The best of British technology, which includes a Nuneaton-based
firm that is developing innovative products for partially-sighted
people and an eco-friendly F3 racing car designed by the University
of Warwick, has been showcasing its strengths at
TechnologyWorld09.
The two-day trade event, which took place at the Ricoh Arena in
Coventry, is described as 'speed dating' for global ICT companies
enabling them to connect to like-minded people and international
business partners. The aim was to enable businesses to develop
relationships with potential international partners. It also
provided a unique platform for ICT companies in The Heart of
England to cement their position as leaders in the field.
To promote the strength of offering in the region, Advantage
West Midlands hosted a stand to highlight the benefits of
relocating to The Heart of England.
Jane Holmes, International Investment Manager from Advantage
West Midlands, comments: "There are more than 3,000 ICT companies
in The Heart of England, employing 57,000 people. TechnologyWorld09
provided us with the opportunity to raise awareness of this wealth
of knowledge and experience in the region and the benefits of doing
business here. Last year's TechnologyWorld generated more
than £30 million of reported potential business wins and
we're keen to make sure that The Heart of England gets a slice
moving forward."
Relocating to the Heart of England
Companies who have already relocated to The Heart of England
were invited to the Advantage West Midland's Heart of England stand
to talk about their experiences and encourage other companies to
set-up in the region.
beforeUdig is one such company who received help from Advantage
West Midlands when it chose Warwickshire as its UK base. First
established in 2002 in Australia, beforeUdig uses computer software
to locate underground assets on building sites, giving the
contractor or excavator one less thing to worry about.
Australian born Marcus Edwards has been speaking to delegates at
TechnologyWorld09 about the two main reasons why he selected The
Heart of England for its UK base - the good transportation links,
which offer easy access to most of the country and low set-up and
operating costs, as Marcus explains:
"When we investigated the costs of setting up our UK base, the
Heart of England proved to offer the best value for money. We could
get everything we needed but at a fraction of the cost that we
would have paid in other parts of the country. Rental costs for
premises were cheaper and with the cost of living less than in many
other parts of the UK, it meant that opting for the Heart of
England was an easy decision to make."
The excellent transportation links and low set-up costs are also
matched by a wealth of skill and talent, nurtured at the region's
first rate universities, a number of which were also at
TechnologyWorld09, highlighting their innovative research
projects.
Robbie Beak, International Investment Manager from Advantage
West Midlands adds, "TechnologyWorld09 provided us with a great
chance to meet hundreds of people from the global ICT industry all
under one roof. By holding the event in Coventry, companies got to
see for themselves how highly connected and enterprising The Heart
of England is.
"Advantage West Midlands can help connect businesses to the
region, making sure that they can access the help and investment
which is most appropriate to their needs and enjoy available grants
and incentive schemes from local and national government
bodies."