Key projects approved include: • Chester Innovation Economy Centre (£2.9m ERDF) • Higher Education Enterprise Champions (£585,000 ERDF) • Media Enterprise Centre @ MediaCityUK (£4.2m ERDF) • Social Enterprise Networking & Collaboration (£323,000) • Unite with Business (£3.9m ERDF) • Waterfront Business Park Barrow Access Road (£4.9m ERDF) • Women's International Centre for Economic Development (£2.4m ERDF)

Government has decided that all RDAs will be abolished and new arrangements put in place for economic development in England. This will therefore be the final year of activity for NWDA.

Improving your leadership and management skills can enhance your businesses’ performance, productivity and innovation. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) offers a range of support to help guide business owners and develop their leadership potential. Whether you are looking for assistance in drawing up a training and development plan, coaching and mentoring or more long-term practical support, there is help available to suit every learning style and stage of business development.

The Northwest’s strengths combine academic facilities, R&D excellence and commercial insight, creating one of Europe’s core biomedical regions

For nearly 12 years, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has been working hard to invest in projects and activities that make the biggest impact on the regional economy – the transformational actions. We have learned a lot over this time about what works and does not work. Business, People, Places: Learning from the NWDAʼs Experience is designed to help share our experience, good practice and learning, for the benefit of leaders, policy makers and practitioners in the post-RDA economic development landscape. There will be a follow-up document,

The drive towards a low carbon economy to address the global challenges of climate change, diminishing fossil fuels and finite natural resources is generating tremendous business opportunities. Indeed some commentators suggest that the transition to a low carbon economy presents one of the most significant economic opportunities ever known.

Future North West: Our Shared Priorities sets out a clear, and we believe compelling, course of action for the North West over the next 20 years. It builds on a substantial programme of work over the last two years, which provides a strong evidence-based understanding not only of the North West’s strengths and unique offer but also the most important challenges and issues we face in the years ahead. It has been developed through close collaboration between partners covering the private, public and third sectors throughout the North West – as a bottom-up rather than top-down document

Welcome to the second issue of 315°, our quarterly magazine that gives you the latest news about England’s Northwest and how we are progressing with delivery of the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). This issue celebrates both the successes of the region and reports on new and exciting initiatives that demonstrate how well our strategy is working.

Digital agencies add to region’s marketing mix Cultural talent from across the region

More than ever before, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) represent a vital driver behind regional economic growth, and social and environmental development. Here in the Northwest, the first regional ICT strategy englandsnorthwest connected, has led to significantly greater levels of access, and the region has considerable opportunities to harness the benefits of ICT for all. Seizing these opportunities is paramount, no longer must work be a place where we go, but a thing that we do; how we do business must be more agile, supporting more flexible business operations.

think it. do it. find out about young people with businesses of their own. could you be next?

This guide has been produced by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to provide a broad overview of the region. It provides summary information and economic data on the region’s business sectors, key locations, academic and research infrastructure, connectivity and quality of life. The guide is designed to provide at-a-glance information within a handy pocket-sized format. It should be viewed as a precursor to our Investment Services team offering potential business investors more detailed regional intelligence relative to specific business location enquiries.

The Northwest of England is home to the largest and most profitable concentration of chemicalmanufacturers in the UK. The region’s 650 chemicals-related businesses generate total annual sales of £10 billion and employ more than 50,000 people. Its strength in this field is encapsulated by the list of major chemicals companies who operate here, including Shell, AstraZeneca, Brunner Mond, INEOS, Unilever, PZ Cussons, FUJI and Innovia. In total, around 60 per cent of the world’s top 50 chemical companies have a presence in the Northwest. These global names are backed up by a whole host of

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

During the recent tough economic climate, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has been instrumental in providing clear and coordinated economic support to the region’s businesses. We know the competitiveness of the region relies on building strong Businesses, Places and People. These are the vital ingredients of economic success, and are key priorities for the Agency, particularly in ensuring the Northwest emerges from the downturn even stronger than before. One of our objectives is to provide effective business support to help the

The following are the criteria for assessing eligibility and suitability for the High Growth programme. Organisations that do not meet these criteria cannot be accepted onto the programme.

Innovation Vouchers - Access to research expertise to help your business grow and develop

nuclear energy maxi England’s Northwest is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of nuclear facilities, with a renowned skills base and world-class expertise in nuclear technology research and development. For 60 years, the region has been at the heart of the nuclear industry and is currently home to over half of the UK’s 45,000 nuclear workforce.

Our transition to a low carbon economy and a well adapting region will be one of the defining issues of the century, it will transform our everyday lives and how we do business. The science has delivered the certainty on the need for action, and the Climate Change Act has delivered the scale of action required. The Northwest has made significant progress since the publication of the first Climate Change Action Plan. Businesses, communities and individuals are all taking action to reduce emissions and assess the risks of future climate change.

The visitor economy is a vital part of the wider economy of the Northwest, worth an estimated £14.3 billion annually, supporting 220,000 jobs and with an estimated GVA of £5.7 billion.