Business in East Anglia

Tuesday 22nd January 2019

Partnership launched to link region's innovative firms with research breakthroughs

A new partnership between seven universities and colleges across the East of England aims to help businesses take advantage of breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and digital creative. The EIRA project – enabling innovation: research to application – has been awarded £4.7m from Research England and is open for applications from businesses looking to innovate by working with academics.

The initiative aims to support the national industrial strategy to drive growth and increase productivity in the region by changing the way businesses connect with universities an...

Firms stay confident on their own prospects despite economic pessimism

Business confidence in the East of England fell in December although firms’ belief in their own prospects in the region improved slightly and a positive balance are still planning to hire more staff during the coming year. A Lloyds Bank business barometer for December showed that overall confidence for firms in the East fell by six points in the month to 11 per cent and a net balance of six per cent of firms are pessimistic about the economy.

But firms’ confidence in their own business prospects rose one point to 27 per cent. Companies’ hiring intentions showed that a net balance o...

£4 million expansion in Gt Yarmouth unlocks site for energy investment

Brineflow Properties and Handling, a liquified fertiliser supplier, is making a £4m expansion at Great Yarmouth Energy Park and freeing up a prime site next to the Outer Harbour for offshore energy investment , thanks to an agreement with Gt Yarmouth Borough Counicil.

Brineflow is investing in large shoreside tanks for liquid fertilisers at South Denes and has agreed with the borough council to vacate its base on the Enterprise Zone to a nearby site with a new pipeline to the quayside. This releases a prime five acre site, which will be promoted by the council to businesses in offshore...

Go ahead for major gas-fired power station in Norfolk

The government has granted EP(UK) Power Developments consent to build a new gas fired power station at its site at the Willows Business Park at Saddlebow in King’s Lynn with a capacity of up to 1,700 MW, enough to meet electricity needs of almost 2 million homes. Construction could start in mid-2020 creating up to 600 construction jobs with a further 40 permanent operational jobs once the plant is up and running. James Crankshaw, head of engineering at EPUKI, said: “We are delighted with the secretary of state’s decision. This new power station will help play a key role in both th...

Firms take action to avoid ‘working capital crunch’ on Brexit no deal

KPMG’s restructuring practice in the region is seeing a ‘flurry of enquiries’ from firms looking to head off a significant ‘working capital crunch’ resulting from a no deal on Brexit following the recent gloomy forecasts from the Treasury and the Bank of England.

Steve Elsigood, head of restructuring for KPMG in the East of England, said: “Businesses have been contingency planning for some time now, but the recent forecasts from both the Treasury and the Bank of England regarding the impact to the British economy of the various Brexit scenarios currently in play appear to hav...

Rebound in confidence gives boost to region’s SMEs

The health of SMEs in the East of England has shown one of the largest improvements in the country as fewer firms operate below capacity and confidence increases, accor...

Property & Construction

Strong interest in new Ipswich office space

The Maltings building which is currently being restored in Ipswich’s Princes Street has seen strong interest ahead of it being ready for occupation in April next yea...

Technology

Drug discovery business expands at Norwich's Innovation Centre

Inspiralis, a drug development business that grew out of research laboratories at Norwich’s John Innes Centre, has expanded into new premises at the Innovation Centre...

Regional Economic News

Cambridge tech and professional services set to bolster region’s growth

The East of England economy is set to grow slightly faster than the national average over coming years in the light of the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, thanks partly ...

Finance/Legal/Deals

Cambridge-based energy management company sold to private equity firm

Cambridge-based eSight Energy Group, a developer and supplier of energy management software, has been acquired by Bid Equity, a German private equity firm.

BID Equity ac...

Transport

Tough new regs loom on e-commerce distribution

Tough new regulations are on the way for those involved in e-commerce distribution activities in the UK, with significant penalties for non-compliance – and yet many c...

New Media, Marketing & Advertising

Anniversary at long-running Norwich design & PR business

A Norwich-based design and PR business which is thought to be the region’s longest running creative agency is marking its tenth anniversary since it rebranded as FOUR A...

Leisure, Tourism & Hospitality

Tourism & leisure businesses urged to join survey

Tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses are being urged to take part in Larking Gowen’s 12th annual tourism and leisure business survey, which launched this week . A...

Other news . . .

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Business Profiles

An introduction to Birketts LLP

Birketts is a top 100 UK law firm with offices in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich. Our lawyers deliver expert legal advice combined with a high quality and personalised service. Our clients trust us to achieve a solution that is right for them however difficult or challenging the circumstances. That trust has been earned over time and sets the standard upon which our reputation is based. Alongside our core business areas of corporate and commercial, commercial property, commercial and personal litigation and private client law, we have leading solicitors in specialist areas of the law such as shipping and transportation,...

New Anglia Growth Hub

The New Anglia Growth Hub, part of the Growth Hub Network gives companies in Norfolk and Suffolk a single point of contact for business support. Powered by a team of experienced and fully accredited Business Growth Advisers, our support and guidance is completely free, impartial and confidential. You could be starting a new enterprise or looking grow an established business and our free service is open to companies across all sectors and legal status. Our support is focussed around four key areas: Access to Grants & Finance No need to search online for the answer. We can research on your behalf and identify...

Barclays

At Barclays, we are fully committed to supporting our clients, in particular, helping them to fulfil their growth potential. In this Brexit era many businesses will be reassessing their plans for growth and may need to re-plan or increase the resilience of their finances. It's in times like these when strong banks should stand tall and help ensure the stability in our economy by continuing our commitment to lend – and that is exactly what Barclays is doing. We continue to enjoy working with existing and new clients and aim to ensure they are at the heart of everything we do....

Norwich Research Park

Dedicated to the businesss of life sciences, Norwich Research Park is the premier location for excellence in food, health and the environment. Set in over 230 hectares of parkland Norwich Research Park is home to over 12,000 people, including 40 science and technology based businesses and 3,000 researchers and clinicians. A thriving science and innovation park, it is a partnership between four research institutes - namely the John Innes Centre, the Institute of Food Research, the Sainsbury Laboratory and the Genome Analysis Centre as well as the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals. Facilities are varied and incorporate a...

Gotelee Solicitors

Since the 1880’s, Gotelee Solicitors has been a major name in the local market place in and around Ipswich. The firm also has offices in Hadleigh, Felixstowe and new offices in Melton and Woodbridge. The Gotelee offer is broad-based in all offices. Of particular interest to the SME and the family-owned business market, Gotelee services include helping business owners: - on all business and commercial law issues, from start-up through to exit - with the management of any employment issues or disputes - when buying, selling or leasing premises, property or land - deal with any commercial disputes and their resolution - with any regulatory,...

Scrutton Bland

Scrutton Bland is a leading provider of financial services to both business and private clients. From our offices in Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, we provide specialist tax, accountancy, insurance, employee benefits and independent financial planning advice to clients throughout the UK. Nominated for a British Accountancy Award, our cloud based service, SBLive, combines the latest in accountancy software with professional business advice giving our clients the freedom to manage their accounts in a way which best suits how they like to work. Our philosophy is simple, we believe in delivering clear, jargon-free advice for our clients and in finding effective solutions for our...

Barclays Wealth & Investment Management

At Barclays, we work with wealthy individuals in the Eastern region to create banking, investment, wealth advisory, financing and lifestyle solutions that closely match our clients’ unique financial objectives. We are the gateway to the best of Barclays – benefitting from a local presence with a global offering, which allows us to bring together the best thinking, advice and solutions from across the global bank to support our Eastern clients. With a broad range of local clients – from entrepreneurs to Lottery winners – our wealth and investment management offering needs to be as bespoke as our clients’ needs. This...

Larking Gowen

At Larking Gowen, we see ourselves as more than purely chartered accountants. We’ll look after all your tax and finance issues, and we’ll be trusted business advisors with a friendly one-to-one service you can count on. Whatever you do, whether you’re a large organisation or an individual, Larking Gowen can help you protect your wealth and reach your financial goals. Our expertise Our partners are all qualified accountants covering a full range of specialist areas including personal tax, VAT, corporate finance, business strategy and business recovery. We have teams of experts with years of experience who can help you with all accountancy issues. Knowing...

Rapleys

Established in 1951, Rapleys is a property & planning consultancy offering comprehensive professional and agency services, on a personal and value added basis. We work across the UK, with offices located in Huntingdon, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. Our national office network is strategically located to deliver a service based on local and regional knowledge but with a national understanding and focus of the wider commercial property market. We are highly active in the East Anglian region, managing the work from our Huntingdon and London offices. We provide a fresh and different perspective to the commercial property and planning process by...

Genesis PR

Genesis is a leading regional PR agency providing award winning strategic advice and tactical implementation for today’s digital world. Our services span the full PR and marketing mix and our team comprises qualified PR, marketing, digital and social media experts, including former journalists. Using our unique i-thinking methodology, we develop and implement strategies to achieve our clients’ goals, crafting the right PR and marketing elements to deliver impact, influence action and inspire audiences. What makes us special Genesis is a PR Week Top 40 PR Agency Outside London – the only one in the East of England to feature in the 2018 list. We...

Cambridge Cluster Map

The Cambridge Cluster Map is a big data resource highlighting the data on the cluster of businesses located within 20 miles of Cambridge, UK, and accurately maps the growth of the Cambridge sub-region over time. It is a free-to-access online resource which shows the vibrancy of the Cambridge technology and life science cluster, revealing the true extent of the success of the ‘Cambridge Phenomenon’. Created by Cambridge Ahead in partnership with Barclays, working with the Centre for Business Research (CBR) at the University of Cambridge, the map can be viewed at www.camclustermap.com The source, methodology and granular nature of...

Penn Commercial

Since launching in Ipswich 10 years ago, Penn Commercial has grown to become one of the most influential and most respected commercial property agents in the east of England. Regularly scooping industry accolades and winning plaudits from clients, it continues to expand and has recently appointed two further staff members. Vanessa Penn, who heads up the team of negotiators, property managers, consultants and administrators, says the local market is very vibrant. Penn Commercial has recently overseen several major deals: the letting of 120,000 sq ft in Norwich to a global e-commerce operator as a distribution centre, the sale of nearly £6 million worth...

Creative Sponge

We are Creative Sponge and we are a full service marketing agency based in the heart of Norwich. Our client list includes Anglian Water, business enterprise agency Nwes, Whitlingham Adventure and Holt Hall, Premier Education Group, M+A Partners, Jarrold Training, the AST Group, Pumpkin Tree Organics and ZSEA (Banham Zoo, Africa Alive and the Dinosaur Adventure Park). We also have a number of London based clients, including Warner Bros and The Daily Mail Group, which we service from our London base. As you can see, we work with a diverse range of clients in both the B2B and B2C arenas. Our...

Ingleton Wood

Ingleton Wood is one of the leading multi-disciplinary property and construction consultancies in the East of England. An award-winning Practice, that provides architecture, building surveying, civil and structural engineering, project management, quantity surveying, planning, interior design and sustainability services. What we do Working across both the public and private sector, Ingleton Wood deliver functional, high quality building solutions where the work is tailored to meet our clients’ individual needs and aspirations. With offices in London, Colchester, Cambridge, Norwich, Billericay and Hertford, we cover the entire Eastern region and beyond, delivering projects in a number of sectors including education, health, leisure and retail, as well...

Artisan (UK) Developments

Artisan (UK) Developments has huge experience in the development of a wide range of business parks throughout East Anglia and the Northern Home Counties, delivering high quality commercial accommodation falling principally within B1, B2 & B8 planning class uses. Artisan have developed more than 114 commercial space projects including 13 business parks. In recent years Artisan has acted as the development partner for a number of companies to assist in resolving their property requirements, either on sites controlled by Artisan or third party controlled sites. The spaces Artisan create for businesses are used for numerous industries and sectors including Office accommodation,...