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Location, locationWind Turbine at Green Park

Reading is perfectly located for access to Heathrow, London, the south coast and other keys areas of the country.  Long established as a major transport interchange for both rail and road, location has been a major factor in the ongoing success of Reading.

Our town is situated at the heart of the Thames Valley, widely regarded as one of the most important locations for inward investment in the UK.  

 

Competitive advantages of the Thames Valley include: 

  • strong and diverse business sectors including ICT, finance, distribution and pharmaceuticals

  • a workforce 50% more productive than the UK average

  • at the heart of the national and international transport networks

  • more than 55% of workforce qualified to degree standard

  • culturally diverse

  • excellent quality of life

  • over 29% of employment in knowledge economy sectors (against a UK average of 17%)

  • sub regional GVA predicted to grow at 20% above national averages to 2026

     

Powerhouse of the South EastChatham Place flats, Reading

In a wider context the south east region is the most important region outside London in economic terms, with nearly 16% of UK GVA, and is larger is these terms than a number countries including Denmark, South Africa, Greece and Singapore.

Reading is one of eight “Diamonds for Investment and Growth” identified in the Region’s Economic Strategy. These “Diamonds” have the potential to act as a catalyst to stimulate prosperity across wider areas, and offer scope for further sustainable growth based on targeted investment in their infrastructure. These eight “Diamonds” relate to the relevant sub-regional strategy areas of the draft South East Plan.

The towns at the hearts of these areas account for over half of the region’s population and a similar proportion of its GVA. GVA in the Reading area is some 45% above the regional average.  Within these areas it is the concentrations of people, employment, built assets, knowledge, transport, networking, creativity, culture and diversity that create the potential as economic catalysts for the region as a whole.

Each area or sub-region has its own specialist local economy, with the Thames Valley noted for computing (employment equals 300% of the national average), telecommunications and financial services, with engineering and technology industries well represented.  The area is also home to leading universities including Reading, Oxford, Oxford Brookes and Surrey.

Forecasts predict Thames Valley growth to be the fastest in the UK with around 115,000 new jobs by 2026.