R&DUK’S LARGEST FACILITY –SELLAFIELDSTRATEGIC SITES FOR NEW BUILDEXPERTISE IN THE WHOLE FUEL CYCLE

Nuclear strengths ofEngland’s Northwest

Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 495www.englandsnorthwest.com

Printed on100% de-inked recycledwaste with FSC recycled certification.Pulp is bleached using a TotallyChlorine Free process.