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Rotherham – business benefits today from investment in IT’s tomorrow
The Yorkshire borough of Rotherham, with its reputation built on steel and coal, might seem an odd choice of location for companies whose innovation and IT skills are shaping the future of the British economy.
Yet there is a fascinating and thriving IT sector, benefiting from Rotherham’s business-friendly environment. And that is just one of the many surprises this 306km2 (118-square-mile) borough has to offer.
Its IT fields range from blood-testing software offering screening for 200,000 people a day in a bio-terrorism attack, to thermocouples, security and sonic monitoring equipment for machinery and life-saving technology for hospital nursing stations. Many others use the latest IT in processes and production.
The sector is receiving two major boosts that will see the borough become a hub for high-tech, IT and related R&D and manufacturing developments. The projects are in the town centre and in two Strategic Economic Zones – Dearne Valley SEZ and the South Yorkshire Technology Corridor, which flanks the M1.
The main development within the Corridor is a 40-hectare Advanced Manufacturing Park, being created in a pioneering partnership of regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward and landowner UK Coal. At its heart will be the Aerospace Manufacturing Research Centre, formed jointly by Boeing and the University of Sheffield. The Welding Institute and Castings Technology International are other potential occupants.
Yorkshire Forward is investing £12m in the Park, and Boeing is contributing to the £15m initial phase for the Centre.
Visibly better: Mediplan's Alex Hinchcliffe with the company's latest innovation,the touch-screen nurse-call system
Among the town centre projects is the £13m Moorgate Crofts, planned to house an e-commerce business park and a variety of “wired” business units. It will be on a high-profile 2.74-hectare site a few minutes drive from three M1 junctions.
“An encouraging factor for companies is that we give more than the usual support and help,” said the Manager of Rotherham Industrial Development Office, Richard Poundford. RiDO is Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council’s inward investment and business support arm. Its services include:
- Providing site and premises details tailor-made to companies’ requirements
- Taking them on viewing tours of those they’re interested in
- Information and guidance on issues ranging from planning and grants to recruitment and supply-chain contacts
- Even help in finding homes and schools and settling into the area
This is a borough that has regenerated its economy with remarkable energy, innovation and enterprise. Its 4,000 companies include about 80 from 23 countries. Many say it provides the right environment for investment and expansion.
Land and premises are ready and waiting, and at attractive prices. That also applies to homes – an important factor for executives and workforces considering moving into the borough.
EU Objective 1 funding, for all South Yorkshire, and the Government’s Tier One classification, provide the borough with Britain’s highest level of grant aid.
Apart from local authority support and much lower costs, there are many other benefits, including:
- Education and research – two universities are just minutes away in neighbouring Sheffield, and local colleges provide training
- Superb transport links – the M1 and M18 run through the borough, while the A1(M) and M62 are a short drive away, putting seaports, airports and major cities within easy reach
- A committed workforce, turning out high-quality production – frequently praised by employers
- And quality of life – your money goes further, the pace of life is more relaxed, and the borough is 70 per cent rural
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