GENERATING1/3 OF THE UK’SAEROSPACETURNOVER

Manchester Liverpool Cheshire Lancashire Cumbria

AEROSPACE INENGLAND’SNORTHWEST

Generating sales of

£6.8bn a year

A global centre

for military and civil aerospace

KEY STRENGTHS OFENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

75% of turnover is exports

Home to BAE Systems

and Rolls-Royce

England’s Northwest is a true global player in aerospace.The sheer number of people employed, the number ofcompanies involved at all levels of the supply chain, and thesales generated by the sector, place it firmly at the forefrontof European aerospace innovation.

Boasting a huge range of aerospace companies,employing a highly-skilled workforce of more than 50,000people, the Northwest’s civil and military aerospace sectorgenerates almost £7 billion in sales each year, 75% of whichis from exports. This represents around a third of the UK’s£20 billion total aerospace turnover. Important strengths ofthe Northwest’s expertise include airframe design andmanufacture, final assembly and aircraft engine subsystems.

Three major global players – BAE Systems, Rolls-Royceand Airbus – are investing hundreds of millions in theirNorthwest operations, and there is a wealth of R&D andengineering talent in the region’s cutting edge researchcentres and universities. This has naturally resulted in thegrowth of a supply chain which works alongside theseglobal leaders on some of the most exciting technologicaldevelopments in the world. Companies like Hyde AeroProducts, Unison Engine Components or Aircelle, are

Europe’s aerospace capitalThe Northwest has one of the largest and mostsophisticated aerospace industries in the world

TownCity

AirportPortUniversityR&D Centre

BOLTON

BLACKBURNBURNLEY

WARRINGTON

WORKINGTON

BARROW

A HIGHLY SKILLEDAEROSPACEWORKFORCE OF MORETHAN 50,000 PEOPLE.

working closely with industry partners on state-of-the-artprojects such as the next generation of unmanned aircraft,the latest composite structures and titanium components or environmentally friendly aero engines.

Perhaps more than most sectors, however, therequirements and challenges of the aerospace industry areconstantly developing. To help meet these emergingchallenges, the region is already planning for the futurethrough initiatives like the Aerospace Supply ChainExcellence programme, an innovative programme to ensurethe aerospace supply chain continues to compete globally;and the Northwest Composites Centre, which bringstogether the combined composites expertise of fouruniversities.

The Northwest’s excellent transport connections areanother major benefit for investors. The region is one of thebest connected in the UK, whether by road, rail, sea or air.There are three international airports, including Manchester– the largest UK airport outside London.

The comprehensive road infrastructure is unrivalled. It isat the heart of the UK’s motorway network and is the bestconnected intercity train route in Europe.

Map source: Ordnance Survey Crown Copyright 2009All Rights Reserved GD021102

For almost a century, the Northwest has been synonymouswith aircraft production and innovation, having built Halifaxbombers, Wellingtons, Lancaster bombers and Hunters,through to modern quiet jets such as the BAE146.

Some of the industry’s most innovative programmes,including the Nimrod MRA4, Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon,Hawker, Airbus wings and RB-211jet engine, are Northwestmade. In fact, more than100 types of aircraft can trace theirbeginnings to the region.

Few industries move as fast as aerospace, and theNorthwest, with its leading edge R&D expertise, globalaerospace majors and dynamic supply chain, is alreadybuilding for the future. Aerospace companies in the regionare involved in many of the pioneering technologies that areeither critical to the industry’s future, such as the challengesof environmentally friendly aerospace or compositetechnologies, or which have the potential to be major growthareas in coming decades, such as unmanned autonomousvehicles (UAVs).

Next generation military aircraftBAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence company, is a

standard bearer for the Northwest’s aerospace strengths. Its sites in Lancashire are celebrated as world class leanmanufacturing facilities, along with other BAE locations inGreater Manchester.

At Samlesbury, near Preston, BAESystems providesmanufacturing and support capabilities to a number ofinternationally important aircraft programmes. It is one ofthe few places in the UK entrusted with the final assemblyfor major programmes like the Eurofighter Typhoon, themost advanced swing-role aircraft in the world. In addition tofinal assembly, BAE’s manufacturing responsibilities includethe Typhoon’s front fuselage, canopy, dorsal spine, tail finand rear fuselage.

BAE is currently investing hundreds of millions ofpounds at Samlesbury, evidence of its confidence in andcommitment to the Northwest’s aerospace sector. The firststage of the development involves a £50 million officescheme to provide a home for the skilled staff required to

Future technologiesBAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus are at the heartof the region’s engineering expertise

work on the Eurofighter, as well as the Joint Strike Fighter(JSF) F-35 Lightning II.

Dave Holmes, Investment and Strategic Planning Directorfor BAE Systems Military Air Solutions business, says: “BAE Systems is a substantial contributor to the UKeconomy with around half of its UK employees based in theNorthwest. The Samlesbury development demonstrates ourcommitment to the region. This investment will help ensurethat Samlesbury remains an important centre of excellencefor aerospace engineering, manufacture and productsupport in the Northwest.”

The company is currently working in partnership withAmerican multi-nationals Lockheed Martin and NorthropGrumman to develop the JSF, a short take off and verticallanding aircraft. BAE Systems’ particular focus is mainly onthe airframe, including manufacture of the fuselage, verticaland horizontal tails and wing tips. At its peak, it willmanufacture more than one aircraft every day by 2016.

Unmanned aircraft technologyWarton, another major BAE site near Preston, Lancashire,

is the headquarters for the company’s AutonomousSystems and Future Capability business unit. It is a worldleader in both civil and military Unmanned AutonomousSystems (UAS), a massive growth area in the globalaerospace market, with significant supply chainopportunities for hi-tech manufacturing and advancedengineering companies.

BAE Systems’ HERTI (High Endurance Rapid TechnologyInsertion) aircraft has been developed for low-levelreconnaissance and is equipped with cameras, sensors andadvanced avionics. UAS have already been used withconsiderable success in areas of conflict like Afghanistan.However, there are also potential civilian uses, as HERTI’slow-cost and endurance level, along with its reliability andimage taking ability, make it ideal for reconnaissance andsurveillance missions in both the military and civil sectors.BAE Systems is also developing Mantis, a much larger UASthat may be able to carry missile systems, and Taranis, acombat vehicle, with the Ministry of Defence.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Trent 900/1000engines

EurofighterTyphoon

Next GenerationComposite Wing

INNOVATIVEPROGRAMMES

THE JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER ISTHE LARGEST MILITARYAIRCRAFT PROGRAMME INHISTORY AND IS ALREADYPROVIDING SUBSTANTIALOPPORTUNITIES FOR THENORTHWEST SUPPLY CHAIN.

UnmannedAutonomousSystems

Perfect partnersThe Northwest is where Henry Rolls famouslymet Charles

Royce. The company they founded now employs some1,000 people at sites in Barnoldswick, Lancashire; Winsford,Cheshire and Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria making asignificant contribution to the regional economy.

Rolls-Royce designs and manufactures engines andengine components for many of the most advancedcommercial aircraft in the world, including the Airbus A380‘superjumbo’, which is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900engines, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which uses thecompany’s latest Trent1000 engine. The Trent 900 and Trent1000 are among the biggest, most powerful and mostenvironmentally efficient engines in the world.

The company’s main Northwest operations atBarnoldswick manufacture wide chord hollow titanium fanblades for all the Trent engine family.

Wing expertiseThe Airbus UK facility at Broughton, just outside Chester,

may geographically be in North Wales, but its supply chainand influence stretch right across the Northwest and 60% ofits employees live in the region. Broughton is Airbus’international centre of excellence in wing and pylontechnology. The site, which employs 6,500 highly-skilledpeople, is responsible for assembling everywing of all the5,820Airbus aircraft which have been delivered to date. Thisincludes the advanced design wings on Airbus’ flagshipA380 525-seater airliner.

In recent years, theAirbus site has seenmajor investmentstotalling more than £2 billion in facilities and infrastructureimprovements. Airbus is currently building a state-of-the-artfacility for wing assembly of the new extra wide bodiedA350 XWB aircraft, more than half of which will be made ofcomposites. Broughton also manufactures and assembleswings and fuselages for the Hawker executive jet.

In May 2008, the Government announced its NextGeneration CompositeWing (NGCW) programme, with Airbusas the lead partner. This £103 million programme will helpensure the Northwest’s position at the cutting edge ofinnovation in aircraft wing development and the use of weight-saving compositematerials inwing design and development.

The Northwest, with its leadingedge R&D expertise, globalaerospace majors and dynamicsupply chain, is already buildingfor the future.

Rolls-Royce Trent engines derivea considerable part of theirefficiency from their state-of-the-art hollow titanium fan blades.These new generation ‘swept’wide-chord fan blades have aninnovative scimitar-shapedleading edge, which ensureslower noise levels andsignificantly greater aerodynamicefficiency. The latest fan bladetechnology involves pumpinginert gas into a titanium bondedshell to expand the blade in a

specially-shaped form. Theresult is a fan blade that is asstrong as a regular fan blade, butwhich is 80% hollow andtherefore hugely lighter. Rolls-Royce’s Barnoldswick site is acentre of excellence for thishighly specialised component,producing around 4,700 Trentfan blades every year. This figureis predicted to grow considerablydue to increased demand fromthe Airbus A350 XWB and JSFprogrammes.

FAN BLADES FOR THE FUTURE

THE AIRBUS A350 XWB WINGMANUFACTURED AT BROUGHTONWILL BE ALMOST COMPLETELYMADE OF CARBON.

There are around 250 companies feeding into the Northwest’saerospace supply chain, from small, specialist componentmanufacturers to the largest prime contractors. This is theUK’s largest concentration of aerospace companies andensures the region’s aerospace sector competes on a trulyglobal scale.

With three primes in the region, there is a constant flowof work to aerospace companies across the supply chain,covering all areas of the industry, from wing assembly,composites and power, to aircraft systems, maintenance,repair and overhaul, and unmanned autonomous vehicles.

Hyde Aero Products is one of four Northwest companiesthat in 2009 was awarded a £250 million,10-year contract towork with BAE Systems on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)programme, the largest military aircraft programme inhistory. The other three companies are RLC Callender inAltham, Lancashire; John Huddleston Engineering ofBlackpool and Thyssenkrupp, based at Bamber Bridge near Preston.

“There are around18,000 parts on the F35 and a fairproportion of them will be manufactured and machined inthe Northwest,” says Philip Hughes, Managing Director ofHyde Aero Products.

Hyde Aero Products has been involved on different stagesof JSF for over 10 years, providing titanium machining and

Network of suppliersThe region has the largest concentration of aerospacecompanies in the country

other specialist machined products. This latest contract willsee it providing a suite of metal-based components for theaircraft’s aft fuselage and horizontal and vertical tails, someof which it will machine itself and others in partnership withBAE System’s own machining capabilities.

This kind of close partnership working is key to successfulprogrammes like the JSF, Rolls-Royce Trent engines or Airbuswings, and it is firmly embedded in the Northwest supplychain. It is a collaborative ethos that helps to reduce costs,improve quality and lead to a more responsive, customer-focused supply chain. Suppliers and purchasers share theirbest practice approaches to business planning and forecasts,and work together to achieve agreed goals, like reviewingdesigns to see if life-cycle costs can be reduced and qualityimproved. Indeed, suppliers are frequently part of integratedproject teams, which has efficiency benefits for the wholesupply chain.

“By working together across the supply chain, there aresimple areas where we can save costs, such as utility bills, ormanufacturing processes and equipment, like consumablecutters and machine tools,” says Hughes.

This approach has now been carried forward with thefour supply companies now working closely together withBAE Systems in the first Supplier Association, a key part ofthe Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence programme.

Unison Engine Components inBurnley is a key UK partner forRolls-Royce on the Environment -ally Friendly Engine (EFE)programme. EFE is part of theNational Aerospace TechnologyStrategy to reduce aircraftcarbon emissions by 50% perpassenger kilometre, noiseemissions by 50% and oxides ofnitrogen by 80% by 2020. Unison is taking a lead role in theresearch and development of analternative concept of lowemissions fuel injector for theEFE project. Salford Universityhas also been involvedwith someof the R&D around computationalfluid dynamics to predict

performance of fuel technologyand to improve the fuel mixingand evaporation process. Otherregional companies involved assub-contractors include TrackPrecision Machining, CrestEngineering, The Hyde Group,GKN Aerospace Engine ProductsandAlstom’s facility inLancashire.Unison provides gas turbinefabrications, fuel nozzles, repairand overhaul and instrumenta -tion, to major aero, industrialand marine gas turbinemanufacturers world-wide. Witharound 400 employees inLancashire, the company is asubsidiary of GE Engine Servicesbased in the US.

WORKING IN UNISON TOIMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY

UK’s largestconcentration of aero firms

3 primes in the region

250companies

Close partnership working iskey to successful programmeslike the JSF, Rolls-Royce Trentengines or Airbus wings, andit is firmly embedded in theNorthwest supply chain.

Aerospace Supply Chain ExcellenceProgramme (ASCE)

Led by the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) andsupported by all of the industry’s key players, theAerospace Supply Chain Excellence programme (ASCE) has been designed to enhance the world classcapabilities of the region’s supplier network.

Launched in 2006 and backed by £4.2 million of fundingfrom the Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), as well as contributions from Airbus UK, BAESystems and Rolls-Royce, ASCE is the first co-ordinatedapproach to supplier development in the UK aerospaceindustry, helping smaller aerospace companies tounderstand and respond to the needs of the sector’sprime contractors, such as BAE, Rolls-Royce and Airbus.

“We fully endorse the NWAA’s ASCE programme. It is agreat initiative – it is making a real difference,” says BAESystems’ Chris Boardman, Managing Director, TyphoonMission Support and International Programmes.

So far, the ASCE programme has attracted more than £8 million in funding and is helping 45 companies toachieve world-competitive status. It has provided theequivalent of1,000man-days of training tomore than700 people involved in the Northwest aerospace industry.

A £7 million ASCE 2 programme, running to 2011, aims to further develop the partnerships through five keyareas. It will ensure that the region’s 45 strategicaerospace companies all receive the necessary trainingand coaching to move their business performancetowards world class. The adoption of the commonlanguage, common culture, common vision and commonobjectives of the ASCE programme is vital to move theNorthwest aerospace sector to work as an industry.

WE FULLY ENDORSE THE NWAA’SASCE PROGRAMME. IT IS AGREAT INITIATIVE – IT ISMAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE.”Chris Boardman, Managing Director, Typhoon Mission Support and International Programmes,BAE Systems

‘‘

The North West Aerospace Alliance(NWAA), established in 1994,represents around 750 companiesworking in the aerospace supplychain. It is the largest aerospace sectororganisation in Europe. Now a modelfor other industry-led organisationsthroughout the world, it promotes theon-going development and excellenceof the Northwest’s aerospace supplychain through pioneering trainingprogrammes, and provides supportand consultation on all regional,national and international issuesaffecting the aerospace industry.

To find out more, visit aerospace.co.uk

NWAA: SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY

The practical, partnership approach of the private, publicand academic sectors helps to make the Northwest a hotbedof aerospace research and development expertise. There isa higher concentration of universities here than in any otherregion in the UK, and the Northwest is at the forefront ofmajor technical innovations such as composites,computational modelling and autonomous vehicles.

The Northwest Composites Centre, based at ManchesterUniversity, is a partnership between the universities ofLancaster, Liverpool, Manchester and Bolton, works closelywith industry and is at the forefront of compositestechnology in the UK. It researches technical textilestructures, auxetic materials, rapid low cost processing,infrastructure aerospace applications, characterisation andfire performance.

In 2009 the Composites Centre launched a new £8 millionComposites Certification and Evaluation Facility (CCEF) toprovide a cutting-edge test facility for composites andcomposite structures as the aerospace industry makes thetransition from metallic manufacturing to compositemanufacturing.

Also at Manchester University is the Aerospace ResearchInstitute (ARI). The ARI brings together all aspects ofaerospace research across the university at both the graduateand post-graduate level, providing highly specific researchexpertise to the industry. Research areas range fromadvancedmaterials and structures, to synthetic environments andautonomous systems.

In Liverpool City Region, the pioneering research anddesign facilities at Daresbury Science & Innovation Campusoffermajor opportunities for world class knowledge exchangeand collaboration. Hi-tech areas of aerospace-related expertiseat Daresbury include computational science, neutron science,imaging, space science, materials and detector technology.

One of Daresbury’s leading capabilities is supercomputing,a world class resource that enables it to carry out extremely

Pioneering researchThe Northwest boasts world-leading universities andscience institutes for aerospace R&D

complex aerodynamic modelling. Its expertise in neutronscience underpins its research in avionics and feeds into itsresearch in novel temperature and pressure sensors.

BAE Systems recently called on Daresbury’s computermodelling and simulation expertise to help develop apioneering total aircraft simulation programme foraerodynamics research. Daresbury’s supercomputing andmodelling researchers developed a new multi-processormodelling systemwhich delivered total aircraft simulations upto 80 times faster than previously possible, saving time andmoney, and helping keep BAE Systems at the forefront ofaerospace technology.

Another ground-breaking facility at Daresbury is theNorthwest Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC). This bringstogether the universities of Liverpool and Manchester, thecomputational science and engineering department atDaresbury Laboratory, Northwest Aerospace Alliancemembers, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus. VECenables companies to develop digital simulations, or virtualrepresentations, of systems throughout their life cycle topredict behaviour and aid rapid decision making.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, the Centre forAir Transport and the Environment supports the sustainabledevelopment of the aviation industry through high levelresearch and analysis, while Lancaster University is one ofthe main academic research centres for work on UnmannedAutonomous Vehicles, including the ASTRAEA programme,where it is the principal investigator on two projects focusingon adaptive routing and collision avoidance systems.

ASTRAEA is the Autonomous Systems TechnologyRelated Airborne Evaluation and Assessment programme.Part of the government’s National Aerospace TechnologyStrategy, ASTRAEA is a national collaboration focusing onthe systems, procedures and technologies required to allowUAVs to operate in manned airspace. BAE Systems is one ofthe programme’s leaders.

Competence in composites

If the future of the aerospace could be summed up inone word, it would be ‘composites’. Their strength,lightness, flexibility and versatility makes them pivotalto the industry’s future, and nowhere in the UK hasmore capability in composites than the Northwest. The region’s aerospace composites sector benefitsfrom decades of experience in aircraft manufacturing,with several large military aircraft programmes.Northwest companies like Assystem UK, Sigmatex andAdvanced Composites Group supply compositeproducts to major programmes such as the AirbusA380 and the A350 XWB, Eurofighter Typhoon, JointStrike Fighter, Next Generation Composite Wing andBoeing 787 Dreamliner.

MAJOR R&D CENTRES

NorthwestCompositesCentre

DaresburyScience &InnovationCampus

AerospaceResearchInstitute

Taranis Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle by BAE Systems

One of the Northwest’s greatest strengths in aerospace isthe skills and training of the workforce. Over one-third of theUK’s aerospace industry is in the Northwest, directlyemploying around 50,000 people.

As the cradle of the industrial revolution and the mainstayof the UK’s nuclear, engineering, defence and manufacturingsectors, the region has a proud international heritage andestablished skills base in developing, manufacturing andassembling large systems, sub-systems and components.

The Northwest’s 12 universities, which includes theUniversity of Manchester – top 10 in Europe and top 30 in theworld – as well as Salford, Liverpool, Lancaster and CentralLancashire, produce thousands of engineering graduatesand post-graduates each year.

The strong bias towards engineering and themanufacturing of large systems – from submarines andsurface ships to tanks and aircraft – means there is a longand strong tradition of apprenticeships, with a host of topquality further educational colleges training up youngerworkers and apprentices for the aerospace and advancedengineering sectors.

Further education colleges like Burnley, Preston andBlackburn produce thousands of young engineers everyyear at NVQ level 3 (technician) and above, and work closelywith aerospace employers to provide on-going training andapprenticeships for younger workers.

At NVQ levels 4 and 5 (degree level and above), a numberof other universities and higher education institutions runrelevant courses for prospective aerospace employees andemployers.

These include the University of Liverpool, which has afive-star rating in mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturingsciences and offers several aerospace-related courses.

The University of Salford is highly regarded for a numberof aerospace related degrees it offers, accredited by the RoyalAeronautical Society and the Institute of MechanicalEngineers. Its facilities include three flight simulation systems.

The University of Central Lancashire’s Faculty of Design& Technology, operates a BAE Systems-funded non-destructive evaluation course, and Macclesfield College runsthe European Centre for Aerospace Training, which is ratedas one of the best graduate and pre-graduate levelaerospace engineering centres in the UK.

Preparing our peopleWith12 universities and numerous quality colleges,the region has a large, highly-skilled labour force

5-star ratedengineeringcourses

More universities than any

other region

COLLEGES LIKE BURNLEY, PRESTONAND BLACKBURN PRODUCETHOUSANDS OF YOUNG ENGINEERSEVERY YEAR WORKING WITH THEAEROSPACE EMPLOYERS.

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, including AstraZeneca and Unilever as well as BAESystems and Rolls-Royce. Annual private sector expenditureis over £2.2 billion; placing the region ahead of manyEuropean countries.

The region has more than seven million people – almosttwice the population of Ireland. In terms of skills, there is astrong tradition of advanced engineering expertise, servingspecialist areas including the aerospace, automotive andchemicals industries. However, it is the strength and depth ina variety of sectors which ensures a strong and growingEuropean region. It is the second biggest media hub in Europe,is the continent’s largest biomanufacturing region and aleader in biotech innovation. It is also a centre for financialand professional services, with a heritage of wealthmanagement, banking, legal and accountancy experience inthe Northwest’s key locations including Manchester,Liverpool and Chester. This is in addition to its position as aworld leader in nuclear energy. The region’s experience andexpertise will prove to be significant as the UK enters a newera of nuclear energy. It also provides essential skills forrenewable energy and environmental technology.

Well connectedIt is also one of the best connected regions in the UK,

easily accessed both nationally and internationally by road,rail, sea or air.

There are three international airports in the Northwest,flying to over 270 destinations worldwide: Liverpool JohnLennon, Blackpool International and Manchester International– the UK’s largest airport outside London.

The comprehensive road infrastructure is unrivalled,boasting 70% more motorways than the national average.The region is at the crossroads of the key North-South (M6)and East-West (M62/M56) motorway networks, providingdirect access to all British major cities within four hours.

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

A top 10 European university

2 hour train journey to central London

7 million people

3 internationalairports

The beautiful landscape of Wastwater, the Lake District.

The region is equally well serviced by the rail network.Over 39 trains per day travel the route between Manchesterand central London, with journeys taking just over twohours, making this Europe’s most connected intercity route.The line links the Northwest to London, Scotland andmainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

Gateway to AmericaThe region’s large coastline ensures a strong network of

ports, including Liverpool, one of Europe’s leading containerports and a main trading route with North America. The porthandles 32 million tonnes of cargo annually, 700,000containers, while Liverpool Freeport is the UK’s largest FreeZone with over three million square foot of logistics andwarehousing facilities.

The Port is linked to the Port of Manchester via the ShipCanal, with15,000 combined annual shipmovements betweenthe two ports.

The New Cruise Liner adds another dimension, hostingthe world’s biggest luxury liners at Liverpool’s world famousdocks.The region’s other major ports include Barrow,Workington and Birkenhead.

There is also theOceanGateway, a £50 billion investmentstrategy for the Northwest region, encompassing Manchesterand Liverpool; the largest private sector investment in the UK.

Beautiful landscapeThe Northwest has an enviable location in terms of

standard of living. It is home to England’s largest National Park;the Lake District and three Areas of Outstanding NaturalBeauty; at the Solway Coast in Cumbria, Arnside and Silverdalein Lancashire and the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. Thereare twoUNESCOWorld heritage sites, at Liverpool waterfrontand Hadrian’sWall, Cumbria, one heritage coast and 32 naturereserves. In fact, almost a third of the region is designated asNational Park or an Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Coupled with its outstanding port facilities, superblandscape and long-standing commitment to renewableenergy, these strengths make the Northwest an ideal locationfor investors, enabling owners, developers and suppliers tomove equipment, people and plant to and from the regionquickly and easily.

252,000 BUSINESSES1MILLION GRADUATES£120 BILLION ECONOMY

Supporting investors

The NWDA leads the economic development of theNorthwest and works with companies in a variety ofindustries and countries in attracting foreign directinvestment.With over 3,000 foreign-owned businesses inthe region, we have one of the UK’s strongest trackrecords in assisting large companies and SMEs with theirlocation and expansion decisions.

Our Investment Services team offers a range of free andconfidential services designed to assist businesses inmaking these choices. This includes information on: legaland tax issues; recruitment support; property type,availability and cost; financial assistance; and networkingopportunities with potential supply chains and otherrelevant businesses.

We also offer a range of financial support to helpbusinesses with their investment and expansion projectsin the Northwest.

Grants for Business Investment support businessesundertaking major investment projects which increa sethe region’s productivity skills and employment.

Grants for Research and Development help businessesfund the R&D required to get new products to market.Support for innovation in carbon reduction technology isalso available.

Grants for Improving Your Resource Efficiency provideassistance to businesses undertaking investment projectswhich reduce CO2 emissions.

Venture Capital and Loan Funding offers a combination ofloan, equity and mezzanine finance to support businessgrowth in the region.

Our Investment Services team can provide furtherinformation regarding eligibility.

For further information about the investmentopportunities in the region, visitenglandsnorthwest.com or call our InvestmentServices team on +44 (0)1925 400 495.

£6.8 BILLION TOTAL SALES50,000 EMPLOYEES75% OF ALL SALES ARE EXPORTS1ST IN UK FOR MANUFACTURING 1/3 OF UK’S TOTAL OUTPUT3 OEMs250 COMPANIES

Aerospace at a glance

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

Printed on100% de-inked recycled waste withFSC recycled certification. Pulp is bleached usinga Totally Chlorine Free process.