NEWS & EVENTS
Local News
IT and creative businesses flock to Cornwall
13 March 2007
Cornwall Pure Business, the county's inward investment body, has seen a significant increase in IT, web and design companies moving into Cornwall. The first quarter of 2007 has seen an unprecedented number of businesses relocating to the county, bringing the total number of businesses Cornwall Pure Business has assisted to over sixty in the past three years.
Commenting on the increase in activity, Lucy Thom, Inward Investment Manager said:
"With improved IT communications and the move towards flexible working, more and more businesses are choosing Cornwall as their business location. When we ask "why Cornwall?" the majority identify the county's thriving creative business community and effective networks as well as the opportunity to work in an inspirational environment."
Many of the businesses in the IT and creative sectors start out at the smaller end of the market, but despite the huge diversity of talent, the one thing they all have in common is their great ambition for growth and in the majority of cases additional staff are recruited within the first 12 months of trading in the county. As the demand for design and ICT is high both within the county and across the UK, this trend looks set to continue.
Lucy added: "The businesses we work with often comment that they want to put something back into the county, in addition to continuing to work on their national and international portfolio of clients. Recruitment is essential for growth and businesses are benefiting from the talent already in Cornwall. This has been enhanced further through partnership initiatives such as the Combined Universities of Cornwall, which are producing more skilled employees in the IT and creative sectors. "
Examples of recent businesses new to Cornwall include: AG Design, specialists in web, packaging and graphic design; Channel Computing, providers of IT solutions; Into Art, which delivers web design and content management systems; and Richard Quick Design, whose expertise is web and graphic design.
Notes to Editors
- Out of the sixty relocated businesses to Cornwall - 59% are in the IT, media and creative sectors.
Cornwall Pure Business
Cornwall Pure Business (CPB) is designed as a red carpet service to target and attract inward investment in key sectors through a co-ordinated one stop service for businesses. The service helps relocators to source locations and business premises; grants and loans; secure IT, telecoms and broadband and provides advice on recruitment, training and education. Additionally, CPB is able to facilitate meetings with key personnel in local and regional institutions who can provide businesses with valuable input and further support. Cornwall Pure Business, is a service of Cornwall Enterprise and jointly funded by European Objective One and Cornwall County Council.
Cornwall Pure Business is a service of Cornwall Enterprise