Although the Chemistry Council is widely dispersed across the UK, there are four regions where there is a significant amount of industry. These regions represent a large proportion of manufacturing and employment in the sector (Figure 14) and are:
The regional clusters are supported by industry-sponsored regional groups such as NEPIC (North East of England Process Industry Cluster), CSS (Chemical Sciences Scotland), CNW (Chemicals Northwest) and CATCH/YCF (Your Connected Future). Regional economic growth and productivity could be enhanced and driven by modest funding of these regional cluster bodies.
These four regional clusters have significant assets and capabilities that could be further enhanced to support growth in industry and jobs. Current assets include:
Three key programmes have been identified to drive economic growth and productivity, these being supporting shale gas production, introducing private wire network arrangements, and establishing free ports. Regional growth will come from a focus on building cost-competitive locations for investment, with appropriate facilities and capabilities to support SME growth and export growth.
Total turnover in Northern Powerhouse – £27bn
Number of companies – 728
Number of Employees – 96,000
Source: Consultations with Chemistry Council Regions Working Group (2018)
Note: It should be noted that whilst some of the sector is located outside these four clusters, they are important for driving growth, establishing new technologies at a commercial scale and supporting inward investment.