With rapid growth and the UK’s largest port complex, the region is developing key clusters for the future.

	Area:	15411 sq km
	Population:	5.0m
	Regional GDP³	£57.6bn
	Exports to EU³	£5.5bn
	Exports outside EU³	£3.2bn
	Unemployment‡	5.1%
	Industrial property cost*	81.9
	Office rental cost**	76.8
	% of exports to Asia/Oceania³	10.7%
	Foreign manufacturing investment²	£245m
	UK manufacturing investment²	£1487m
	R&D expenditure³	£309m
	Gross Value Added per employee¹	£35,000
	Export value per employee³	£4295
	Average earnings per hour³ (male)	£9.80
	Average earnings per hour³ (female)	£8.20
	³=2000; ‡=Q1,2001; ²=1997; *index: UK=100 (type 3 industrial property Q1 2001); ¹=manufacturing; ** index: UK=100 (type 1 office accommodation Q1 2001)

Yorkshire and the Humber is one the fastest-growing regions in Europe, supported by a diverse manufacturing base and a thriving service sector, including the largest financial centre outside London. No single sector dominates the region – industries range from engineering to information technology, biotech to chemicals, healthcare to tourism.

More than 1500 overseas companies choose to operate out of Yorkshire and Humber. Less than two hours from the capital, the region has traditional skills and strengths in metals, engineering, fishing, agriculture and textiles, while growth sectors include automotive components, medical equipment, electronics, printing and packaging, food and telecommunications.

Five key clusters
The region’s development agency, Yorkshire Forward, identifies five key clusters: food and drink, chemicals, advanced engineering and metals, digital industries, and bioscience.

Food and drink. With the UK’s food processing capital in Grimsby, the pudding-famed region boasts around 1000 food manufacturing businesses, and a further 2500 engaged in storage, distribution and wholesale. Big names include Nestlé, Heinz and Bassetts.

Chemicals. Home to industry giants such as BP, Novartis and Syngenta, the region boasts 10% of the UK’s chemicals output. Extension of the Grimsby Europarc Innovation Centre provides a focus for innovation and support in both chemicals and food sectors, while the Humber Trade Zone initiative aims to maximise assets of the Humber estuary, home to a large proportion of the region’s chemical companies.

Advanced engineering and metals. This sector encompasses industries from steel processing to high-tech products for aerospace, automotive and household appliances. The University of Sheffield is world-renowned for its engineering research, and is working with Boeing to set up an aerospace manufacturing research centre on the proposed dedicated advanced manufacturing park in Rotherham.

Digital industries. West Yorkshire is a leading centre for new economy businesses, hosting the likes of Pace Microtechnology, Freeserve, Firstnet ntl, and One to One. Sheffield is to be the site of the UK’s first e-campus – a dedicated business environment for digital, ICT, multimedia and software. Californian company R-Quest, a leader in CD and DVD duplication equipment, recently chose York for its new engineering sales and support centre.

Finance and law. Leeds is recognised as the legal and financial capital outside London. There are almost 200 law firms in Leeds, and more than 230 accountancy firms, including 16 of the UK’s 20 largest.

The region has three international airports, while London is two hours by rail from most of Yorkshire. The four Humber ports form the largest port complex in the UK, and Channel Tunnel terminals operate from Doncaster and Wakefield. Much of the region is brimming with new development sites.

Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Websites:
Yorkshire Forward
www.yorkshire-forward.com