focus on portsmouth Portsmouth - the great waterfront city


The dynamic and vibrant coastal city of Portsmouth is situated in the most prosperous region of the UK – just 70 miles from London and 90 minutes from Gatwick and Heathrow airports


Portsmouth is the proud home of the Royal Navy and an historic maritime city steeped in heritage.


The City is also fiercely ambitious and forward thinking with a multi- billion-pound transformation programme already underway that is positioning it as a globally significant hub for innovation, technology and creativity.


Sitting at Europe’s top table


Portsmouth is one of the best- connected cities in Europe served by excellent road and rail links and a busy international ferry port with frequent services to France and Spain.


With a population of 215,000 people the City is home to 7,880 businesses including global heavyweights Airbus Defence and Space, Babcock, BAE Systems, Capita, IBM, Pall Europe, QinetiQ and Wartsila.


Last year business growth hit 4.7%, 70 new businesses were established and 4,000 new jobs were created in the City.


Portsmouth’s GVA has reached £5.7 billion and the City’s GVA-per- filled-job of £47,995 places it in Europe’s top 20 cities. GVA grew by 3.6% last year - the fastest rate for any city in the south of the UK.


In the international spotlight


With a world-famous naval heritage, towering world-class visitor attractions, unique shopping destinations, great places to eat and drink and miles of beautiful waterfront, Portsmouth was in the international spotlight even before the D-Day 75 commemorations that attracted worldwide coverage and global acclaim last year.


World leaders and royalty attended D-Day 75; boosting Portsmouth’s already burgeoning reputation for hosting high-profile events, including the America’s Cup World Series and Victorious festival, which is fast growing into one of the UK’s most successful music events.


The City’s creative and visitor economy employs 10,000 people and has grown by 10% per year since 2010.


First-class museums and galleries include the D-Day Story - which was shortlisted for the European Museum of the Year award after reopening last year following a £5m redevelopment - and top visitor attraction the Mary Rose Museum - Henry VIII’s flagship which contains more than 50% of Tudor artefacts in existence.


A global marine and maritime hub


Portsmouth Naval Base is home to the UK’s brand new £6.2b aircraft carriers and two thirds of the Royal Navy surface fleet and supports 20,000 jobs; generating £1.6b of GVA.


The City is also a global centre for marine and maritime, aerospace, defence, creative and digital industries, leading the way nationally in the development of advanced manufacturing and engineering.


Portsmouth City Council’s determination to help businesses to grow and thrive was recognised when we won the FSB’s Most Business Friendly Council award in 2019.


A city for the future


Portsmouth’s vision for transformational change


Portsmouth’s multi-million-pound development schemes will boost the local economy by putting a strong sense of place at the heart of the modernisation and improvement of the City; enabling people to thrive, health and wellbeing to improve and productivity to increase.


The City’s Economic Development and Regeneration Strategy 2019- 36 will ‘make Portsmouth Britain’s premier waterfront technology and innovation city’. The strategy will deliver more than 17,000 new homes and 7,000 new jobs.


City centre regeneration 22 businessmag.co.uk


Portsmouth’s award-winning, multi-disciplinary delivery teams are currently working on the major projects outlined opposite:


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – JULY/AUGUST 2020


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