Overview of South West Wales

South West Wales comprises a diverse mix of urban and rural areas. Over the last few years the region has seen a dramatic growth in service and technology-led investment to complement its more traditional industry base. Swansea, in particular, has undergone a transformation, through a structured investment programme to the city and its surrounds.

The region offers a tremendous range of opportunities for commercial investment, including a multi-skilled and dedicated workforce, easy access to markets, a wide choice of strategic sites and property, and one of the most competitive grant packages available within the UK. With its stunning rural environment, South West Wales also offers an enviable quality of life.

Communications
South West Wales benefits from rapid access to major road, rail, air and sea networks ensuring extensive communication with major markets within the UK and Ireland. 

The M4 motorway connects the region with London in just 3 hours and onwards through the Channel Tunnel to Europe. All the UK's major cities are easily accessible by rail. Cardiff International airport is 45 minutes away from Swansea and offers frequent direct schedule flights to major UK and European cities.

The region is also served by several ports and can offer deep-water berthing facilities and private wharfage services. The Port of Swansea can accommodate vessels of up to 30,000 tonnes and can handle roll-on, roll-off cargoes, container, bulk and project cargoes.

Workforce
Stretching from Neath Port Talbot, to Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, South West Wales covers an area with a population of 652,000, some 22 percent of the Welsh total.

People are a major factor in the success of any operation, and the workforce here has a history of high productivity and commitment - an ethic long sustained in South West Wales. The area also enjoys one of the best industrial relations records in the UK.  Another key advantage is the flexibility of the workforce. Workers in the area have adapted to the requirements of modern manufacturing and the service industry with ease, to offer today's high-tech and service orientated businesses the skills they demand.

Through string links with academia, investors are provided with a one-stop-shop for all their training requirements. Grants are also readily available covering reskilling of new workers ad enhancing existing staff skills.

South West Wales offers a superb choice of sites and premises to meet your business requirements. The area offers a range of property options - from available sites to fully serviced units ready for immediate occupation - from traditional industrial units to modern business parks.  Land prices and office rentals in Wales are amongst the most competitive in Europe. Property opportunities in South West Wales are also enhanced by the fact that developers and investors benefit from a highly favourable grants regime.