Investment by foreign businesses into the South West rose last year despite the pandemic in contrast to a fall for the UK as a whole. According to a new report by accountancy group EY, the South West achieved a 6.7% increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in 2020 – up by two to...
The region’s largest business group has urged the Prime Minister to help create a more sustainable future for business at this weekend’s G7 summit in Cornwall. The British Chambers of Commerce South West (BCCSW) – which includes Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative parent group Business West – has written to Boris Johnson ahead of the global gathering...
Specialist pharmaceutical firm Vectura, which has its roots in a spin-out from the University of Bath, has agreed to be taken over by global private equity giant Carlyle for £958m. The approach by Carlyle has been approved by Vectura’s board. Chairman Bruno Angelici said while the firm’s directors remained confident in its long-term fundamentals,...
Swindon businesses are being urged to join hundreds of employers from across the UK by taking part in the country’s largest survey of race in the workplace. Swindon-headquartered building society Nationwide and insurance group Zurich have already signed up to complete the survey, which is being staged by Business in the Community (BiTC), the organisation dedicated to...
The Covid-19 pandemic has been affecting us all for more than a year now. My fellow regional agents and I know that those businesses that rely heavily on being able to have customers visit them in person – for instance, the hospitality and tourism sectors right across the South West – have been particularly...
The South West is England’s top region for business innovation, according to a new report by the CBI – but it faces challenges over its low productivity and skills gap. The CBI report also reveals that low levels of unemployment and short commuting times compared to other parts of England gives the South West...
Business West, the region’s largest business group, has used the ratification of UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) to renew its plea for help for firms hit by Brexit-related red tape. The TCA, the blueprint for free trade between following the UK’s departure from the EU, had been signed on December 30 last year...
Small business confidence has staged a dramatic recovery in the South West, according to the results of a new survey, as firms look head to life after lockdown. The latest quarterly survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), conducted among its members last month, reveals levels of optimism not seen for nearly seven...
Time is running out to register for Swindon Business News’ exclusive webinar aimed at helping business owners and leaders thrive during these uncertain time. Staged with business development and growth consultants Tinderbox , Brave New World – Leading Through Uncertainty will be a one-hour interactive and thought-provoking presentation. It takes place this Thursday, April 29, from 9:30am to 10:30am....
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Swindon’s small and medium-sized manufacturers and their efforts to overcome it will be revealed when the results of the largest survey of its kind are published next month. The city’s manufacturers are being urged to take part in the research, which will also gauge their confidence levels...
