Bristol Business Guide

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Our remarkable city has received a
string of accolades, including UNESCO
Learning City and 2017 European City
of Sport, recognising its status as one
of the best cities in the world to live,
work and visit. In 2017 it was voted
The Sunday Times Best City to Live in
Britain. The Rockefeller Foundation has
awarded Bristol the status of a World
Resilient City. In 2014, The Financial
Times highlighted Bristol as a smart
city laboratory and ranked it in 2nd
place for mid-sized European cities
economic potential.
At this special time, when the world’s
attention is on us, I invite you to take
a closer look at Bristol’s offer as a city
which is both open to business, and
leading in sustainability and innovation.
The Bristol Business Guide showcases
the business community, business
support, development projects and the
economy. Our business and economic
statistics talk for themselves:
• Businesses – home to around 19,000
businesses from a diverse range of
sectors; 96% of these businesses
employ less than 50 people.
• Economic output – most productive
English large city.
• Sector GVA/employment – high value
Professional Services and Advanced
Engineering.
• Average workplace earnings – above
the UK average and ahead of most
core cities.
• Working age population – rapid
recent growth, set to continue.
• Workforce skills – way above UK
average, one of most skilled core cities.
Bristol has numerous regeneration
projects underway or being planned.
This guide seeks to highlight the main
projects;
• An ambitious new housing delivery
plan- £175m over 5 years
• Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise
Zone
• Development of Arena Island
• Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise
Area
• Filton Enterprise Area
• Emersons Green Enterprise Area,
including the Bristol & Bath
Science Park and National
Composites Centre
• Bristol city centre including
Nelson Street/Lewins Mead,
Callowhill Court, Bridewell Street,
Wapping Wharf
• Transport improvements including
MetroBus, MetroWest, and Bristol
Airport expansion
• Smart infrastructure – superfast
broadband connectivity and
driverless cars.
Marvin Rees,
Mayor of Bristol
3
FOREWORD FROM
THE MAYOR OF BRISTOL
Bristol is a vibrant, smart city, with an international
profile reflecting its strong cultural heritage and
bustling mix of communities.