£10m Retail and Leisure Development Gets Go-Ahead from Glasgow City Council

A new 32000sq ft quay development in Glasgow, which will be home to a number of bars, restaurants and cafes, has been given the go-ahead by Glasgow City Council.

The £10m revamp of Broomielaw Quay, on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow’s financial district, will begin early in 2012 and finish in 2013. Developers Capella Developments will build four two-storey pavilions, with restaurants, pubs and shops, and two seating areas.

The project will create 150 jobs and complement other developments in the area, including the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, and the Riverside Transport Museum at Glasgow Harbour.

The plans were approved unanimously by the council’s planning application committee.

Capella Group Chief Executive Jim Fitzsimons said: "This is great news and a real endorsement by Glasgow City Council of our proposals for this site.

"A thriving waterfront leisure destination is something Glasgow has long been sorely lacking and we believe these plans will go a long way towards addressing this.

"This development also offers real economic opportunities and will bring both jobs and investment to the heart of Glasgow.

"It will be a real asset to the IFSD and will help ensure the continuing success of the Broomielaw and contribute to the regeneration of the Clyde waterfront.

"We are already talking to signature restaurants and cafes and look forward to creating a dynamic business and leisure location for the city."

Media enquiries should be directed to emma.tessier@edpa.biz

New Railway Corridor to Provide Huge Boost for Spanish Economy

A huge railway development is to put the Vallès, Besòs and Llobregat areas of Eastern Spain in pole position for inward investment from commercial property developers.

Backed by the Spanish Government and the European Commission, the €50bn Mediterranean Railway Corridor will connect Spain’s biggest ports and cities to France and the rest of Europe. Running through major industrial areas like Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, and Murcia, the project – which will create a High Speed Rail service for passengers and also carry freight – will unlock previously inaccessible sites for development.

The line will have major economic benefits for the strategic locations of the Barcelona Economic Triangle – including Vallès, Besòs and Llobregat. It will also travel inland towards Grenada, Seville and Algeciras. It is estimated the project will create 65000 jobs and save more than €30bn in road to rail transport connections between 2016 and 2045. The areas on the route account for 50% of the Spanish economy, 50% of the population and 60% of the country’s exports.

Media enquiries should be directed to emma.tessier@edpa.biz.

Major Expansion at Leeds Bradford International Airport

A number of opportunities for new shops and food and drink retailers will be created by a major expansion of Leeds Bradford International Airport.

The £11m development will grow the size of the departure lounge by 50%, create a larger premier lounge and security zone, and add a new covered walkway between the terminal and the aircraft stands.

Work has already begun and will be completed by next summer. The departure lounge development will be finished in May.

Chief executive John Parkin said: “It marks an important milestone in the development of Yorkshire’s airport and our desire to provide the very best facilities for our rapidly growing numbers of customers and airlines.

“The broad economic conditions are challenging, but we are the UK’s fastest growing regional airport and with the strong support of our shareholders, Bridgepoint, we are confident now is the time to invest in our future.

“The investment and developments we are announcing today demonstrate our determination to succeed, to continue to grow and to provide the region with the airport it wants and deserves.”

Bridgepoint has now invested more than £20m in the airport since buying the facility in 2007.

For more information, contact David Baggaley on 0113 220 6350 or david.baggaley@locateinleeds.co.uk.

Bradford Promoted at London Business Event

The reasons why a number of high-profile businesses choose Bradford as their headquarters were outlined during a London event promoting the district.

A delegation from Bradford Council met with more than 40 business representatives and intermediaries in the capital to explain what makes the likes of Morrisons, Provident Financial, Pace, Yorkshire Building Society, Kelda and Hallmark locate their head offices in the district.

They heard that Bradford has one of the UK's fastest growing populations and is home to more than 20 PLCs who employ over 11,000 people. Headquarter operations based within the district collectively employ more than 300,000 people across the UK.

Speakers included Martyn Jones, Morrison's Group Corporate Service Director, Peter Crook, Provident Financial Chief Executive, Peter Miller, Westfield Chief Operating Officer, Tony Reeves, Bradford Council's Chief Executive, and the new Lord Mayor of the City of London, Bradford-born David Wootton.

The event, which was also attended by Coun David Green, Executive Member for Regeneration and Economy, was sponsored by Pinsent Masons and held at the law firm's London office.

In October the Government confirmed Bradford had secured £17.6m of Regional Growth Fund investment in the city centre aimed at supporting new and existing businesses that commit to long term investment.

Businesses which locate in the zone will be able to claim a proportion of their business rates over three years providing they create training and employment opportunities for local people.

Meanwhile construction of the six-acre City Park in the centre of Bradford continues towards completion in January. It has been designed to be attractive to residents, visitors and businesses and support the local economy over the long-term.

Coun David Green, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: "This was a great opportunity to sell the benefits of the district to end users and intermediaries and tell them directly why Bradford is a brilliant place to invest.

"The calibre of speakers we were able to bring to the platform showed the level of belief there is in Bradford and how committed major businesses are to the district.

"The audience was impressed to see that despite the difficult economic times nationally, projects like City Park and the successful Regional Growth Fund application are still progressing in Bradford.

"We have got an excellent set of attributes – like access to a fast-growing and skilled workforce, a strong range of commercial property opportunities and great transport links.

"The feedback we got from London was very encouraging and we'll be following up the contacts we have built as we look to promote the district and boost the local economy.”

Martyn Jones, Morrison's Group Corporate Service Director, said: "Morrisons is proud of its Bradford roots and remains a real supporter of the city and wider district.

"There is a great entrepreneurial spirit here, deep business foundations and a cultural diversity which is a tremendous asset in today's global economy.

"Talking about the attributes that make Bradford the right location for Morrisons and similar major companies hopefully highlights why it makes a great investment opportunity for other businesses.”

For more information please see the Invest in Bradford website.

For media enquiries please contact 01274 433 526 or press.communications@bradford.gov.uk.

Siemens' Flagship Leeds Facility Gears Up for Growth

A new mechanical drives ‘centre of excellence’, opened by Siemens in Leeds earlier this year and involving a £1.2 million relocation, is now fully operational and poised for further growth.

The brand new facility specialises in assembly and servicing of gear units, motors, geared motors and couplings used in rail transport, power generation and other large scale industrial applications.

Currently employing a 60-strong workforce, it is poised for further expansion to meet growing demand, particularly in the renewables sector with offshore wind and tidal power seen as offering major opportunities.

The 15,000 sq m unit in Stourton, Leeds, is an authorised service centre for Winergy, the world’s largest provider of wind turbine units, and is equipped with overhead cranes with a 25 tonne lift capacity and a state of the art demonstration centre.

Siemens currently has 13 manufacturing sites in the UK and around 8,000 of the German-owned company’s UK workforce are employed in manufacturing and engineering across four key sectors of industry, infrastructure and cities, energy and healthcare.

Simon Nadin, general manager at the Leeds facility, said: “The new facility gives us the future proofing that will allow us to grow the business and we do have ambitious expansion plans.”

“The site now assembles, designs and develops drive train industrial transmission technology systems for applications such as water, aggregates, energy and transport.

“But it’s not just about products; our customers increasingly expect value generation around the packages that we tailor to their requirements. The focus is now on energy and operational efficiency, service, maintenance and safety.”

The investment in Leeds is part of a strategic move into renewable energy technologies and complements plans for a major wind turbine plant being developed in partnership with Associated British Ports in Hull.

For further information please contact:

David Baggaley, Marketing Manager
Leeds City Council Business & Enterprise
Tel 0113 220 6350
Email@ david.baggaley@locateinleeds.co.uk

Note for editors

Leeds is the UK’s second largest centre for manufacturing outside London, with over 36,000people employed by 1,815 companies across engineering, print and paper manufacture, food and drink, electronics, textiles and medical technologies. The sector generates 10.8% of the city’s £17.8 billion annual output.

Pioneering Partnership to Take Wave Power to China

The European Marine Energy Centre is joining forces with their Chinese counterpart to develop a wave test centre in Shandong Province.

Staff from Scotland’s wave and tidal energy hub, which is based in the Orkney Islands, will work with the Ocean University of China as part of the agreement, while a closer partnership with the Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Commission is also proposed.

Established in 2003, EMEC is the world's only accredited wave and tidal test centre for marine renewable energy.

EMEC commercial director Richard Morris said: "Our knowledge and understanding of how to design, set up and operate a test centre, backed up by robust methodologies and processes, gives us the unique capability to provide consultancy support to other countries wishing to set up their own marine energy test sites.

"This strategic collaboration further reinforces EMEC's world-leading position at the forefront of the renewable energy industry."

Professor Hongda Shi, Dean, College of Engineering, OUC said: "Ocean University China and Qingdao Municipal Science and Technology Commission are pleased to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with EMEC.

“We look forward to sharing ideas that will further the marine renewable industry in China utilising the expertise already built up in Scotland.

“We envisage a long and fruitful relationship between the three organisations."

For further information please contact emma.tessier@edpa.biz.

GCEF Recognises Barcelona's Commitment to Energy

Leading figures in the green sector have urged international cities to use Barcelona as their inspiration, after naming the city as the permanent home of the Global Clean Energy Forum.

The decision, made to throw the spotlight on Barcelona and Catalonia’s green energy plans, was announced at this year’s forum, which was held in the city in October.

The event was attended by more than 250 industry experts, and climaxed with the Barcelona Clean Energy Tour, featuring visits to the environmentally friendly constructions like the Agbar Tower, and the Energy Institute of Catalonia (ICAEN).

The tour was conducted in a hybrid bus.

The Global Clean Energy Forum meets once a year to discuss solutions to the challenges of climate change, renewable energy financing and the new energy mix. This year’s event was held at Hotel Arts in Barcelona.

For more information contact isabel.ponti@barcelonactiva.cat or emma.tessier@edpa.biz.

Unique Broker Dedicated to Green Insurance Launches

Green companies are set to benefit from the launch of the first insurance company dedicated to the recycling and renewable energy sector.

Nviro Insurance was officially launched in June by Paul Davies, who is putting 25 years’ experience in insurance to good use in ensuring all environment-related businesses are fully protected by a range of covers – many of which are unique to the sector.

He made the move after recognising the unique insurance requirements of green companies were not properly served by the UK’s 3000 general insurance brokers and intermediaries.

He said: “Many of the UK’s existing insurance brokers will be handling enquiries from the recycling and renewables sector every day, but we are the only broker working in this sector all day, every day.

“There are particular circumstances which are unique to this industry, which means companies in the sector need to ensure they deal with a broker with the knowledge and experience.

“Otherwise they may not be properly insured when they make a claim, or a claim is made against them.”

The firm’s expertise has already been called into action for owners of an offshore wind farm, which had to cross several parcels of unregistered land with their pipelines to connect to the National Grid.

As no-one was registered as the owner of parts of the land being crossed, this could have lead to major problems should an owner come forward after the work had taken place.

Paul Davies said: “We organised a policy which provided cover of up to £25m should anyone claim ownership of the land and prevent access, or require cabling to be re-routed.

“It protects them against the re-routing costs, and loss of profits during any downtime.”

Nviro Insurance specialises in helping companies and professional advisors in the bio energy, hydro power, solar pv, wind farms, and recycling and environment sectors.

They provide a range of services, from claims and risk management to business continuity planning and expert witness reports.

Further information is available at www.nviroinsurance.co.uk

Media enquiries should be directed to Paul Davies on 01782 712224 or paul@nviroinsurance.co.uk.

Bradford Investment Opportunities London Event

Invest in Bradford is hosting an event in London on Wednesday, 23 November. The event, titled Investment Opportunities in Bradford: The North's HQ Location of Choice, will highlight the upcoming events and developments that are happening in Bradford. The event will also provide a great networking experience for developers and business community members.

Bradford is currently undergoing major developments such as a new City Park (pictured) which will be located in the heart of Bradford, showcasing beautiful landscape and architectural designs. The new park will include a 'Business Forest' which will bring skilled jobs and investment back to the heart of the city. Numerous other development opportunities are in the planning process, and you can find out more about them here.

Bradford is one of the UK's largest and fastest growing cities, home to 20 plc companies employing over 11,000 people. Many major businesses have already located their headquarters in Bradford such as Morrisons, Yorkshire Building Society, and Provident Financial. The district offers a highly skilled workforce, exciting new commercial property opportunities as well as excellent transport links.

The event, which is from 11:00-13:00, is being opened by Lord Mayor of London elect David Wooton and will include presentations from the Chief Executive of the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Tony Reeves, Martyn Jones of Morrisons, Peter Crook of Provident Financial plc, and Westfield Bradford. The presentations will be until 12:20, with an opportunity to network with other developers, business district members, MP's, Councillors and Council Executives over a buffet lunch following.

Please register your interest as soon as possible, as the event is filling quickly. Email your RSVP to jonathan.riley@pinsentmasons.com with the names of the contact from your organisation, who will be attending as well as any other special dietary requirements. You can find the invite on their website here.

For more information please see the Invest in Bradford website.

Meccano Toys Moves Back to Northern France

Meccano, one of the largest European toy manufacturers, has recently moved a segment of its production operations back to France. 

Alain Ingberg, Managing Director, explains that the move was done in stages over two years, and the investment began back in 2005 with the upgrading of facilities in Calais. "Now we are able to put a 'Made in France' logo on all our Calais-produced toys," he said.

According to Ingberg, Meccano decided to move back a portion of their Chinese manufacturing to Calais for two main reasons; "Firstly, we already had facilities there but they were under-used. We wanted them to be working to full capacity. Secondly, production in China was beginning to be problematic. The cost of labour was rising and delays in delivery had doubled and were increasing." Since moving production back to Calais, Meccano are able to offer significantly more flexibility.

Another influence was currency - the company's investment in China was primarily to serve the dollar market. It's more difficult to sell to Americans and Australians in euros than in dollars. Now that the euro is so much stronger than the dollar, Meccano has less interest in these markets.

Regional support in France offered another draw. "We didn't make the decision based on state funding, but we were helped enormously by the regional development agencies (CDCE et de Finorpa) during the difficult transition period," explains Ingberg.

Background:

Meccano is probably the oldest toy manufacturer in the world. Founded in Liverpool in 1898, its first factory was built in the UK. Meccano subsequently and for many years ran one factory in East Germany and one in France. The German factory closed down during the Second World War, and the British one closed around the same time due to low profits. So, only the French factory remained, first in Bobigny and then - from the 1950s - in Calais.

Spot Light on Future of UK Manufacturing at Leeds Event

The future of UK manufacturing will be high on the agenda at a major event taking place in Leeds at the end of November.

Business leaders and industry experts will gather at Leeds Valley Park on November 24^th, to debate the role of manufacturing and what needs to be done if the sector is to play its full part in rebalancing the UK economy.

Panellists include Juergen Maier, MD of Siemens UK Industry Sector, and Steve Pateman, Head of Commercial Banking at Santander. The discussion will be chaired by Peter Marsh, the UK manufacturing editor of the Financial Times.

Leeds City Council Marketing Manager David Baggaley said: “The Leeds City Region is the UK’s largest manufacturing centre outside London, and many of the companies based here are world leaders in their field.

“The Business of Manufacturing event will showcase the strengths of the sector in Leeds and the wider city region.

“The event will also offer practical advice on a range of key issues affecting the sector including skills, supply chain development, succeeding in export markets and opportunities presented by the new enterprise zones.

The free event runs from 8am to 11am and has been sponsored by Goodman, the developer of Leeds Valley Park, the Manufacturing Advisory Service, Leeds Manufacturing, and Leeds, Yorks and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

To register, visit Register Manufacturing Leeds.

Further information is available from David Baggaley at Leeds City Council on 0113 220 6350 or david.baggaley@locateinleeds.co.uk.

$50 Million Investment in Helicopter Manufacturing Venture, UAE

The Dh183m manufacturing facility will be based in Umm Al Quwain, an emirate in the UAE.

Quest Investment is pumping Dh183 million ($50 million) into the new enterprise. A new manufacturing plant will be developed on a 40,000 sq m plot in Umm Al Quwain, according to Yousuf Al Ansari, CEO of the new Quest Helicopters.

The helicopters will retail at $2.95 million each, and are aimed at the growing needs of VIPs, security agencies, police surveillance units, emergency response and humanitarian teams as well as the oil field supplies market in the region.

The prototype helicopters were designed by Ukraine's Volodymyr Udvenko and will feature a new series of engines built in the Ukraine. "The long life airframes have been engineered for robust operations, and feature a raft of cutting-edge technologies. These include an all-new primary fly-by-wire control system, a distinctive ejectable crew and passenger safety capsule cabin and a telemetry downlink maintenance monitoring system," said a Volodymyr Udvenko spokesperson.

Al Ansari stated, "We want to bring in the latest technology available in the market that will help create value to the overall aviation industry in the region and create employment for young Emiratis."

The Quest AVQ series will be the first civil helicopters to be manufactured in the UAE, and is currently in the design and development stage. Al Ansari anticipates that, "The helicopter will enter into the flight testing process from 2013 and we expect it to enter into commercial production by 2014."

The plant in Umm Al Quwain will have the facilities to assemble 50 helicopters a year, and the project is expected to generate new jobs from the end of 2012. It is one of many aviation industry ventures that are establishing UAE as an aviation centre in the Middle East.

According to Ajay Chaukulkar, chief executive of Sharjah-based Aerostar, "The opportunities in the region's aviation industry are numerous and there is no reason why investors should not take advantage of them by investing in aviation companies."

Bombardier Inc Investing in Morocco

Bombardier Inc, manufacturer of a large range of regional and business aircraft, revealed Wednesday 15 November that its aerospace division will be investing $200 million over eight years to set up a manufacturing facility in Morocco.

The region has already attracted France's EADS and Safron in a government attempt at developing the North African country's aerospace industry.

Bombardier has manufacturing plants in the United States, Northern Ireland, and Mexico. Much of the company's commercial and business jet production takes pace in Canada, but high labour costs and a strong Canadian dollar have increased production costs. Setting up a facility in Morocco is 'consistent with their strategy to improve their overall cost of structure,' BMO Capital Markets analyst Fadi Chamoun said.

The production of the plant will begin in 2013. Much of the manufacturing will be on simple plane parts, such as floor sections and panels, and will not be part of a specific plane program, said Bombadier spokeswoman, Haley Dunne.

The announcement coincides with the Dubai Airshow taking place this week, where Bombardier unveiled the flight deck of its new C-series plane and received an initial order for 10 single aisle jets.

Coca-Cola Opens New Premises in Drogheda, Ireland

The two new Coca-Cola operations at Southgate in Drogheda employ over 200 people in skilled positions in areas such as finance, supply chain, IT, legal and human resources, all supporting Coca-Cola’s global operations. The new offices are 58,000 sq. ft and allow room for expansion.

The ultra-modern and energy-efficient building was opened by Fergus O’Dowd, T.D., Minister at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, who was joined by Mr. Harry Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Business & Technology Services, Mr. Fred Yochum, Vice President, Commercial Products Supply and other senior personnel and employees of The Coca-Cola System. The event was also attended by local elected representatives as well as those from the community, voluntary and business sector.

Minister O’Dowd, officiating at the event said: “I am delighted to officially open Coca-Cola’s Global Business Shared Services Centre in Drogheda today. This centre is a further endorsement of Ireland as a prime location for strategic business services activities.

Coca-Cola in Drogheda adds greatly to the local economy and offers excellent employment opportunities. On behalf of the Irish Government I would like to thank Coca-Cola for its continued investment here and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

Mr. Anderson referred to Drogheda as the "ideal location for international services".

Commenting on the Global Business Shared Services Centre, Barry O’Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland, said “Coca-Cola is a prestige brand name and a strategically important client of IDA’s. Its decision to locate key international business functions in Drogheda is hugely significant and endorses our ability to attract global services activity to Ireland, as outlined in our strategy Horizon 2020.”

Jaguar Land Rover to Produce Highly Efficient Engines in Staffordshire

After an 18-month tendering process, the i54 development site in Staffordshire has won the bid for Jaguar Land Rover’s new £355m advanced technology low emission engine plant.

The plant will be on the 220 acre business park, part of the newly created Enterprise Zones, and will join companies like Moog, Goodrich Actuation Systems, HS Marston Aerospace, and Tinken UK.

The new Jaguar Land Rover site will cover 130,000 sq m and incorporate two linked buildings consisting of a machining hall, assembly hall and ancillary offices. The construction of a new £36.7million Council-funded slip road from the M54 motorway to the site is also part of the deal and ready to commence.

"As part of our long-term strategy for the JLR business, we will design, engineer and manufacture a new family of advanced engines,” said Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer at Jaguar Land Rover. “This is a major commitment for our company and we will produce these advanced, highly-efficient engines for future Jaguar and Land Rover models at a new facility in the UK.”
JLR will invest £1.5 billion annually on new product developments for the next five years, expanding their engine range and further exploiting the global potential of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. “The all-new family of 4 cylinder engines will increase JLR's capability to offer high performance engines with class-leading levels of refinement, whilst ensuring continued significant reductions in vehicle emissions," added Dr Speth.

In addition to the site being a boost to the UK manufacturing industry, it will also create nearly 1,000 jobs. Councillor Ben Adams, cabinet member for economic growth and enterprise, said, “One of the key components of our offer as a destination for Jaguar Land Rover was the graduate workforce from our universities in Staffordshire and the wider region.”

Mike Wright, Executive Director at JLR, added, "I would like to pay tribute to the strong support we have received for this project from our key partners. The constructive and collaborative support we have received from the Government, our trade union colleagues, Local Authorities, local MPs, and of course our employees, has been crucial in enabling us to reach this very significant decision."

Rolls-Royce - 3 New Advanced Manufacturing Plants, Rotherham

Plans for three new Rolls-Royce factories in the Waverley Advanced Manufacturing Plant have been approved. These plans are a major boost for the local area that has a particular strength in advanced manufacturing. The investment is a step towards securing continued growth in manufacturing throughout the United Kingdom, a cornerstone policy in the Government’s plans to stimulate the economy.

The first factory is expected to start production in early 2013 “This is obviously only the first step in Rolls-Royce’s exciting plans, and sets in motion the development of yet another piece of the Advanced Manufacturing Park jigsaw,” said Councilor Gerard Smith.

Rolls-Royce does not seem to have been affected by the economic crisis; the group’s half-yearly report for 2011 showed a 28% increase in underlying profit before tax, with £8.7 bn of new orders creating a record order book for the company of £61.4 bn. The group's long-term strategy aims to double its total revenue in the next decade, through organic growth.

Nuclear

One of the factories on the site will be used to assemble power vessels for the next generation of UK nuclear power stations. Should plans proceed smoothly, it is expected that the first of the new vessels will be delivered in 2015. Detailed proposals regarding the facility, which is part of the company’s ‘Project PoWer’ initiative, are to be received in early 2012. 

As well as providing nuclear power to the UK, Rolls-Royce has operations worldwide, and was awarded a 20 year contract with the Dukovany nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic in February this year.

Aerospace

A second factory has been earmarked for the production of fan blades for the aerospace sector, as a sister factory to one currently in operation in Derby. At the height of the recession in 2009, the aerospace sector achieved growth of 5.4%, and currently employs approximately 100,000 people across the UK. The resilience of this industry is based primarily upon its export market, and if the UK’s current market share can be maintained, the industry would be worth an estimated £352 bn over the next 20 years, should growth targets be reached.

Both the nuclear and aerospace industries have also proven to be resistant to the effects of the recession, at a time when there is talk of a possible ‘double dip’. These two factories alone are expected to create up to 360 jobs. The third plant may also be used by Rolls-Royce or let to another occupier, possibly one of the firm’s suppliers.

Denis MacShane, MP for Rotherham added; "The decision of Rolls Royce to come to Rotherham and invest in the Advanced Manufacturing Park facility is a payback for the investment in creating this unique facility over the last ten years. It opens a new chapter in South Yorkshire's history as one of the world's engineering centres, and is good news for a new generation of workers."

France Launches Drive to Attract 2012 Olympic Visitors

Various districts of Northern France are going head-to-head with the UK in a bid to attract tourists seeking accommodation for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With the majority of hotels and other accommodation providers in London and the South East already fully booked for the duration of the Games, authorities in the Cote d’Opale region are looking to take advantage of their close proximity to the UK.

There are 70000 beds available in the Cote d’Opale area, in hotels, campsites and holiday cottages. Some hotels are priced at €62 per night, compared to €110 in London and the South East.

Tourists who decide to stay in the area will be close to Eurostar connections in Calais and Lille, meaning they are a maximum of 90 minutes from the centre of London. The journey from Calais is just 60 minutes.

A network of greeters will be on hand, to meet visitors at local airports, seaports and train stations, and show them the sights of Cote d’Opale.

Notable tourist attractions in the region include the 800-year-old Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Saint Omer; Nausicaa, The French National Sea Experience centre; the Battle of Dunkerque Museum; and more than 100 miles of beaches.

There are also five casinos, six golf courses, and 17 shopping centres, as well as 30 sporting centres with facilities for various sports including gymnastics, horse riding, football and basketball.

Cote d’Opale Developpement was established in 2005 by four economic development agencies, covering the areas of Boulogne sur Mer, Calais, Dunkerque and Saint Omer.

The organisation’s main objective to promote investment opportunities on the Cote d’Opale. It also provides free customized assistance to companies and investors looking to locate or expand their business into the region.

The organisation will be exhibiting at the World Travel Market event at ExCeL London from November 7^th to 10^th. Sharing the stand will be the tourism boards of Boulogne sur mer, Calais, Dunkerque, Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais Tourism and Boulogne and le boulonnais region tourism.

Representatives will be available at Stand EM1300 for more information.

Media enquiries should be directed to Locations4Business on 0207 183 4588 or richard.swancott@locations4business.com.

£13.5M Boost for Jobs in Carmarthenshire

Work on a new business park in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire – which could eventually create over 1000 jobs – can now proceed after the Welsh Government announced a major financial backing.

A package of grants amounting to £13.5m will be used to install infrastructure, including a new access road from the A48, a new internal road, and utilities and landscaping of the site, which is close to Heol Parc Mawr and Gorslas.

Outline planning applications for offices, business incubation units, a hotel, a central business hub, an energy centre and other facilities for the park has already been lodged, and those behind the project claim it could eventually be home to more than 100 businesses.

Regeneration minister Huw Lewis said: "The development of this site will boost the region's economy by creating an accessible and high-quality environment to ensure businesses succeed, attracting further investment and leading to more job opportunities."

The Welsh Government is giving £9 million to the project, including money from the Western Valleys Regeneration Area, the European Regional Development Fund and a transport grant, while scheme manager Carmarthenshire Council is investing £4 million.

Councillor Clive Scourfield, the council's executive board member for regeneration, called it a "significant boost" for the county.

He said: "Our aim is to build on the strategic location of the site and ensure that Carmarthenshire will have employment land of the highest quality to attract investment and provide jobs in future.

"Despite difficult economic times it is vital that we develop the sites to accommodate future business investment and expansion."

Those promoting the new employment park hope it will attract green businesses that find and sell their goods and services locally.

They believe that having enough of these businesses in one place will mean the park will have a lower than average carbon footprint, produce less waste and see more rubbish recycled.

Barcelona Reacts to Shifts in Commercial Property Market

Companies choose efficiency over prestigious city centre addresses.

Reports from commercial property estate agents show that demand has moved from city centres to new economic areas that are generally located on the outskirts of large cities. In the same line, a sizeable number of larger companies that were located in the centre of Barcelona have taken advantage of modern developments located in these new areas.

According to reports, nearly two thirds of new leases signed in Barcelona in 2010 were for premises in new business areas over more central locations, with a notable upwards trend in the first quarter of this year. In these new economic zones, companies have found affordable cutting-edge services, property and infrastructure, as well as accessible public transport.

The choice to move to these zones has also been influenced by the greater flexibility of spaces available, with tailored options and imaginative solutions that help save ongoing costs and decrease moving expenses, while increasing worker productivity and efficiency.

Companies that have selected these new environments have prioritised attributes like efficient use of space and energy savings over the traditional criteria of location and prestigious addresses.

Another draw of these new areas is the activity concentrated in them, with specific sectors and clusters where companies work together, carry out research and share services - further reducing costs. This cluster dynamic provides easy access to talent and networking with professionals from the same sector, as well as integrating the different stakeholders that foster innovation: technologically advanced companies, universities and life-long learning centres, and research and technology transfer centres. Therefore, the favourable environment becomes the centre of the value chain, which fosters knowledge synergies, innovation processes and allows for increased competitiveness of the whole business fabric.

Catalonia and Barcelona are strongly committed to this model, which centres on economic growth based on the innovation and creativity that is firmly established in the knowledge economy.

The Barcelona Economic Triangle (BET) project, led by the Government of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council, is made up of three large areas (Besòs, Llobregat and Vallès) that form a huge ‘economic triangle’ and bring together strategic sectors of activity, like nanotechnology, information and communication technology, medical technology, energy, mobility and aerospace, among others.

Barcelona-Catalonia to be presented at ExpoReal as southern Europe's main centre for innovation.

This is the third year running that the Catalan Government and Barcelona City Council have jointly participated in ExpoReal to publicise the BET project. The aim is to promote projects relating to land for economic activities within the Barcelona wider area to an international market, and to showcase some of Catalonia's more innovative business opportunities.

Visit us at Expo Real at the stand A2 410.

For further information, contact Susanna Collado on +34 935 541 984 or scollado@parcdelalba.cat

Gamesa Set to Make Dundee Centre of UK Wind Industry

Wind turbine developer Gamesa wants to bring a ‘significant’ number of jobs to Dundee by developing a hub for manufacturers and related businesses in the area.

The Spanish-based wind energy specialists are working with Scottish Enterprise, Dundee City Council and Forth Ports plc to create a centre for manufacturing, logistics, operations and maintenance activities at the port.

The centre would form part of a £145m investment by the company in offshore wind power in the UK, which also includes the creation of a £45m offshore technology centre in Glasgow.

Chairman of Gamesa Jorge Calvet said: “Our plans in Glasgow and the potential for Dundee could generate significant local, skilled and sustainable jobs over the coming years.

“I would like to recognise the support and commitment from the Scottish Government and its development agencies during the ongoing discussions around these investment plans.”

Gamesa is also looking for a site for a turbine blade production plant in the UK.

Gamesa is a world leader in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of wind turbines, with around 21000MW of installed capacity in 30 countries on four continents, and over 13600MW under maintenance.

The company also has 30 production facilities in Europe, USA, China and India and over 7200 employees worldwide.

For further information, contact Mark Barton from Clyde Waterfront on +44 141 229 5423 or m.barton@clydewaterfront.com

Major Event to Launch Massive Calais Logistics Project

A huge development which will transform Calais into one of the biggest logistics gateway in Europe is to be officially launched at the end of September.

Economic development agency Calais Promotion, in partnership with developers DCB International, has organized the September 29th event, which is designed to provide more detail on the 160 hectare project, and a special Dover-Calais hot air balloon crossing to mark the occasion.

Two branded balloons, featuring the logos of Calais for Success and Calais Premier, will leave Dover in the morning and, weather permitting, arrive in Calais at 1030, just in time for the official start of the launch.

Chaired by Mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchart, the launch will be attended by Didier Caudard-Breille (chairman of developers DCB International), Philippe Blet (chairman of Cap Calaisis Terre d’Opale) and 100 senior executives from major European freight and logistics companies.

Natacha Bouchart said: “This is the first phase of one of the largest logistics projects in northern France.

“It includes the construction of 220,000 square metres of logistics warehouses and 50,000 acres of land of storage assemblies around the future rail spur.

“In the end, the ‘Turquerie’ will be a larger platform than the multimodal platform of Dourges.”

The Calais Premier project, which is centred on the industrial Turquerie business park, is expected to bring in up to £264m (€300m) of investment from companies in the logistics, distribution and automotive manufacturing sectors.

Alongside this £1.8m (€2m) will be spent creating a railway junction at the site and modernizing the Calais-Dunkirk railway line, and a further £350m (€400m) will be invested doubling the size of the Port of Calais.

Developers DCB International believe the entire project will be completed by 2015, and will create thousands of jobs.

Ends

Notes to Editors:
Locations4Business is the leading online resource for companies to find information on where to locate operations in Europe.
Calais Promotion is the economic development agency at Calais, and is the first point of contact for all businesses setting up in the area.

Contact:

Locations4Business
Richard Swancott
Tel: +44 (0) 207 1837681 Mobile: +44 (0) 7880 733138
E-mail: richard.swancott@locations4business.com

Major Investment Generates Opportunities for Scottish Property Developers

Scottish commercial property developers are set for a major boost after Doosan Power Systems and Scottish Enterprise reached an agreement which could bring in 1700 jobs and £170m investment.

The international engineering company is to open a new R&D Centre of Excellence for Renewables near Glasgow, and may also develop wind turbine assembly and manufacturing facilities as part of a proposed £170m investment.

Doosan claim this could create up to 1700 new jobs, 700 directly and 1000 in the supply chain.

In turn this will generate further opportunities for property developers and investors in the area, through increased demand for new homes and leisure and retail activities.

Doosan Chief Executive Jean-Michel Aubertin said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our successful partnership with Scottish Enterprise.

“Together we hope to develop cutting-edge wind power technology that will enhance the role of renewables in the energy mix.

“This is also great for Scotland’s economy in terms of jobs and inward investment.

“Doosan’s current wind power portfolio and position with the industry will continue to grow strongly over the coming years.”

Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Lena Wilson said: “This is an exciting time for Scotland’s renewables industry and this announcement builds on the significant offshore wind momentum we’ve seen in recent months with investment from international players such as Mitsubishi, Gamesa, and Technip.

“Doosan’s investment in a new R&D facility cements Scotland’s reputation as the leading location for the development of offshore wind technologies.”

For further information, contact Mark Barton at Clyde Waterfront on +44 141 229 5423 or m.barton@clydewaterfront.com

Glasgow Public Sector Earmarks Large Site for Development

A new project which aims to transform Clyde into a centre of excellence for the media, technology and creative industries is to open a 15 acre site for development.

The Creative Clyde site, at Pacific Quay on the banks of the River Clyde, will provide for modern, loose fit, flexible space to accommodate a range of retail, leisure and residential uses, as well as core offices and workspace for creatively minded businesses.

The development aims to build on the success of Glasgow’s Digital Media Quarter, which is already home to BBC Scotland and Scottish Television, Glasgow Science Centre, Film City Glasgow and The Hub, which offers quality workspace for up to 50 companies.

In all there are 2500 people employed on site, which is set to grow through the Creative Clyde development and improved links to Glasgow City Centre, such as the Clyde Arc road bridge.

The site is also just 15 minutes away from Glasgow International Airport.

Allan Currie is Business Development Director at Scottish Development International.

He said: “Creative Clyde is a refreshed vision for the location. It takes in both sides of the Clyde at Pacific Quay to include the SECC, Clyde Auditorium ‘Armadillo’, Scottish Hydro Arena and Riverside Museum.

“It helps to showcase the talent that we have within our ever growing creative community and helps us to build on those strengths in order to attract more inward investment in the future.

“Collaboration and networking a tant to growing this community, and Creative Clyde allows us to bring them together more effectively under one banner.

“There are also further opportunities for developers at Pacific Quay, providing investors with the chance to be part of this exciting initiative.”

Scottish Development International are partners in the project alongside Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Council, Creative Scotland, BBC Scotland, the University of Glasgow and numerous private enterprises.

The public sector partners work closely with inward investors, opening doors to a wide range of opportunities. This extends from potential funding support in the form of equity investment and grants to support staff development and training costs.

For further information, contact Mark Barton at Clyde Waterfront on +44 141 229 5423 or m.barton@clydewaterfront.com.

Major New Development Opportunities, Central Paris

Rare investment opportunities have just been opened up in Paris. Thanks to the local Public Development Council (PDC), Orly-Rungis Seine Amont, two huge areas – 300 hectares each – have been identified for complete redevelopment over the next few years.

The developments have ‘National Interest’ status and are Government backed. This provides comfort to potential investors by giving certainty to the planned infrastructure. It also means legal fast tracking for projects, assisted by the fact that the PDC comprises representatives of the State, the Paris region, the Val de Marne sub-region and 12 local districts.

Les Ardoines

The first development zone, Les Ardoines, centres around a new biotech cluster. Pharmaceutical giants, Sanofi-Aventis have already established operations there, employing 1700 researchers. This large mixed-use development offers investment opportunities in specialist biotech facilities, as well as high-tech industrial, commercial and housing. This will eventually amount to 2,800,000 sq. m. floor space, with the first phase (2011-2020) of 650,000 sq. m. comprising 310,000 sq. m. commercial space and 343,000 residential. There is also the as yet unexplored river freight potential of the location.

A big draw to investors will be the unrivalled accessibility of the Ardoines area. It already boasts two train stations, both to be redeveloped. One of them will become part of the new Paris Expressway, and will link Les Ardoines with La Défense and Charles de Gaulle International Airport.

Orly-Rungis

The second area designated for redevelopment is Orly-Rungis, with five million sq.m of floor space to be developed. The area combines the Orly airport area and the Rungis fresh food cluster – the biggest wholesale fresh food market in the world. Orly airport provides business connections across Europe and within France. It receives 25 million passengers annually and still has high growth potential.

The Orly – Rungis development zone will become an “international gateway” for Paris. New planned infrastructure includes a high speed (TGV) station at the airport for 2020, an intermodal urban carriageway, with integrated tramway.

One of the centrepiece developments at Orly-Rungis is a new 82,000 seat rugby stadium with international conference centre, planned for completion in 2017. Other many and varied projects at this mixed-use development will provide investment opportunities for office space, commercial  premises, housing and 15 hectares of parkland, with a focus on biodiversity.

Orly-Rungis is especially attractive to investors as a development area, due to the large number of people passing through the area. Apart from those using the airport and food market, the Belle Epine retail park is the biggest shopping centre in continental Europe, with 20 million visitors a year and growing.

The PDC will help identify funding and support planning applications for investment in Ardoines and Orly-Rungis. The Orly-Rungis Seine Amont PDC will be at Expo Real, Munich, in October.

For further information, please contact richard [@] edpa.biz, tel 44 (0)207 183 7681 or mobile +44 (0)7880 733 138.

Urban Logistics Innovation, Lead by Lyon

Lyon, France

Lyon’s LUTB (Lyon Urban Truck & Bus) research and development cluster is developing heavy hybrid vehicles for low-carbon urban logistics. The effects of their innovative solutions will “radiate across the world”. 

In July 2005, the Centre of Excellence label was granted to the Lyon Urban Truck&Bus 2015 research cluster, founded by Renault Trucks (Volvo Group), Irisbus-Iveco (Fiat Group), IFP Energies nouvelles, the French National Institute for Transport & Transport Safety Research (INRETS), the Greater Lyon Area and the Lyon Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI).

Lyon Urban Truck&Bus (LUTB) represents one of the 10 French transport clusters, and its unique goal is to sustainably meet the challenges raised by the growth in the need for mobility of people and goods in urban environments. Recent governement funding granted to LUTB has had a “huge impact” on the cluster’s development of heavy hybrid vehicles for low-carbon urban logistics, whose whose effects will “radiate across the world”, according to Isabelle Rivière-Cazaux, Director of Innovation and Development at LUTB.

LUTB has five areas of focus for their research and development projects:

Engine Driveline & Powertrain, which aims to develop a high-performance, environmentally friendly powertrain for diverse urban transport applications. This includes engine optimisation for diesel, controlled ignition, fuels, alternative fuels and post treatment, as well as hybrid motor development of subsystems (batteries, supercapacitors, electric motors), integration & energy optimization.

The Integrated Safety & Security arm designs solutions to improve the safety and security of industrial vehicles, including improving user safety in accidents involving industrial vehicles through use of active (prevention) and passive (protection) measures, plus the safety of passengers, and safety of other road users, such as pedestrians. They are also designing and integrating security enhancements for passengers and goods.

The Architecture & Comfort team design tomorrow’s urban vehicles to meet the challenges of sustainable development and mobility in the city, using technology, new materials, use of hybrid motors and new concepts. They also concentrate on system performance, and vehicle comfort, which involves lighter vehicles, reduced vibrations and noise, improved accessibility and new innovative architecture.

Transport System projects create comprehensive transport solutions, including communication between vehicles, infrastructures and the urban system, as part of the drive for sustainable development. Technologies employed include communication (GSM, GPRS, UMTS, V2V & V2I etc), measurements, data management (traffic, logistics, urban entities etc) and vehicle adaptation. System performance work aims to improve passenger and freight mobility, safety and security, environment and traffic congestion and quality of service. Research is ongoing into itineraries, regulation, communication platforms, supervision, identification of entities and connection between the vehicle and the system.

Modelling & Management of Urban Mobility is the fifth area of focus, and aims to understand the dynamics of passenger and freight mobility in urban and semi-urban areas. They work on the optimisation of the public road network determined by usage, urban process, real-time modelling of journey times, implementation/coherent use of data, urban and lifestyle factors, freight mobility, business travel, and the true cost of transportation.

For further information on LUTB's projects and on logistics in Lyon, contact Emmanuelle Sysoyev, Press Officer at Invest in Lyon, on +33 (0)4 72 40 57 15, or email sysoyev [@] aderly.com.

High Speed Trains Increase Ashford’s Unrivalled Connectivity

Ashford, UK

Home to the new Hitachi maintenance facilities for the high-speed trains operating on High Speed 1, Ashford is increasing its profile in the transport and logistics sector. With Channel ports, the Channel Tunnel, the M20 motorway, Eurostar International Train Station and high-speed train services to central London (37 minutes), Ashford now has unrivaled connectivity in the UK.

Sub-sectors such as rail transport maintenance, manufacture of transport equipment, land transport, and distribution are thriving in Ashford, and with the local growth agenda including a target of creating 28,000 new jobs by 2031, large areas of land are being allocated for commercial and industrial development.

With 16 existing business parks, Ashford has a lot of existing stock to facilitate this market, including sites with railway access, and that are close proximity to motorway junctions on the M20.

With 360 million customers within a days drive, and as a central hub on the South East rail network, Ashford’s location has driven the presence of transport and logistics sector companies. As well as customers, the location also provides a skilled workforce. Ashford has over 4,000 employees within the Transport and communications sector - 9% of the total workforce, compared with only 6% nationally -
and offers flexibility in the local labour market – full-time, part-time, temporary, self-employed and shift workers are widely available within and around the town.

Logistics companies that are present in Ashford include Hitachi, Bombardier, Orbital Marketing Group, Network Rail, Eurostar, Southeastern Railways and Pararail.

For more information on logistics in Ashford, contact Andrew Osborne, Economic Development Manager, on +44 (0)1732 520 733

New Logistics Centre Asserts Calais As “European Crossroad”

Calais, France

Work on a new logistics centre in Calais, catering for the distribution of goods between the UK and mainland Europe, is due to start in 2012. Work on the first phase of the project, involving 50ha, will be completed 2013-2014. The development will cover 160ha in total, and assert Calais as a "European Crossroads".

Calais Premier is set to become one of the first direct gateways for goods distribution between the United Kingdom and continental Europe. This project is the biggest logistics project in northern France, and the chosen site for the development is the industrial zone, Turquerie. This area stretches along the Calais-Dunkirk railway line and is ideally placed between Calais Port and the Channel Tunnel.

The Calais urban agglomeration community, Cap Calaisis, has chosen the Lyon property development company, DCB International, for the construction of Calais Premier. The first phase of the project, a surface area of 50 hectares, will commence in 2012 and is due for completion by 2013-2014. This first site will be dedicated to logistics activities and transport services, and is expected to have 220,000 sq. m. of logistics warehouses, 50,000 sq. m. of industrial parks, and 11,000 sq. m. of commercial property.

According to Didier Caudard-Breille, managing director of DCB International, the first phase of the Calais Premier project will create “thousands of new jobs” and will bring in £176 million worth of investments. By the second phase, this figure could reach £264 million. 

The scale of the Calais Premier project will have a direct effect on the development of the Calais infrastructure. Cap Calaisis is planning to invest £ 1.8 million in creating a railway junction at the site, as well as modernising the whole Calais-Dunkirk railway line. In addition, the Calais 2015 Port Pproject, worth £ 350 million, will extend the port to twice its size, making Calais Europe’s central communications point.

All of the above developments will constitute a direct entrance point to England from Europe. “With this project,” stated the mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart, “Calais will assert its strategic position as a European crossroads”.

The economic development agency Calais Promotion economic development agency played a key role in finding investors to take on this project, and in finalising negotiations. Initial contact has already been made with potential clients - in particular, suppliers in the automobile sector and British mass-market suppliers.

For further information on logistics in Calais, contact Jean-Yves Lhomme, Head of Projects at Calais Promotion, on +33 (0)3 21 34 66 83

Malta Succeeds As Centre For ICT

Malta

The island state of Malta has an impressive roll call of multi-nationals with ICT operations based there.

As an island in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta is not the first place you might think of as a centre for a the ICT sector, but this small EU state has successfully developed a notable presence in the global market, and is, “One of the World’s best small economies”, according to the World Market Research Centre.

The ICT industry in Malta is represented by more than 250 companies, employing around 6,000 staff. These include multinationals such as Microsoft, CISCO, Crimsonwing, Vodafone, Siemens, Oracle, and HSBC. The Government of Malta is in strategic alliances with CISCO, HP, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and SAP.

The story of ICT in Malta has progressed to membership of I-NEC – an elite group of ICT locations. Malta was also chosen by the developers of Dubai’s Internet City for the setting up of SmartCity Malta, an IT village. The island hosts a full range of inbound and outbound call centre services, including e-commerce support and HSBC inbound calls from high value customers in UK and EU.

According company decision-makers, the attractions of Malta to foreign ICT and call centre investors seem to be multifarious – from skills and comparatively low labour and office costs, to its geographical position and languages, Malta seems to have a unique set of selling points.

Benefits of Malta as a centre for IT include its location. It is within easy reach of other European capitals, with direct flights to 37 major centres (flying times 2 ½ hours and less). It is also a point of access for North African and Middle East markets for IT consulting, whilst a favourable business environment comes in part from Malta’s membership of Euro-zone and EU regulatory environment; it has a stable economic, industrial and political environment.

Strong linguistic capabilities, with English as the official language for business and commerce - accent free and with knowledge of colloquialisms – is a great advantage for Malta’s ICT call centres. Italian-, French- and German-speaking personnel are also widely available.

Established as an ICT and call centre hub since the 1990s, Malta has a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure with large bandwidth and digital networks. Internet connections are based on wireless technology such as EDGE and 3.5G as well as wired technology such as DSL, cable and fibre connectivity.

For further information on ICT in Malta, contact Chris Galea, PR & Media Manager at Malta Enterprise, on +356 2542 3289.