Wales as a buisness location

1. Wales. Business opportunity

2. Wales. Business opportunity
Our vision is of a Welsh economy built upon
the strengths and skills of its people and natural
environment, recognised at home and abroad
as confident, creative and ambitious; a great
place to live and work.
Senedd, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay

3. contents
1
2 Welcome to Wales
4 Why Wales?
6 Keeping good company
8 Academic collaboration
Key sectors:
10 Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
11 Creative Industries
12 Energy and Environment
13 Financial and Professional Services
14 Information and Communications Technologies
15 Life Sciences
Support:
16 Your partner for growth
17 Property
18 Access to funding and international trading
19 A balanced lifestyle

4. New York
Wales is a very distinctive country.
We’re constantly working to create the right
environment for business - to equip the
private sector in Wales with the tools
to compete as a high-value player in the
global economy.
The Welsh economy is built upon the
strengths and skills of our people and natural
environments, we’re a confident, creative
and ambitious nation; a great place to live
and work.
For years, our government has invested
millions in making our cities and regions
excellent bases for companies in all kinds of
sectors. And we’re incredibly proud of our
country – and more than anything we want
new people to come and share some of the
great things going on here.
We’ve got a way of making things happen in
Wales. For example, when we set out to be
the host nation for The 2010 Ryder Cup, we
were up against England, Sweden and even
Scotland, the home of golf.
But, we clinched it. Why? In Wales, our
facilities, resources, skills and enthusiasm are
well above par. And we’re always ready to go
the extra mile – just so your business can play
to win in Wales.
You can be part of a thriving knowledge
economy, linked to key UK business hubs with
a first class transport infrastructure, but pay
less for some of the best property around.
You get access to industry-focused R&D in our
universities and a skilled, loyal workforce too.
Our rich and varied culture and stunning
environment not only make Wales the perfect
place to grow your business but also to enjoy
an enviable lifestyle.
In the last 40 years, over 700 international
companies have located to Wales, creating
impressive supply chains across key
industrial sectors.
We look forward to welcoming you too.
welcome to Wales
2
Wales. Business opportunity
“We looked at various locations around
the UK and there were grants and
incentives available in all of them.
However, people are by far the biggest
factor in our business and we found a rich
vein of talented people in Cardiff, and city-
centre accommodation close to transport so
we could access those people. Wales ticked
all the boxes for us.”
Adrian Clark; site director for Legal
& General at Cardiff which is now
the largest office in the group with
2,200 staff.

5. London
WALES
Dubai
Bangalore
Mumbai
Sydney
Tokyo
Beijing
Shanghai
Dublin
Manchester
Edinburgh
Airport
Wales
Container port
Liverpool
John Lennon
Liverpool
Cardiff
Dublin
Milford Haven
Bristol
London
Heathrow
Gatwick
Holyhead
Easy access within Europe
Cardiff Airport
Direct Flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin
Bristol Airport (1hr from Cardiff)
Direct flights to New York, Brussels,
Frankfurt, Canada
Heathrow and Gatwick
2hrs from Cardiff
Cardiff Container Port
Access to Ireland and Mediterranean ports,
with nearby Bristol (1hr) and Southampton
Container Ports (2.5hrs)
3
Location map: overseas offices

6. why Wales?
We strive to create the right environment for business,
and we’ve been actively helping companies locate and
prosper in Wales for decades. Here are just some of the
reasons why you could succeed in Wales:
10 Great reasons for Wales
1. Skills: Wales has a long
tradition of engineering and
manufacturing excellence, and
established capabilities in IT,
financial and professional services,
and technologies in sectors
ranging from life sciences to entire
low carbon economies. All this is
underpinned by a highly skilled,
loyal and competitive workforce
and driven forward by research
and thousands of graduates from
Wales’ leading universities.
2. Industry-led academic
research: Welsh universities and
companies are pioneering
tomorrow’s technology through
extensive collaboration.
3. Pro-business Government:
we’ll make sure policy and
strategy makers in the Welsh
Assembly Government listen
to you.
4. Proximity to UK hubs and
European Marketplace: as
well as being a destination in
itself, Wales gives you easy
access to key industry hubs in the
UK. With great roads, rail and air
links to England, Europe and to
the rest of the world.
5. Communications
infrastructure: our broadband
infrastructure includes a fibre-
based open access network in
North Wales, and the Welsh
Assembly Government has
committed to rolling out a next
generation broadband to all
businesses by 2016 and all
homes by 2020, offering at least
100Mbps in urban areas and
30Mbps to rural locations.
6. Property: competitively priced
commercial and industrial property,
with lower domestic property
prices than much of the UK.
7. Access to funding: we
encourage growth by finding the
right support for you, in areas such as
skills development, academic
collaboration and business expansion.
8. Industry networks: talk to
potential business partners, and
access a high quality supply chain.
9. Ongoing support: targeted
business support for key sectors
including: advanced materials and
manufacturing; creative industries;
financial and professional services;
energy and environment; ICT and
life sciences.
10. Exceptional quality of life:
stunning landscapes and beautiful
beaches, cultural and sports
facilities including the Millennium
Stadium (hosting international
rugby matches and FA Cup finals).
Wales. Business opportunity
4

7. 5
Atraverda - Advanced bi-polar batteries

8. 6
keeping good company
Your business will be in the very best of company
in Wales – some of the key universities and
organisations profiting from your presence in Wales.
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Wales. Business opportunity

9. M4
M50
Derby
Gaydon
Sunderland
Ellesmere Port
Halewood
Oxford
Swindon
London
M5
M4
Cwmbran
Bridgend
CARDIFF
Cardiff Airport
SWANSEA
Flint
Wrexham
Tredegar
Resolven
Llanelli
Crumlin
Ruthin
Deeside
Welshpool
St AsaphLLANDUDNO
Conwy
Newport
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12
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Abertillery 2
Pontypool
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Ebbw Vale
617
11 21
3 14
5
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19189
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20
10
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Swansea Airport
Pembrey Airport
Mid Wales Airport
M4
London
Manchester
M4
A55
Cwmbran
Pembroke
Bridgend
CARDIFF
Cardiff Airport
SWANSEA
Wrexham
Welshpool
Llandudno
Deeside
Broughton
Conwy
Newport
Aberystwyth
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7
13
19 11 14
14
1 12
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3
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13
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Pontyclun
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Llanberis
Holyhead
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Blackwood
Rhymney Valley
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Nantgarw 9
1620
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Swansea Airport
Pembrey Airport
Mid Wales Airport
M4
M50
Derby
Gaydon
Sunderland
Ellesmere Port
Halewood
Oxford
Swindon
London
M5
M4
Cwmbran
Bridgend
CARDIFF
Cardiff Airport
SWANSEA
Flint
Wrexham
Tredegar
Resolven
Llanelli
Crumlin
Ruthin
Deeside
Welshpool
St AsaphLLANDUDNO
Conwy
Newport
8
12
1
Abertillery 2
Pontypool
22
16
Ebbw Vale
617
11 21
3 14
5
7
19189
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20
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13
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Swansea Airport
Pembrey Airport
Mid Wales Airport
Universities
Aberystwyth University
Bangor University
Cardiff University
Glynd ^wr University
Swansea Metropolitan University
Swansea University
University of Glamorgan
University of Wales Institute Cardiff
University of Wales Newport
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10. 8
The Institute of Biological,
Environmental and Rural Sciences
at Aberystwyth University is
developing new commercially
viable processes to make ethanol
from perennial ryegrass in a
£1 million project with eight
industrial partners.
(The University has also won
£4.9 million from BBSRC to
develop improved oat varieties).
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
Wales. Business opportunity

11. 9
academic collaboration
In Wales you’ll find specialist organisations with
industry-leading facilities, and partners who are taking
the science forward with innovative techniques.
Wales’ academic institutions are
commercially focused, and research
driven. Perfectly placed to work with
businesses, our universities and
colleges provide access to the
facilities, skills and research expertise
that are so crucial to innovating and
making technologies a commercial
success. And through targeted
support programmes, the Welsh
Assembly Government is ensuring
that businesses remain at the
forefront of technology and
manufacturing development.
And we’re always looking for
ways to bring academic skills and
industrial needs closer together.
Our approach includes working
with academia to build capacity
and support the needs of
businesses in the key sectors.
With the provision of specialist
facilities, including incubation
centres we will continue to provide
the environment to accelerate the
growth of technology and
knowledge-based businesses.
A £40million super computer
project has been launched that
will give business and universities
in Wales access to the most
advanced computing technology
currently available. High
Performance Computing (HPC)
Wales will provide computers that
can analyse massive amounts of
data at a high speed. The main
computer hubs will be in Cardiff
and Swansea universities with links
to others and Technium business
innovation centres around Wales.
More than 100 collaborative
projects between the universities
and industry in Wales have been
identified that will benefit from
HPC technology.
Simulation and Modelling
The internationally renowned School of Engineering at
Swansea University contributed to the aerodynamics
technology in the current World Land Speed Record
car, Thrust SSC. It’s now working on the BLOODHOUND
SCC vehicle, which aims to inspire science, engineering,
technology and maths students to achieve the
seemingly impossible – a 1,000mph land speed
record vehicle. www.bloodhound.scc.com

12. 10
The Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) has
£40 million funding so far to conduct a full range of
energy research in Wales, with a vision for a low
carbon future.
The Institute of Energy at Cardiff University is
working in low carbon heat and electricity generation,
and exploring ways of integrating renewable energy
sources (including microgeneration) into the UK National
Grid. The ongoing project takes in the information
exchange between the supply and demand side, smart
meters and how they can facilitate demand-side
response, and ICT infrastructure.
The Centre for Solar Energy Research is a
joint venture between Glynd ^wr University and Technium
OpTic, funded to enable businesses to research industrial
processes for PV manufacture, among other areas.
Cardiff University’s Wound Healing Research Unit
(WHRU) is the world’s second largest specialist
wound healing centre. It works with commercial
partners such as Smith & Nephew, Johnson &
Johnson and KCI on novel therapies and wound
diagnostic technologies.
The Materials Research Centre at the School
of Engineering Swansea University is home to the
Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre. Rolls-Royce
and the EPSRC have funded the centre for £54 million
for research into structural materials and training. The
Centre is also involved in the European Space Agency,
where they are a key member of the IMPRESS project,
researching novel intermetallic materials.
The Welsh Composite Centre also at Swansea
University drives the uptake of new composites
technology that helps companies adapt new
Here’s some examples of
collaboration across the key sectors:
developments in composites. They are presently
working in collaboration with Airbus, who are
characterising the performance of composite
materials for primary aircraft structures.
The Non-destructive Testing Validation Centre
in Port Talbot, managed by TWI, assesses NDT
methods to improve the accuracy of inspection
techniques and flow detection.
The University of Wales, Swansea’s new £28 million
Institute of Advanced Telecommunications
connects business to its communications and
software research.
The Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural
Industries, at University of Glamorgan has been
successful in winning over £1 million worth of
competitive Academia for Business (A4B) awards
for Medialab, the centre for digital media innovation
and enterprise.
Cardiff University collaborates with Legal &
General to run a specialist medical underwriting
academy, which has already trained over 100 of
the firm’s underwriters.
Wales. Business opportunity

13. 11
Solar Centre at Baglan Energy Park
At Baglan Energy Park we’ve invested over £2 million
in the UK’s first renewable hydrogen production and
demonstration centre to take hydrogen and other
alternative fuel technologies to market.
The Institute of Life Science (ILS) at
Swansea University is a £52 million collaboration
between IBM and the Welsh Assembly
Government. The Institute houses Boots Centre
for Innovation (BCI) which provides a point of
contact for new ideas in healthcare and medical
research and provides researchers with access to
‘Blue C’ – one of the fastest computers in the
world dedicated to life sciences research.

14. 12
Manufacturing is one of our
longest-established sectors,
and today our companies and
universities are developing
advanced materials for a range
of sectors including aerospace,
automotive and electronics,
and the complex manufacturing
processes for their applications.
Some of the world’s biggest
aerospace and defence companies
have bases in Wales, including
General Dynamics, EADS DS, BAE
Systems and British Airways. Wales
undertakes 35 per cent of the
UK’s MRO activity at some of the
world’s most advanced facilities.
The Airbus UK wing manufacture
centre is the biggest manufacturing
operation in the UK. St Athan has
exceptional airside hangarage
Cytec Engineered Materials
produces high-performance,
composites and specialty
materials for Boeing,
Airbus, as well as other
aircraft manufacturers. The
company has applied the
same technology to the
high performance end of the
automotive industry.
key sectors:
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
and a completely refurbished
runway – it’s also a proposed site
for the MoD’s Defence Training
Academy. Our automotive sector
employs over 20,000 people
and has an annual turnover of
£2 billion. Wales is close to the
UK’s core automotive centres,
and 35 of the top 100 global
automotive suppliers are based
here, including Ford and Toyota.
Our 170 automotive companies
manufacture engines and
components for brands leading the
world in advanced powertrains.
We have particular expertise
in alternative fuels hydrogen
research and technology, and we’re
pioneering low carbon powertrains.
The M4 motorway corridor, leading
into South Wales, is set to be
the UK’s first low carbon highway,
where drivers can fill up vehicles with
hydrogen, compressed natural gas
and bio-methane, as well as recharge
electric vehicles at plug-in points.
Global electronics brands are also
tapping into our skills and resources.
Sony, Panasonic and International
Rectifier are just three of the 300-plus
larger electronic companies operating
in Wales.
A skilled workforce is any company’s
most important asset and with
thousands of people in Wales already
working in manufacturing and
advanced materials – not to mention
2,000+ engineering graduates every
year from Welsh universities - there is
a wealth of talent upon which to draw.
Wales. Business opportunity

15. 13
The UK has the largest creative
sector in the EU with 2 million
people in creative jobs. It now
makes up 7.3 per cent of the
economy and is growing at 5 per
cent per year (almost twice the
general rate of the economy).
In Wales, the audio-visual and
creative and cultural industries
employ around 24,000 people
and contribute an estimated £750
million to the Welsh economy.
BBC Wales, Tinopolis and Welsh
language channel S4C are amongst
the largest employers in the
creative industries sector in Wales.
The Welsh Assembly Government is
making Wales a better environment
for business following the 2010
image courtesy of Universal
Whilst many locations in Wales
are hidden gems waiting to be
discovered by film makers, the
country has hosted many large-
scale productions over recent
years including feature films such
as Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 1, Robin Hood,
Ironclad, Clash of the Titans, and
many more. Coupled with this,
Wales is booming as a centre for
TV drama with the success of such
series as Doctor Who, Torchwood,
Merlin and Gavin and Stacey, all
attracting huge viewing figures in
the UK and overseas.
Creative Industries
Hargreaves Review,
which aims to make creative
businesses more competitive
nationally and globally.
Our key resources include locations
for film and television productions.
Wales has a stunning variety
of natural landscape locations
ranging from craggy mountain
peaks and cascading waterfalls
to wild moorlands, picturesque
coastline and historic castles in
approximately 8,000 square miles.
Wales’ locations are so versatile
that they have doubled for China,
Korea, the deserts of Arabia, and
even other planets.
And it’s so accessible - our capital
city, Cardiff, is only two hours
by car or train from London
and Cardiff Airport connects
you to continental Europe and
international destinations.
On behalf of the Welsh Assembly
Government, Creative Business
Wales provides focused,
sophisticated support to the growth
of Wales-based creative businesses.
Part of this is the Wales Screen
Commission, which offers
comprehensive information and
support on locations, facilities,
crew and local services throughout
Wales. They are strategically linked
to all the key stakeholders including
Finance Wales which administers
the Wales Creative IP Fund.

16. 14
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Neath
Swansea
Llanelli
Merthyr Tydfil
Pontypridd
Newport
Bristol
Barry
Port
Talbot
Bridgend
CARDIFF
Welsh Assembly Government highways depots
Proposed EV facility (rapid charge)
Renewable H2 Demonstration Centre with existing multi re-fuelling facility1
University of Glamorgan mobile multi re-fuelling facility (2010)2
Existing hydrogen production facilities
Possible sites for mobile multi fuel facility
Wales has one of the UK’s
best-established sustainable
technologies sectors, worth £3.2
billion and employing over 40,000
people, covering areas as diverse
as sustainable building, renewable
energy, recovery and recycling, and
environmental services.
Global players are already taking
advantage of the abounding
natural and intellectual resources in
Wales, such as npower renewables,
E.On, EDF, Prenergy, Western
Energy, UPM and AMEC.
Welsh coal powered the industrial
revolution, but today we’re taking
a leading role in low carbon and
sustainable energy such as wind,
tide, hydro-electric and biomass.
“Wales is leading the way in
tackling climate change and we
will continue to be a flagship for
what we hope will be the start
of a major move away from the
use of fossil fuels for transport
and in buildings.”
Jane Davidson
Welsh Assembly
Government, Minister for
the Environment
Energy and Environment
Our groundbreaking research into
hydrogen technologies has won
South Wales designation as the UK’s
Low Carbon Economic Area (LCEA)
for alternative transport fuels.
As a country we’re committed to
becoming a low carbon economy
and we’ve set ourselves targets,
well beyond the UK and EU’s, to get
there. We’re also making substantial
investments to help deliver and
implement technology such as
£30 million in retrofitting energy
efficiency measures in buildings.
We’re also equipping more of
our people to work in sustainable
technologies: the new British
Gas Training Centre in Tredegar
will train over a thousand people
in green skills every year, and our
universities produce graduates
in disciplines such as low carbon
technologies, renewable energy,
marine sciences, environmental
science and the built environment.
In Wales, policy strategy, investment,
research and business go hand-
in-hand. With more investment
and commercial opportunities
(potentially £50 billion for large
renewables and other low-carbon
electricity projects over the next 10-
15 years), there’s good reason to be
in Wales.
Wales. Business opportunity

17. 15
“Admiral is going from strength
to strength as our recruitment
figures show. Our customer base
continues to grow so we need the
right people to help meet
the demand.”
Ceri Assiratti,
People Services Manager,
Admiral Group who employ over
3,000 people in Cardiff, Swansea
and Newport and includes the well
known services, confused.com and
elephant.co.uk
Financial and Professional Services
Wales is just two hours’ drive
from Europe’s leading financial
powerhouse in London. It’s
a very cost-competitive base
that’s equipped with super-fast
broadband infrastructure, and
there are big opportunities for
growth in areas such as insurance,
asset management, funds
management and pensions as the
UK banking industry is restructured.
One of our greatest strengths is
our human resources, and there’s
a wealth of skilled, enthusiastic
and loyal people especially
around the financial and business
hubs of Cardiff, Newport and
Swansea. Our 10 universities
produce around 5,000 graduates
in business and ICT disciplines
that are tailor-made for careers in
business and financial services.
This is one of the UK’s fastest
growing locations for financial
services, and, according to new
research, the preferred location for
contact and shared service centres
in the UK. In Wales, home-grown
businesses compete alongside
major financial services firms such
as Zurich, GE, GMAC, HBOS, Lloyds
TSB, HSBC and Legal & General,
whose largest UK office is in Cardiff.
We have a growing reputation
for strengths in outsourced
HR, legal and other corporate
services. Tesco, the AA, British
Gas, Companies House and the
Office of National Statistics have
established business service
operations in Wales, and price
comparison businesses including
confused.com. gocompare.com
and moneysupermarket.com are
also based here.
The financial services sector
currently employs more than
32,000 people across 1,800
companies in Wales, and
professional services over 150
companies covering retail, utilities,
ICT support and financial services
to motoring services, taxation and
legal services.

18. 16
In addition to being an important
industry sector, the application
of ICT drives productivity and
competitiveness across the
whole economy. Increased trade
and globalisation is enabled by
ICT, creating a flatter world with
more competition and more
opportunities for Welsh businesses.
The ICT sector in Wales spans
electronics, software and
services with a healthy mix of
large multinationals and home-
grown businesses. With over
1200 operations – among them
Fujitsu Services, BT, Mitel, Logica,
EADS DS, SAIC, and IBM –
employing over 33,000 people and
contributing around £1 billion to
the Welsh economy.
“Two key factors made the
difference – access to skills
and the approach of the Welsh
Assembly Government. The ability
to draw on high calibre university
graduates has been a significant
contributor to our growth.”
Mike Greenway OBE; Senior
Commercial Consultant, EADS
Defence and Security. Since
establishing a base in Wales in
2002 the company has tripled
in size and become a worldwide
Centre of Excellence for secure
communications technology.
Information and Communications Technologies
We know that technology business
depends on infrastructure –
which is why the Welsh Assembly
Government has recently
committed to rolling out the UK’s
first, all region, next generation
network which will offer, as a
minimum to businesses by 2016
and homes by 2020, a synchronous
100mbs service in urban areas and
30mbs to rural locations. This is in
addition to previous investments
such as the £30 million open
access fibre network in North
Wales and BT’s own investment
in super fast broadband across
the country.
There’s another kind of connection
that’s also behind the success
of this sector in Wales. The M4
motorway is a physical highway that
runs from London to West Wales,
with countless technology players
right the way along it, for example in
Reading, Bracknell, Swindon and of
course Cardiff, from where London
is just two hours away.
This kind of connectivity makes
Wales a perfect base for tapping into
Europe’s £400 billion ICT economy.
Wales. Business opportunity

19. 17
Wales is competing on the
global stage in life sciences.
Our companies and world-
leading university departments
are driving research to create
new technologies in this
constantly evolving sector.
Companies based here include
some leading players in our
specialist areas such as: medical
technology (Biomet UK,
Huntleigh and Gyrus ACMI, an
Olympus company); diagnostics
(Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics,
Gen-Probe and OrthoClinical
Diagnostics); wound healing
(ConvaTec, ZooBiotic and
Frontier Medical Group); and
contract research organisations
(Aptuit, Biotec Services
International and Penn Pharma).
“What’s happening here in Wales
is comparable to many biotech
hubs around the world, with a
concentration of expertise and
R&D excellence.”
Dr. Stephen Minger, Head
of Research and Development
for Cell Technologies at GE
Healthcare, Cardiff, home to the
Company’s international centre for
groundbreaking work in stem
cell technologies.
Life Sciences
GE Healthcare in Cardiff is home to
the company’s international centre
for groundbreaking work in stem
cell technologies and BTG, the UK’s
biggest biotechnology group, is
based in mid-west Wales. Wales
also has the UK’s largest cluster
of in-vitro diagnostic companies,
and other leading companies in
Wales include Albany Molecular
Research, Inc. (AMRI), Quay
Pharma and Quotient Bioresearch.
These are just some of the 330
life sciences companies here
that employ over 15,000 people
and contribute more than £1.3
billion to the Welsh economy.
The sector has grown in Wales by
over 19 per cent in the last three
years, and the people working
here are some of the finest
scientific minds in the world.
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
Products Ltd relocated the majority
of its manufacturing and distribution
operations from Los Angeles to
their Llanberis, North Wales site.
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics is
drawing on a rich mixture of
scientists, engineers and quality
and regulatory personnel in South
Wales and from the M4 corridor.
Biomet, global leader in the
orthopaedics market, have their
largest European subsidiary
and UK headquarters in
Bridgend, South Wales.
Larval therapy firm ZooBiotic
was the first spin-out from an
NHS trust in the UK and is now
the dominant global player.

20. 18
your partner for growth
Based on this experience we’ve put
together an outstanding package
of support, and we’ll give you a
single, dedicated contact to help
you build your business here.
The Welsh Assembly Government
gives you easy access to key
decision-makers in government
and private sector specialists,
to help fast-track your location
to Wales.
Of course, every business is
different. So we’ll listen to what
you say you need and bring
together everything required to
make it happen. From people and
property solutions, through to
access to finance and international
trading opportunities. We can even
help with obtaining work permits,
finding a home and locating the
right schools.
Long after you decide to locate in
Wales, we will still be here to
support your business. Because
once you’re here, we’re sure you’ll
want to stay.
People and training
A skilled workforce is among a
company’s most important assets.
Fortunately, in Wales we’ve got
thousands of skilled, loyal staff
in all our core sectors, and our
universities supply over 34,000
graduates every year. With our
track record of academic-industrial
collaboration, our graduates are
ready to join your company and
hit the ground running. Once
you’ve worked in Wales, generally
In Wales we know what inward investors need, and
the commercial pressures you face - we’ve been
helping companies locate here for decades.
you’ll want to stay. That explains
why staff retention is higher than
the UK average into the potential
labour market.
We want to keep it that way. To help
things along, the Welsh Assembly
Government’s ProAct is a financial
support package to help fund
training needs during the downturn,
which with its successor the Skills
Growth Wales, totals £48 million.
Wales. Business opportunity
“Ford Motor Company are
delighted to have worked in
partnership with the Welsh
Assembly Government. The support
received has enabled the Company
to invest significantly in our
Bridgend engine plant and
demonstrates the mutual benefit
when the public and private sector
join forces in Wales.”
Kieran Cahill, Plant Manager,
Ford. The company has been
successfully manufacturing in
South Wales for over 30 years. Its
Bridgend engine plant – the biggest
in Europe – is focused on the Eco
Boost range offering a 20 per cent
reduction in emissions.

21. 19
Llanelli Gate Business Park

22. 20
“The most important
factors behind our decision
to come to Wales were
lower operating costs, good
logistics, the quality of
training available and the
skilled workforce right on
our doorstep.”
Martin Coysh, Manager
Continuous Improvement,
British Airways
Maintenance Cardiff
(BAMC).
The capacity of the site
will allow BAMC to take on
further work as new aircrafts
come on line with BA.
Property
Wales has an exceptional variety
of business property – from
serviced offices and industrial
units, to incubator facilities linked
to academic R&D arms, and even
property with runway access or
dedicated airspace.
Baglan Energy Park is a key hub
in Wales’ low carbon future
as it’s home to the Hydrogen
Research Centre. SA1 in Swansea
accommodates mixed business
uses in a regenerated waterfront
setting that’s become an EU best
practice benchmark. Roath Basin in
Cardiff Bay is a beautifully designed
commercial development that’s
ideal for media, creative and life
sciences businesses.
Our sites are among the best in
Europe: ParcAberporth is Europe’s
only test and development site
for unmanned aerial vehicles with
dedicated over-sea and over-
land civil and military fly zones;
St. Athan has exceptional airside
hangarage and a completely
refurbished runway – it’s also
a proposed site for the MOD’s
Defence Training Academy.
We have several innovation centres
across Wales. They exist to speed
up the growth of knowledge-based
businesses through collaboration
with other companies and
university departments. Individual
sites specialise in areas such
as performance engineering,
optoelectronics, software computer
science, sustainable technologies
and electronic devices.
We have the most experienced
property team in Europe, and
they’re dedicated to finding
you your ideal base. You may
also be eligible to access free
accommodation and a specialist
support package worth nearly
£15,000, through Access Wales:
www.ibwales.com/accesswales
Another thing we’ve got plenty of
in Wales is space, which means we
can meet your expansion plans
in the future, for example with
custom-built property solutions
that deliver exactly what you need.
You might think all this comes at a
high price. But property in Wales
is among the lowest priced in the
UK, with Cardiff office space some
40 per cent less than London.
And our capital city is rated in the
top 10 best UK cities to locate a
business (source: 2007 Cushman &
Wakefield UK Cities Monitor).
Amazon approached us to find a 30-acre (800,000 sq ft) site,
and from the initial enquiry we took just 100 days to find the
site, secure planning and grant approval and start building.
Wales. Business opportunity

23. 21
Access to funding
Financial support is often a
critical factor for businesses
on the move. We encourage
business growth by identifying
sources of support and funding
in areas such as skills development,
academic collaboration and
business expansion.
Businesses in Wales can access
commercial finance from a variety
of sources. A number of financial
institutions operate in Wales such
as Finance Wales who provides
commercial finance through loans,
venture capital packages and
introductions to investors through
their xénos Business Angel Network.
The Welsh Assembly Government
can provide a level of investment
across sectors including: advanced
materials and manufacturing;
creative industries; financial and
professional services; energy
and environment; ICT and life
sciences. These investment will be
repayable although the terms will
vary depending on the purpose
and size of the financial package.
Consideration will be given to
businesses falling in other sectors
on a case by case basis, delivered
swiftly and responsively.
International trading
Companies across Wales are
exporting to a broad range of
overseas markets, contributing
some £10.7 billion to UK exports.
Part of our support is helping
you add to that by accessing
international markets.
With our global network and
contacts we’ll do whatever we
can to help you - whether it’s
establishing your presence at a
trade show, or connecting you to
a potential global partner that’s
looking for your kind of business.
Parc Aberporth site – over-sea and over-land fly zone

24. Throughout the country there are stunning
landscapes and breathtaking coastal views,
all within minutes of the major towns and cities.
The country boasts sports and cultural
facilities that stand comparison with
anything in Europe. This includes the
showpiece Millennium Stadium which has
hosted an IRB Rugby World Cup final and
five FA Cup finals and the awe inspiring
Wales Millennium Centre, venue for major
operas, musicals and other
top performances.
a balanced lifestyle
Once you’re satisfied that Wales meets all your business
objectives, consider what it offers your lifestyle.
There are nearly 180 golf courses across
Wales, including The Celtic Manor Resort –
host of The 2010 Ryder Cup.
Moreover Wales has more medieval castles
than any location of comparable size in the
world, along with a host of other historic
sites, from the Iron Age through
to the industrial revolution.
All of this makes Wales a place where
you and your team will want to live,
work and build a profitable business.
22
Wales. Business opportunity

25. 23

26. 24
Wales. Business opportunity
“Quite apart from the support
network and the workforce,
other elements, such as the
infrastructure, transport
links and even the Welsh
landscape make this location
a perfect environment for us
to do business. As far as I am
concerned, there is nowhere
else the company should be.”
John Smith
General Manager, Corporate
Office, Calsonic Kansei.

28. For more information contact:
Welsh Assembly Government,
Plas Glyndwr, Kingsway,
Cardiff, CF10 3AH, Wales, UK
Email: ibwales@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Web: www.ibwales.com
Tel: +44(0)1443 845500
WAG 10-03359/23-08-2010/CMK-22-03-253
Typeset in 12pt / © Crown copyright 2010ISBN No. 978 0 7504 5654 8