Cornwall – Pioneering by Nature

Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly, is the most southerly county of the UK, famous for its natural beauty and for attracting pioneering companies.

With ample resources available and a highly regarded quality of life, Cornwall is the natural home for industries of the future and the ideal location for businesses to relocate to.

The key sectors in the county are renewable energy, marine, aerospace and advanced engineering, food and drink and ICT and creative industries.

Cornwall has particular strength in the renewable energy sector with its exceptional resources for solar, wind, wave and geothermal energy.  While some places talk about a green economy as the future, in Cornwall it’s already happening. The region is established as a leader not only in renewable energy but also in developing and nurturing environmental technologies that are transforming approaches to sustainability across the world. Cornwall is recognised as a key strategic location in the use of marine energy by the UK government – which is investing millions of pounds in supporting industry through the Peninsular Research Institute for Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMaRE) and Wave Hub, a dedicated site for long-term testing of wave power devices off the Cornish coast. Cornwall is also emerging as having strong supply chain support for the emerging offshore wind industry with one of the world’s largest deep water harbours and extensive offshore experience and engineering expertise.

With the longest coastline of any county in the UK the marine industry continues to thrive. From shipping, fishing and boatbuilding to marine engineering, renewables and watersports, Cornwall’s coastline continues to be at the heart of its economy – and offers investors a major opportunity. In Aerospace, the recent growth in the Newquay Cornwall Airport and availability of large amounts of land for development offers investors a great opportunity. The ICT sector is also set for a major boost as plans are firmed up this year for superfast broadband making Cornwall one of the best connected regions in EU.

Cornwall’s entrepreneurial culture is supported by £445 million programme of EU 'Convergence' investment now beginning to take effect, a number of major transport, workspace and infrastructure projects complete, rising skill levels and increased business funding and support. The GVA per head is rising.  Cornwall’s talent pool is a real asset to potential investors – and it is continuing to strengthen. Over 91% of the working population holds a qualification, which puts Cornwall above the national average, and more than a quarter of those are qualified to NVQ4 or above. This reflects both the region’s success in attracting graduates to work in key and the impact of around £200 million of investment in higher education. This included the creation of Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) is a unique initiative bringing together six universities and colleges working in the county across 13 campuses.

Some facts about Cornwall:

• The site of the world’s most advanced test site for wave energy
• Where the UK’s first commercial wind farm was set up
• Where geothermal power is becoming a reality
• Set to have the most extensive rural broadband network in Europe
• A growing marine industry and the third deepest natural harbour in the world
• Home to a thriving cluster of creative businesses
• The most visited region of the UK and;
• More hours of sunlight than anywhere else in Britain.

To find out more visit www.investincornwall.com