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England’s Northwest has the unbeatable combination of commercial dynamism, cultural diversity and natural beauty that makes it an internationally-recognised success story. The region offers Australian and New Zealand businesses an accessible base for business in the UK, with Europe right on the doorstep.
England’s Northwest consists of 5 diverse sub-regions. Manchester has the largest economy and population with its growth over the past decade fuelled by an influx of major businesses, elevating its economy and corporate structure to an international level. The continuing renaissance of Liverpool is reshaping its iconic skyline. Major projects are attracting new investors to its established business base. A long-established knowledge and finance centre, Cheshire’s other key sectors – automotive engineering and chemicals – continue to generate billions in exports. An area rich in manufacturing tradition, Lancashire is a world-renowned defence and aerospace location, whilst Cumbria enjoys a diversified economy with its world renowned nuclear sector, shipbuilding and tourism making
a major contribution to its economic output.
England’s Northwest region represents a tenth of the overall UK GDP. It is the UK’s largest regional economy, larger than several European countries, including Denmark and Finland, with economic growth continuing to grow with the ongoing relocation of major investors into the region.
England’s Northwest is at the logistical heart of the UK, with easy access to Europe and the rest of the world. Manchester and Liverpool airports provide direct access to over 250 worldwide destinations – with 300 million continental consumers within a mere 3 hour flying time.
With a working population of 4.1 million, the region’s well-qualified labour pool reflects the quality of the region’s key sectors. Average wage costs compare favourably with the rest of the UK, and talent continues to be plentiful with almost 200,000 international employees choosing to work in the Northwest since the start of the new millennium – adding valuable diversity and world-class skill to the region.
The Northwest of England is made up of 5 sub-areas – Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.
Manchester is the UK’s fastest growing city-region, fuelled by an influx of major business and growth as a major media hub; Liverpool has undergone an economic renaissance in recent years, making it the UK’s third biggest wealth management centre outside London and Edinburgh; Cheshire has a population of over 680,000 people, and is the region’s major location for financial services, automotive and chemicals processing, pharmaceutical and R&D businesses; Lancashire has a GVA of just over AUD42 billion, and is a world-class centre of excellence for aerospace and advanced manufacturing; and Cumbria is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of nuclear facilities and support infrastructure.
Operational costs are lower in the Northwest of England than the rest of the UK or Europe, with three quarters of the Nations Top 100 companies based in the Northwest.
The Northwest region has attracted world-renowned companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Sharp, Fujitsu, IBM and Philips to all establish a major presence in the area.
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