A number of world class and growing businesses have shown their backing for the City Region though their investments and by becoming supporting partners of the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
DONG Energy, Alstom Transport, Stagecoach, British Music Experience and the South West Regional Assessment Centre have all recently joined in partnership with the LEP to help make a difference to the City Region’s growth. Becoming a partner allows companies to contribute towards growing the region’s economy through the LEP alongside other like-minded businesses and organisations.
DONG Energy is the global leader in offshore wind with two completed projects in the Liverpool City Region, Burbo Bank (operational since 2007) and Burbo Bank Extension (inaugurated in May 2017). Burbo Extension is the first offshore project in the world to use 8MW turbines and at 258MW can generate enough electricity to power over 230,000 homes.
Matthew Wright, Managing Director for DONG Energy UK said: “We have operated out of Liverpool City Region for over a decade and worked very closely with the Liverpool City Region LEP on a number of initiatives, including our event to mobilise the North West supply chain, the International Festival for Business and most recently the inauguration of Burbo Bank Extension, one of our two offshore windfarms in Liverpool Bay.
“Together these windfarms generate enough low carbon energy for over 310,000 homes, so we’re really excited to join others in this partnership to continue to drive forward the growth of the low carbon sector in the City Region.”
Alstom Transport UK supply trains, systems, signalling and service activities with a third of all daily passenger rail journeys in the UK made on Alstom trains. On 29th June 2017 they opened their new state-of-the-art industrial facility at Widnes which provides the largest and most sophisticated train modernisation facility in the UK, alongside the Alstom Academy for Rail which will provide training for rail staff from across the North West and beyond.
They have worked closely with Halton Council, the City Region Combined Authority and the LEP in the development of this facility which propels the City Region to the fore of train development and training in the UK.
Stagecoach, one of the largest bus operators in the UK, and a vital component of the transport infrastructure network that the City Region relies upon to move people to learn, work and enjoy the City Region.
South West Regional Assessment Centre specialise in training & development courses for individuals wanting to improve their work opportunities whilst the stunning British Music Experience opened its doors in Cunard Building, Liverpool in March 2017.
Asif Hamid MBE, the LEP Chair said, “This is an exciting time to be doing business in the City Region and this new and continued investment by these businesses will make a huge contribution to the economic growth and employment opportunities here. We greatly appreciate the support that these organisations are giving to the City Region and to the LEP as partners. All the support we receive from our partners goes directly into making a difference to the City Region’s growth for the benefit of the wider community.”