CREATIVE AND DIGITAL SECTOR

WhAT ARE ThE OppORTuNITIES WIThIN ThE CREATIVE AND DIGITAL SECTOR?

• Rapidly growing creative and digital cluster which is promoting innovation and collaboration allowing companies to quickly embed themselves in the network and access the necessary talent and expertise.

• Ability to enter one of the uK’s priority technology sub sectors in ehealth and Telecare - Liverpool is one of the most important clusters of digital companies producing ground breaking solutions in this space.

• Strong and dynamic video games cluster typified by innovative, independent studios taking advantage of the wealth of digital skills and artistic talent. The companies are led by some of the leading minds of the video game industry past and present, in what is arguably the fastest growing and most important gaming cluster in the uK.

• City’s strength in the games industry ensuring a leading role in the ‘gamification’ of other industry sectors providing opportunities to diversify the market for your tech solutions.

• purpose built digital incubation and studio spaces that are low cost and future proof - Liverpool enjoys world class connectivity and resilience, one of the few places in the uK where you could order a 100 GBpS connection, satisfying even the largest of data consumers.

Liverpool is renowned globally for its creativity. It has a long track record of producing not only some of the greatest artists of our time, but some of the most innovative and ground breaking digital content and global brands.

It has all the assets required for digital businesses to thrive; deep pool of creative talent, first class connectivity, countless events and industry showcases, access to a variety of funds and comprehensive industry support services in what is a truly low cost, low risk business environment.

Firesprite delivers its first game for Sony’s Japan Studios “The playroom” a launch title on pS4

• Multitude of data centres and data solution companies - Liverpool is home to one of the uK’s only Tier Three datacentres.

• uK’s first dedicated Studio School, industry led and specifically aimed at developing games development skills and entrepreneurialism in the 14 - 19 year old demographic. The Studio is producing the future digital workforce possessing the skills required to transition from education to industry seamlessly.

• Liverpool’s Tech community at forefront of developments around the Internet of Things

• An industry leading film stage and post - production facilities in the process of development.

• A range of internationally significant showcase events such as Liverpool Sound City; a metropolitan music festival and tech conference and Designival; the largest festival in the North dedicated to design.

CAN YOu GET ThE SKILLED pEOpLE YOu NEED?

• Access to skilled people is one of the core strengths of Liverpool.

• With a population of just over 1.5 million people, and a working population of nearly 1 million, companies locating in the wider city can access a considerable pool of labour. In addition, over 6.2 million people live within an hour’s drive time of the area.

• It is estimated that nearly 50,000 people are employed in digital and creative businesses in Liverpool including gaming, music, digital media and design.

• Nearly 2,000 students studying for degrees in Computer Sciences in Liverpool alone with a further 4,000 within easy commuting distance.

• Liverpool is home to the Studio School, an industry lead Digital skills focused university Technical College specifically designed to provide the practical skills in order to produce the future digital workforce.

• The SAE Institute have a major hub in Liverpool, regarded as one of the country’s premier audio and creative media education facilities.

• Major research strengths across the city include the world class university of Liverpool Computer Sciences Department, Liverpool John Moores university Open Lab, Centre for Cultural leadership, Art & Design Academy and School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences and the Liverpool hope Creative campus

• The average unemployment level in Liverpool is 5.6%, a little higher than both the North West and uK average. The local unemployment level means that there is a sustainable pool of labour available to new companies locating to the area. The slightly higher unemployment tends to place less pressure on wage rates, skills and may potentially improve staff retention rates.

hOW COST EFFECTIVE IS A LIVERpOOL BASE?

• uK government data estimates that wages in Liverpool are lower than the national average for digital and creative talent.

• In terms of commercial property, Liverpool currently enjoys the lowest net effective rent of any key uK city location. high quality, well connected city centre office

Baltic Creative sheds Sound City international music and digital showcase event

Liverpool’s FOUR UNIVERSITIES provide the Creative and Digital sector with a wealth of new and emerging talent.

Nearly 50,000 people are employed in digital and creative businesses in Liverpool including gaming, music, digital media and design.

high quality, well connected city centre office and studio space typically ranges from £7 - £15 per sq ft before incentives.

8 million people, 13% of the uK population live within 50 miles of Liverpool*

20.5 million people, 33% of the uK population live within 100 miles of Liverpool*

* Data source ONS mid year estimates 2010

hOW EASILY CAN COMpANY STAFF AND CuSTOMERS VISIT LIVERpOOL?

• Wherever your customers are based and no matter which of your offices need to stay connected to Liverpool, the city is easy to reach.

• London is 2 hours away by train - and just as importantly there are train services every hour.

• Liverpool is also connected to by direct rail services to Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham and others - and of course by motorway the central belt of Scotland, Newcastle, Bristol are all within 4 hours drive time.

• For international connections there is a choice of both Liverpool and Manchester airports which are both within 45 drive time.

• Between the airports there are flights offered to virtually every European country as well as scheduled flights to the uS (New York, Chicago, Atlanta, philadelphia and Orlando); Canada; Middle East and Singapore.

• Once here Liverpool can boast the range of hotels, restaurants, nightlife, culture, events, shopping and attractions that you would expect from a major international city.

and studio space typically ranges from £7 - £15 per sq ft before incentives.

• Liverpool offers a broad portfolio of incentives to inward investors as well as being a leading location for raising finance. Incentives include business growth grants, training grants, numerous loan and equity funds as well as a comprehensive, free of charge recruitment package.

• home to a variety of data centre and digital services companies offering cost effective, robust, super high speed broadband packages.

WhO ELSE hAS ALREADY RECOGNISED ThE OppORTuNITY?

• Sony Computer Entertainment, Evolution studios and Spiral house are producing and assuring some of the major titles for the next generation of gaming consoles.

• Award winning mobile game and app development companies such as Sawfly studios, Citrus Suite, Atomicon, Lucid Games and playrise digital.

• New Mind, the leading E-Tourism software company in the uK

• One of the leading broadcast companies in the uK, Lime pictures, producing some of the most viewed shows in the uK as well as productions for global brands such as Nickelodeon.

• Some of the biggest global music brands operating out of Liverpool include Cream, Sound City, Sentric Music and Ad Lib.

APPROXIMATE ROAD JOURNEY TIMES*

Cardiff 3hrs 32minBirmingham 2hrsBristol 3hrs 11minEdinburgh 4hrs 5minGlasgow 3hrs 40minHull 2hrs 11minLeeds 1hr 18minLondon 3hrs 30minManchester 46minNewcastle 3hrsNottingham 2hrs 8minPlymouth 5hrs 6minSheffield 1hr 42minSouthampton 4hrs 10min* Source: AA

APPROXIMATE RAIL JOURNEY TIMES*

Cardiff 3hrs 40minBirmingham 1hr 30minBristol 3hrs 20minEdinburgh 3hrs 24minGlasgow 3hrs 30minHull 3hours 13minLeeds 1hr 47minLondon 2hrs 8minManchester 48minNewcastle 3hrs 23minNottingham 2hrs 38minPlymouth 5hrs 37minSheffield 1hr 43minSouthampton 4hrs 37min* Source: National Rail Enquiries

WhAT IS hAppENING IN ThE WIDER LOCAL ECONOMY?

The major companies that are investing here include peel - who operate the port of Liverpool; Novartis who manufacture vaccines; and Bibby Line who straddle maritime and financial services activities and are one of Liverpool’s oldest major companies.

Other companies with a significant presence in Liverpool and the wider region include princes Group, Royal and Sun Alliance, Bank of New York, Ineos, unilever and many others.

The port of Liverpool is a major success story - the largest uK container port on the west coast; a major new (£300m) post - panamax scale vessel terminal; further investment in port facilities and road, rail, inland waterway multi-modal facilities; and already a location for 5 of the 6 largest global shipping lines.

Investment in the city continues with perhaps the uK’s largest regeneration project; Liverpool Waters, extension of the Arena and Convention Centre, the redevelopment of the Royal Liverpool hospital and associated Bio Innovation Campus, a major bridge project creating a second crossing of the Mersey, further investment in broadband infrastructure and the on-going investment in offshore wind and oil and gas in Morecambe Bay. Collectively these projects have an investment value in excess of £7 billion.

All in all, there has never been a better time to move business into Liverpool. The Liverpool City Region generates £23bn in economic output every year and in the last decade Liverpool was one of the uK’s fastest growing cities recording a 39% increase in output - the city is vibrant, dynamic and alive with opportunity.

WhAT NExT

Liverpool is known for its distinctiveness, friendliness, passion and pride - we are waiting to hear from you to demonstrate our offer and answer many of the other questions that you may have concerning our great city. Email or telephone the contact points to help and we look forward to working on your plans with you.

Email Liverpool Vision at invest@liverpoolvision.co.uk or telephone 0151 600 2961 for help and we look forward to working on your plans with you.

CAN SENIOR STAFF RELOCATE?

• Liverpool can offer city centre living or a selection of coastal, suburban or countryside residential locations. house prices offer tremendous value - average house prices are half the price of the average for the South East of England.

• Across Liverpool there is a range of high quality education establishments. The Liverpool Blue Coat School is one of the 50 highest performing state schools in the country and Merchant Taylor’s Liverpool is one of the 100 highest performing independent schools. Of course there are also Further and higher education establishments - notably the university of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores university.

• Outside of all the usual city centre activities, Liverpool is perhaps unusual with the coast offering a range of opportunities for water sports, whilst the Lake District, Snowdonia, peak District and Yorkshire Dales National parks are all within 2 hours drive.

• The city has several theatres, two premier League football teams and the City Region is unique in England as an area with 2 Open Championship golf courses.

CAN WE ACCOMMODATE YOu?

Liverpool has a wide variety of office, studio and warehouse space ranging from low price, functional space right through to state of the art, grade A office accommodation. Liverpool has a number of growing clusters of creative industry companies located throughout the city centre including the Baltic Triangle and Ropewalks districts and, increasingly, the Knowledge Quarter and Commercial District.

Liverpool also enjoys the fastest broadband speeds in the country, providing up to 100 gbps meaning we can satisfy the largest of data requirements.

IS ThERE SuppORT TO hELp YOu ESTABLISh EASILY?

• By locating to Liverpool, your business can benefit from tailor-made support available free of charge to help enable your operations to be established efficently and effetively.

• Liverpool Vision’s role is to help set out what you need to make your investment happen and address any concern that may arise as your plans progress. Generally this will mean Liverpool Vision providing the information that can build the business case - typically (but not limited to) information on the availability of people, property, finance, research opportunities and suppliers; and the cost of each of these various elements.

• In some cases, it may be that your project qualifies for some support from public funding and we can also assist with the identification of any suitable routes for this support.

• As the project progresses we can help ensure that the implementation of the project goes to plan and introduce you to the wider network of professional organisations across the city that can help ensure that you prosper into the future. it’s liverpool

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