confidently growing

The business heart of the Thames Valley

One of the most dynamic economies in the UK, Reading is at the heart of the south east economy, with pre-recession GVA predicted to grow at 3.5% per annum to 2026 (source Experian, Jan 2009). One of the five most recession-resilient ‘cities’ in the UK, according to the Centre for Cities, Reading has weathered the worst of the economic downturn and was awarded the accolade of ‘best European city for infrastructure’ (out of 232) in the Financial Times’ Foreign Direct Investment awards for 2010.

A key factor in this success is its high–value knowledge economy, which is based on varied sectors but primarily the three Is - IT, Investment and Insurance. This is built around international blue chip investment and Reading is home to corporations such as Verizon Business, Cisco, Prudential, Symantec, Microsoft, Oracle and LogicaCMG, to name but a few.