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A business community home to many of

the UK’s key growth industries

Home to world leading sectors

Known as the UK’s true turbo economy, the Thames Valley is home to many world leading business sectors that are established and succeeding here. Find our key sector Quad Charts, below: 

Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing
Digital Technology
Film and high-end television
Health and Life Sciences

Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing â€‹

Advanced Engineering and Green Technology

We are accelerating an efficient and decarbonised future, with world-leading technologies, including electric motors and motor controllers, energy storage systems, electrification and battery technology, aerodynamics and thermodynamics applied across various sectors.

Automotive

With a long rich of automotive manufacturing, BMW and MINI are probably the most iconic brands and cars under production.

The region excels in the field of new technologies, including electric motors, motor controllers and electrification.

Motorsport

Part of ‘Motorsport Valley’ the region has long been identified as the heart of a world-leading cluster and supply chain of high-tech engineering businesses.

Home to the Silverstone circuit and the iconic F1 Grand Prix, most of the current F1 and EV motor-racing teams are located in the Thames Valley. 

Space and Space related technology

As the UK’s space gateway, we’ve built a global reputation for innovation. 

At the heart of the Thames Valley is the Harwell Space Cluster which forms an integral part of the UK’s space sector.  It has grown into a dynamic, enterprising ecosystem of 105 space organisations employing over 1,400 people.

Digital Technology

Digital Technology

The Thames Valley is the UK’s leading digital tech cluster, contributing approximately £10 billion to the British technology economy. Conservatively, we estimate the region is home to over 8,000 digital tech companies, over 6,000 digital tech specialists and also home to several of the world’s top-10 communication giants.

Cyber Security

The Thames Valley’s growing and thriving cyber-security eco-system combines technical expertise, a world leading research base, including organisations Cyber Defence Academy and Centre of Doctorate Training (RHUL) and a wide range of industry leading businesses. This creates an innovative collaborative environment.

Datacentres

By most analyses, Slough would be considered the 2nd largest global data centre cluster, behind Ashburn, Virginia. The Slough Trading Estate, alone, currently hosts over 35 data centres with a wider number in the immediate vicinity of the town and beyond.

Telecommunications

Three of the world’s top 10 communications giants call the Thames Valley home, including Telefonica, Verizon and VMED O2 UK (formerly Vodafone and O2).

 

Robotics

Much of the earliest pioneering work in this field has been carried out in the Thames Valley (notably Oxfordshire) and we continue to lead the way today.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Expected to add £654bn to the UK’s economy by the year 2035, according to research by Accenture, there are currently more than 1,000 AI start-up and SMEs situated across the country.

Environment, Energy and Infrastructure

The UK is a world leader in fusion energy, research and innovation including hosting the UK’s national fusion research laboratory at Culham. With over 500 companies in the region and the wider UK fusion energy supply chain, the Thames Valley is at the heart.​

Film and High-End TV​

The Thames Valley is part of a unique cluster of locations that make the UK first for world-class film and television production.  The UK’s creative tax reliefs are recognised as being the most transparent and inclusive in the world to drive an FDI production spend in film and HETV valued at over £5.3bn in 2022.

The Thames Valley is one of the UK’s major production hubs and has been at the heart of an explosion of interest, and investment, in the UK film and TV studios.

With occupier demand focused primarily on the Thames Valley and Southeast, we have secured a range of new investment, including Shinfield Studios and Bray Studios, and wider investment from all the online streaming giants. Running alongside has been a huge growth in VFX, post-production and animation capability and gaming.

25% Cash Rebate

The UK’s film and high-end television tax reliefs are widely recognised as the most transparent, inclusive and reliable production incentives in the world, with payable cash rebates of up to 25%.

James Bond and 007 Stage

Synonymous with some of the big and small screen’s most enduring productions over its 85-year history, the Thames Valley is home to the iconic Pinewood Studios, and the legendary James Bond franchise.

World Leading Skills and Training

In addition to being home to the UKs most prestigious film school – the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield – the region boasts an active skills and training programme, championed by Resource Productions, supporting a world class in-region talent pool.

Health and Life Sciences

The Thames Valley is located at the heart of the UK’s ‘golden triangle’, a world leading science, technology, and innovation cluster across life sciences. Our ecosystem is a rich network of renowned research centres, healthcare providers and medical charities in a compact region.

The Chamber hosts the only region-wide, business led health and life sciences network, with the aim to advance the Thames Valley region’s leadership in health and life sciences, to grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system, and foster partnership working and shared learning.

You can find out more about our Health and Life Sciences working group here.

700+ LSH Companies Approx.

45,000+ Employees Approx.

Industry Centres of Excellence

World Leading Academic Institutions

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