Business & Economic Development |  

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ll business sectors are represented in the city region from financial and professional services to the creative industries, logistics to ICT and advanced manufacturing to life sciences. The BBC, ITV Granada, Guardian Media Group, Siemens, Fujitsu, Cisco, Google, The Bank of New York Mellon and RBS all have a base in Manchester. 
A Growing City 

The economy of the city region is growing faster than anywhere in the UK outside of London and continues to attract international companies that wish to develop their business and reach new markets. These companies are able to access a vast talent pool thanks to the regionÕs seven million commuters and a 400,000-strong student population within an hour of the city centre.  In total, over 22% of the workforce is educated to degree level and almost 28% in the city centre. 
Accessing regional, national and international clients is easily facilitated. The cityÕs location at the centre of the UK means that 60% of UK businesses and 20 million 
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customers are within a two-hour drive. Manchester Airport, ten minutes away from the city centre by train, offers direct flights to more than 200 destinations worldwide and 40 flights a day to London. The city regionÕs six mainline stations take commuters into central London in just over two hours. 
These advantages have helped to make Manchester an exceptional business location, one that also offers high quality, reasonably priced accommodation. Prestigious city centre developments such as Piccadilly Place and Spinningfields Ð ManchesterÕs answer to Canary Wharf Ð complement established sites such as Central Park and Trafford Park. MediaCityUK, soon to accommodate five BBC departments, sits at Salford Quays. Developments such as Cheadle Royal and Kingsway offer more varied business spaces outside the city centre. 
With these assets in place and firm ambition, Manchester City Region will continue to be a destination of choice for companies who wish to grow their business. 
Tel. 0161 877 3000 www.investinmanchester.com 





With these assets in place and firm ambition, Manchester City Region will continue to be a destination of choice 
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Bolton Town Hall