Advanced Logistics Essex’s strategic access makes it a powerhouse for national logistics. Situated between two of the UK’s busiest freeports, it is the only county in the UK with two international airports. With direct links to London, Cambridge, Kent, and Suffolk by car and train, and a coastal geographical advantage for offshore energy, Essex is uniquely positioned for success. Since 2016, we have seen 45 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, with transport and logistics outperforming all other sectors and accounting for 36% of all projects. This includes the likes of Amazon establishing a distribution facility in Tilbury with 1,500 staff, and Ryanair investing over £228 million into transport and logistics in Rochford.
Advanced Manufacturing Essex is home to the second largest cluster of advanced manufacturing and engineering companies in the UK, hosting 4,205 businesses and employing approximately 47,000 employees. The advanced manufacturing sector contributes significantly to the local economy, generating £2.162 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022. Essex is home to some of the UK’s most advanced manufacturers such as Raytheon UK, Leonardo, Teledyne e2v, New Holland, BAE Systems, Ford, and Europlaz. Additionally, the Essex Innovation Programme (EIP) allows manufacturers to start developing their ideas and grow, and the Essex Manufacturing Alliance will allow them to collaborate with each other at regular events.
Digitech The DigiTech base of Essex consists of around 5,270 businesses and employs over 20,000 people. Essex has an incredibly diverse range of DigiTech businesses, active across every possible market/sector, collectively generating £1.27 billion in GVA in 2022. Both the University of Essex and Anglia Ruskin University specialise in computer sciences and information technology, with the University of Essex boasting a Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme which was ranked number one in the country.
Clean Energy and Infrastructure Essex is at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, with initiatives like the GENERATE programme and partnerships with Hydrogen East. The county is driving decarbonisation efforts, including onshore wind, solar projects, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production. The energy sector in Essex generated £149 million in GVA in 2022. Key infrastructure projects include the Thames Enterprise Park, Five Estuaries, North Falls offshore wind farms. We’re home to Haltermann Carless, and partners with Generate Hydrogen East and the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR).
Healthcare and Life Sciences Located at the heart of the London-Stansted-Cambridge Innovation Corridor, Essex is a leading hub for life sciences and healthcare technologies. The life sciences sector contributed approximately £335 million in GVA in 2022. The county offers state-of-the-art research facilities and science parks, attracting companies like Teledyne e2v. With over 2,000 life science enterprises, Essex provides access to world-class talent and collaborative networks. We’re home to Teledyne e2v and Chesterford Research Park.
Creative Essex is home to a vibrant and historic creative industry that has significantly contributed to the UK’s cultural heritage and collectively generated £1 billion in GVA in 2022. We are the birthplace of genre-defining bands such as Depeche Mode, innovators like The Prodigy, and exciting new acts like Nothing But Thieves. We have hosted some of the UK’s largest festivals, been the backdrop of some of your favourite films and TV shows, and we’re home to renowned arts organisations such as the Mercury Theatre, Cliffs Pavillion, and Firstsite. Essex also boasts a fast-growing gaming ecosphere, with the likes of Dlala Studios and Sketchbook Games gaining international notoriety. We are also home to Matchroom Sports, LimboTech, BATCAM, and many, many more.
Financial and Professional Services Essex offers a robust financial and professional services sector, supported by excellent infrastructure and proximity to London. The county is home to a diverse range of businesses, from large corporations to innovative startups.
Supporting Essex's key sectors Essex is committed to helping these future growth sectors prosper. The county is actively supporting the creation of skills to enable business growth and is tackling barriers to sector growth.
Ge Jing Inward Investment Officer Building partnership with private and public organizations; working with partners to develop promotion channels and activities; handling investment inquiries. View Bio Ge Jing Inward Investment Officer Over 10 years experience of working with businesses and organizations to foster partnership and develop international exchange programme; specialist in China market.
Karthik Durgaprasad Inward Investment Manager Able to assist with moving your business to Essex by helping you find the right location and contacts and advise on the process. View Bio Karthik Durgaprasad Inward Investment Manager Karthik is a senior economic development and management consultant with the right skillsets to take on challenging projects in demanding business environments. Armed with the right experience, he can think strategically, understand project objectives, team play, manage stakeholders and execute projects in innovation, business transformation and inward investment seamlessly. An emotionally intelligent and effective communicator who can articulate complex issues with stakeholders to achieve success. These diverse skills, a network of high-level contacts have been acquired and developed over 21 years of experience in the UK and overseas. Specialisations and Strengths 1. Economic Development, International trade and Inward investment 2. Business development, account management & management consultancy 3.Smart city projects, Cleantech and Innovation management 4.Strategic Partnership Development & Stakeholder Engagement 5. Project Management, Public Sector & procurement Karthik brings hands-on experience to any organisation that is in the process of business transformation. He can contribute towards business success through his experience, innovation, contacts, commitment and solutions-driven behaviour. To discuss about your organisational growth needs contact Karthik via LinkedIn.
Lin Perry Inward Investment Officer Inward Investment Officer who specialises in investable projects View Bio Lin Perry Inward Investment Officer Lin is an experienced project manager and she has been working in the field of international investment, M&A, Technology transfer for more than 15 years and she has rich knowledge of international investment, M&A between the UK and China. Prior to her services to British local government, she worked for Chinese local government focusing on inward investment in coal mines and metal ores, wind farms and power plants. She is an specialist for investment from Chinese companies. Lin now has been working for International Trade Team for more than a decade, working on inward investment promotion and leads generation. She is a brilliant networker and good at establishing new connections. Lin is good at understanding and managing stakeholder’s expectation, steering the conversation, controlling the negotiation process. She is also a UK qualified interpreter for public sector interpreting and translation.
