May 2005

News

UK companies outperform European in wealth creation
Wealth creation by UK companies jumped by 15 per cent from 2004 to 2005, three times the rate of companies in the rest of Europe, according to the 2005 Value Added Scoreboard published by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The fourth annual Scoreboard, which lists the value added of the top 600 European companies and the top 800 companies in the UK, found that the UK has more companies in the top league than any European rival, creates wealth more efficiently and performs well across the majority of sectors analysed. The survey defines value added as sales less the cost of bought-in materials, components and services.

The scoreboard revealed that the UK has 167 companies in the European top 600, nearly double its nearest competitor, Germany, which has 91. Between them, these companies have a combined value of $668 billion – an increase of 15 per cent from last year, compared with average European growth of 5 per cent. Eight of the leading 14 companies from 13 of the larger sectors are from the UK. UK companies also create more value at less cost, with an efficiency rating of 163 per cent, compared with a European average of 139 per cent. The market capitalisation of UK firms per dollar of value added is 42 per cent higher than all other firms. The survey found that the most successful wealth creation stemmed from sustained investment, particularly in areas such as skills and innovation.

Activity in the UK services sector expanded in March at its fastest rate for almost a year, according to the latest survey from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. Contrary to predictions that it would fall, the CIPS index was boosted by a surge of new business to reach 57.0 in March, up from 55.1 in February – its strongest performance since May 2004. The increase in business prompted services companies to increase their hiring, with the employment index for the sector rising from 50.5 to 52.0, its highest since November. Companies were also optimistic about the outlook for the next 12 months, with the business expectations index rising from 73.6 in February to 75.5.

A separate survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) showed that there was particular optimism in the financial services industry, with 53 per cent of companies in the sector expecting to increase their staffing levels over the coming three months, compared with the 5 per cent that expected to cut jobs. Securities traders, fund managers and banks predicted the strongest growth, while only finance houses expected to reduce their payrolls during the next quarter.


UK a leader in offshore financial services
Far from losing jobs to offshoring, the UK is second only to India in attracting offshore financial services operations, according to a report from International Financial Services London (IFSL). With the growth of financial services call centres, shared service centres, IT services and regional headquarters, the UK is ahead of its European rivals, as well as the US and China. Analysing data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for 2002 and 2003, IFSL identified 228 export-oriented FDI projects in India, 187 in the UK, 132 in China and 123 in the US. The most common types of project in the UK were IT services, followed by regional headquarters and call centres. IFSL attributed the UK’s success partly to the importance of the English language, and also to flexible employment laws that allow tasks to be reassigned or eliminated. The UK’s expertise in advisory and professional services gives it a continued competitive advantage in the export of business services, said the report.

The latest annual figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK’s stock of foreign direct investment (FDI) was $746.2 billion in 2004, an increase of $79.9 billion over 2003. Chartered accountants Blick Rothenberg have produced a new factsheet that describes how overseas companies setting up in the UK can avoid regulatory and technical pitfalls. Its International Business Review covers areas such as payrolls, tax and National Insurance contributions, R&D tax credits and VAT. For more information, visit: www.blickrothenberg.com, or e-mail: ibr@blickrothenberg.com


Broadband take-up still growing as UK goes digital
UK consumers are the fourth most digitally savvy in Europe in their use of digital goods such as the internet, mobile phones, TV and cameras, according to a report by Jupiter Research. This is largely due to the enthusiastic take-up of broadband internet services and digital TV. About 14 million households, or 60 per cent, now have digital TV, according to communications regulator Ofcom, and more than 6 million households have broadband. By the middle of this year, it is estimated that half of all households will have signed up for high-speed internet services.

Jupiter’s Digital Life Index puts Sweden, Denmark and Norway at the top of the list, with Greece at the bottom in 17th position. It found that consumers adopted different digital goods and services in different countries, but predicted that demand for technologies such as digital video recorders (DVR), broadband and video-on-demand would continue to grow across the continent. Super-fast broadband which allows the delivery of video-on-demand and high-definition TV is already available in France and other European countries. In the UK, cable company NTL is trialling ASDL2+ technology, which can deliver data at up to 18Mbps; BT is set to follow suit later in the year.

The latest monthly update of internet service providers (ISPs) shows that the number of active internet subscriptions in the UK grew by 1.9 per cent from February 2004 to February 2005. The market share for permanent connections continues to grow and in February accounted for 43 per cent of all new connections, compared with 41 per cent in January, and 23.6 per cent a year earlier. BT announced recently that it had connected its five millionth broadband customer to the network, a year earlier than planned. The company’s own broadband business accounts for 35 per cent of these customers, with the rest shared between the 200 companies that re-sell BT wholesale lines. Falling prices continue to drive demand, and the company says that by the middle of this year it will have configured enough exchanges around the country to provide broadband coverage to 99.6 per cent of the population. Cable companies NTL and Telewest are thought to supply broadband to a further two million customers.

New media companies grab a slice of the action
A number of overseas companies have announced new investments in the digital and creative industries. Vizrt, for example, a Norwegian provider of real-time two- and three-dimensional broadcast graphics, has spent $49 million to acquire Curious Software, a London-based supplier of maps for use mainly by the broadcast industry. Curious Software has developed and licensed world maps to some 500 companies, including 185 broadcasters in the US.

ICTV, a provider of interactive television technology based in Los Gatos, California, has opened an international office in Lower Eashing in Surrey, South East England. ICTV provides enabling infrastructure for the delivery of television services to broadband subscribers, combining its own technology platform with a range of branded applications. The new office will handle international sales, marketing and customer support activities.

Harmonic, a US provider of digital video, broadband optical networking and IP delivery systems, has acquired Broadcast Technology (BTL), a supplier of professional video/audio receivers and decoders based in Andover in South East England, for around $7.6 million. Digital Vision, a Swedish broadcast technology company that specialises in image processing, compression and the distribution of digital media content, has acquired Nucoda, a London-based supplier of digital solutions to the film and video industry. Meanwhile, WeDo Soft, the communications and media software division of Portuguese company WeDo Consulting, has opened an office in London.


Spending on R&D to target high-tech sectors
The UK’s gross domestic expenditure on research and development in 2003 was $39.5 billion. In cash terms, this represented a 5 per cent increase from the level recorded in 2002, and in real terms a rise of 2 per cent. R&D expenditure was 1.86 per cent of GDP in 2003, roughly the same level as for the past five years. Of the amount spent, $35.2 billion was for civil purposes and $4.6 billion for defence; spending on defence research rose by 20 per cent from the previous year. In the civil sector, the breakdown of spending was $26.8 billion by business, 4 per cent higher than in 2002; $3.8 billion by government, including research councils, up 14 per cent; $8.6 billion by higher education, similar to 2002; and $1.3 billion by private non-profit organisations, compared with $0.9 a year earlier. The government funded 31 per cent of all R&D performed in the UK, while businesses funded 44 per cent.

Before the upcoming May 5 election was called, Science Minister Lord Sainsbury announced a further $190 million in funding under the next round of the government’s Technology Programme, a $608 million initiative that enables companies to take new ideas off the drawing-board and into the market-place. A new feature of this round is $57 million targeted specifically to create demonstrations of next-generation technologies in industries such as aerospace and automotive. There is also support for tackling issues such as climate change, with priority given to zero emission enterprises and emerging energy technologies. The high-priority technology areas to benefit are advanced materials, biopharmaceutical processing, advanced manufacturing (in particular, direct writing and next-generation lasers for the manufacturing, healthcare and security industries), emerging energy technologies, zero emission enterprises, validation of complex systems, and micro- and nanotechnology. Companies are required to tender their applications by 13 June.

Funding of $38 million for the nanotechnology sector has been announced under a previous round, to be split between eight projects. Recipients include Bangor UK-LMC at the University of Wales, for its work on precision laser processing for applications in desktop printers, mobile phones and plasma TV displays; BegbrokeNano (Oxford University), which is measuring and identifying products at the nano-scale; UK-MNT-BNC (Imperial College, London and others), producing diagnostic medical devices and drug delivery systems; and Nano4ce (Queen Mary College, London), which is working on stain-resistant clothing and scratch-resistant surfaces.


UK companies at the cutting edge of innovation
London Luton Airport is to become a partner in the Cambridge-Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘Silent’ Aircraft Initiative. This long-term transatlantic initiative aims to discover ways to substantially reduce aircraft noise, and is investigating areas such as embedding jet engines within aircraft fuselages, creating new airframe and undercarriage configurations and rethinking the ways runways that are used. It brings together a wide range of players in the civil aerospace industry, who are sharing their expertise and testing new designs. Other partners in the project include British Airways, Boeing, the Civil Aviation Authority, Cranfield University, Marshalls Aerospace, National Air Traffic Services and Rolls-Royce.

Welsh inventors scooped 15 awards at the 33rd International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland in April, the world’s largest inventions exhibition. Exhibitors from the Welsh Development Agency (WDA)’s Wales Innovators Network (WIN) won five gold awards, four silver and three bronze. Among the winners were Cowbridge-based Diana Burlington, who won gold in the Security-Rescue Alarm category for the ‘Buddy’, the world’s first portable fire and carbon monoxide alarm. Other winning inventions included a biodegradable tree shelter, a multi-purpose broom attachment for cleaning, an anti-tamper closure for drink bottles and the TinyLab, a handheld device for on-site chemical analysis.

Zarlink Microelectronics, meanwhile, a Canadian-owned company that employs 120 people at Caldicot in Wales to manufacture miniature semiconductor modules, has been named the outstanding performer in the WDA’s ‘Fit to Win’ programme, a campaign aimed at helping Welsh enterprises to improve their sales and marketing performance. The programme provides companies with expert consultancy advice to review their organisational structure and culture; Zarlink estimates that its participation in the scheme has helped it to win an additional $11.4 million of manufacturing business over the coming three years.


New initiatives add value to business
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has injected more than $213 million of added value into the UK manufacturing sector since its launch in April 2002, according to Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt. The latest figures show that the MAS has responded to almost 50,000 initial enquiries from businesses seeking advice; has visited more than 9,500 businesses to carry out initial diagnostic ‘health checks’; has completed more than 2,568 in-depth consultations; and has held over 1,200 events designed to educate and train local businesses. The manufacturing sector employs 3.5 million people in the UK and produces 60 per cent of the country’s exports. The MAS was set up to provide practical advice, through 10 centres in England and Wales, to help manufacturing companies improve their productivity and competitiveness. It estimates that each business it has helped has seen an average increase in added value of $203,000.

A new $540 million initiative to help businesses manage resources more efficiently and cut waste has been launched by Environment Minister Elliot Morley. The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme recycles revenue generated through increases in Landfill Tax to fund a range of free services and targeted support for businesses. The programme specifically targets waste minimisation, the diversion of waste from landfill sites and improvements in resource efficiency. Help is offered at every stage of the business process, from R&D and product design to operations and the disposal of waste. More information at: www.defra.gov.uk.

The first of three training centres of excellence to serve the marine industry has opened at Poole in Dorset. The Poole Marine Skills Centre, established by the South West Regional Development Agency (RDA) in conjunction with Marine South West, ITE Training Ltd and Sunseeker International, will provide a variety of courses, qualifications and apprenticeships for young people seeking to enter the marine sector, which is a key employer in the region. Further centres are planned for Plymouth and Falmouth. Meanwhile, a new training centre for local people has opened at Tenbury Wells in the West Midlands. The Aspire Centre will offer training in areas such as IT, motor vehicle and agricultural engineering, and rural crafts skills.


Union membership sees slight decline
Trade union membership showed a slight decline of 0.5 per cent from autumn 2003 to autumn 2004, according to Trade Union Membership 2004, a National Statistics publication from the DTI. The number of people who were members of a trade union fell by 36,000 to an estimated 6.78 million, or 26 per cent of all people in employment. Employees accounted for the vast majority (6.51 million) of these. Almost three in five (58.5 per cent) of public sector employees were union members, but fewer than one in five workers in the private sector (17.2 per cent) had joined up.

Union density among men was 28.5 per cent, down 0.9 percentage points from 2003, and among women 29.1 per cent, down 0.2 per cent. Northern Ireland had the highest union density, with 39.3 per cent of all employees, followed by Wales (37 per cent), Scotland (33.2 per cent) and England (27.5 per cent). The hourly earnings of union members in autumn 2004 averaged $22.00, or 17.1 per cent more than their non-union colleagues. The wages of 35 per cent of all UK employees were covered by a collective pay agreement.

Car production holds firm for February
UK car production in the three months to February 2005 fell by 0.3 per cent, seasonally adjusted, compared with the previous three months, according to the ONS. Production for the domestic market increased by 7.7 per cent, while production for the export market fell by 1.8 per cent. Compared with the same period a year earlier, however (when production was already remarkably high), total car production was up 0.9 per cent. Total commercial vehicle production for the three months to February was down by 6.8 per cent compared with the previous three months and by 6.8 per cent compared with the same period a year previously. Production allocated for the home and export markets fell by 2.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, however, showed that, month-on-month, car production in February rose by 1.7 per cent to 143,461 units, the strongest figure for that month for three years. The growth was led by the export market, which rose by 5.7 per cent to 98,322 units. In the commercial vehicle sector, February’s production levels rose by 3.9 per cent to 18,012 units. Export growth remained strong, up by 7.5 per cent.

It is intended to improve the competitiveness of the plant and to reduce the volume of parts transported between different manufacturing sites. Vauxhall is one of the largest employers in the region, with 4,000 workers. Ellesmere Port manufactures 185,000 vehicles a year, half of which are exported.

ASIMCO Technologies Ltd, one of the largest independent producers of automotive components in China, has established a new UK-based company, ASIMCO Technologies UK Ltd. The company has been operating out of temporary offices, but plans to move to a permanent home at an R&D complex operated by MIRA Ltd near Hinckley in Leicestershire, in the East Midlands. The new company will provide sales and marketing, project management, quality management, and technical and logistics support to ASIMCO’s automotive customers in Europe.

Kia Motors plans to relocate to a new purpose-built vehicle distribution centre at Killingholme, near Grimsby on the Humber estuary, to cope with its growing business. The new centre will have the capacity to accommodate up to 10,500 vehicles and is expected to be operational by August. The 55-acre site will be operated by GBA Group, a company that handles up to 1.3 million vehicles annually for a number of different motor manufacturers.

SMEs in the Welsh automotive sector are set to gain a competitive edge with the establishment of the UK’s first centre of excellence in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) at the Technium Auto at Llanelli, South Wales. PLM helps businesses to manage their products and services through the entire business lifecycle, from conception through to recycling or disposal. US software giant IBM will provide the centre with some of the most sophisticated PLM software products in the world, together with education, research and training consultancy services.


Development schemes gather pace
London office lettings in the first quarter of 2005 amounted to 2.2 million sq ft – less than half the exceptional 5.2 million sq ft seen in the final quarter of 2004, according to the Estate Gazette Group’s London Office Database, and significantly down on market expectations. The West End had a particularly poor quarter, with its 448,000 sq ft of lettings being the lowest figure since the LOD began compiling figures in 2001. However, other indicators remained healthy, with vacancies falling across the board, down by 1 per cent to an average of 15.3 per cent. Rentals continued to grow in most areas of the capital, from an average of $59 per sq ft to $63 per sq ft. In the West End, rental growth was particularly strong, with the rate for grade A space reaching $162 per sq ft.

At the end of March, before the election was called, the government announced a massive $11 billion regeneration scheme for the Thames Gateway area to the east of the capital. The scheme, the largest of its type in Western Europe, sets out to create 180,000 new jobs, with $1.9 billion earmarked for new transport links. These include extensions to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and commitments for domestic services to use the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link by 2009. A further $76 million will be invested in three new universities, at Southend, Medway and Royal Docks, while a number of research and training facilities are also planned for the region. A new London Thames Gateway Development Corporation has been set up under the leadership of Peter Andrews, formerly the chief executive of the New Swindon Company.

The largest single development scheme to be approved so far in the area is a 5.3 million sq ft scheme at Silvertown Quays, which will occupy a 59-acre site next to Royal Victoria Dock in London E16, in the borough of Newham. This will create a new town centre for the Royal Docks area, served by its own DLR station. The scheme will include 165,000 sq ft of offices and flexible workspace, together with 5,000 homes, 180,000 sq ft of leisure facilities, 130,000 sq ft of restaurants and Europe’s largest aquarium.

In the West Midlands, a new business park is to be created on a 17-acre site at Birmingham Great Park in Rubery. The 225,000 sq ft development will include a mix of industrial, office and distribution units, ranging in size from 20,000 sq ft to 120,000 sq ft; work is due to start by the end of the year. RDA Advantage West Midlands is already marketing major new developments such as the 100-acre Ansty site near Coventry and Opus 9, a 450,000 sq ft manufacturing, warehousing and distribution park at Wednesbury. There are also plans for a $127 million technology park, i54, to be built on a 220-acre site on the border between Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire.

A new urban regeneration company has been set up in Peterborough, Eastern England. The URC will handle a $1.9 billion investment programme as the town expands over the next 15 years. Among new business developments in the town is a new centre being built by Evans Easyspace, the UK’s leading provider of flexible business space for small and growing businesses. The facility is located on a 4.5-acre site at Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate; when it is completed next year, it will provide 21 offices and 25 workshops.

A $152 million office and mixed-use city-centre development is planned for St Paul’s Square in Liverpool, North West England. Due for completion in late 2006, the first phase of the development will deliver 125,000 sq ft of office space, together with retail and leisure space and housing. Later phases will provide a further 175,000 sq ft of high-quality offices. In Manchester, work is progressing on Central Park, the UK’s first large-scale mixed-use urban business park. Construction is due to begin on the St Petersfield business district in Ashton-under-Lyne, with the first phase set to provide 280,000 sq ft of office space.

At Ashington, in Northumberland in the North East, a new business park is being prepared on a strategic site at North Seaton. The 143-acre site will feature a range of low-level office and industrial units that should be ready for occupation by early 2006. The site is located along the A189 dual carriageway, which offers easy access both to the city of Newcastle and to the A1 trunk road.

A $114 million business park is to be built on the outskirts of Bangor in North Wales. The 68-acre Parc Bryn Cegin will provide up to 750,000 sq ft of floorspace, and has the potential to sustain 1,600 jobs. At nearby Kinmel Bay in Conwy, work has begun on the largest speculatively built business unit in the region. The 50,000 sq ft unit is under construction on a 4-acre site at the Tir Llwyd Enterprise Park. In South Wales, 80 acres of land is being prepared for new factory construction at Felinfach, Swansea. The developers say that initial interest in the site, which is located alongside the existing Swansea West Industrial Park, is so high that it is likely to be fully developed by autumn next year. In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, the go-ahead has been given for a new 43,000 sq ft office development at Springtown Business Park in Derry.


Around the regions

US-based broker-dealer Miller Tabak Roberts Securities (MTR) has opened an office in London, its first international location. The company specialises in emerging market debt, convertible bonds, and high-yield and distressed securities. Shenyang Yunda Enterprise Group, a Chinese manufacturer of structural curtain walls, is also to set up a subsidiary in London. The new base, which represents an investment of $1.9 million, is the company’s first outlet in Europe, and an important step in its efforts to penetrate international markets.

Coremetrics, a US-based provider of hosted web analytics and precision marketing solutions, has formed a new subsidiary – Coremetrics Europe – and opened an office in Windsor in South East England. The Windsor office will launch the company’s new European operations and will support the setting up of new partnerships, indirect sales channels and consulting relationships.

Xcel, a UK-based subsidiary of US telecommunications and components group Emrise, has acquired Pascall Electronics from its parent company Intelek for approximately $9 million. Xcel designs and manufactures custom power conversion systems, electronic sub-systems and human/machine interfaces, mostly for the civil and military aerospace markets. Pascall Electronics, based on the Isle of Wight, southern England, provides power supplies and radio frequency products for a wide range of applications, from military programmes to in-flight entertainment systems.

A new international business support agency has been launched for the East of England. East of England International (EEI) will be supported by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), and will provide a wide range of professional and confidential services to businesses wishing to set up or expand their presence in the UK. It will also assist businesses that want to start trading overseas or expand their business in other countries.

One of the companies EEI has already worked with is ExecuTRACK Solutions, a company based in Düsseldorf, Germany that specialises in IT-supported talent management and human resources development. The company, which has offices in 15 countries, has established its first UK base at Stansted in Essex. Its IT products enable companies to analyse their human resources and manage their talent pool globally. It is the only company to offer multilingual talent management software, which is currently available in nine different languages.

Swedish biotechnology company Biovitrum is to acquire Cambridge Biotechnology (CBT), a private drug discovery company based in Cambridge, Eastern England. CBT specialises in research in the fields of obesity, pain and inflammation. Its CBT 1008 compound for inflammatory pain has successfully completed its first phase of clinical trials. An advanced lepton argonist, for the treatment of obesity, is expected to begin phase-one trials in 2006.

A $3 billion package of road schemes is set to improve key sections of the UK’s motorway network. In Yorkshire and Humber, the M1 (from Chesterfield to Leeds) and the M62 (from Huddersfield to Leeds) will be widened to four dual lanes. In the South, the M27 will be widened in both directions between Junctions 3 and 4 near Southampton, and climbing lanes will be introduced between J11 and J12 near Portsmouth. In Essex, Eastern England, improvements to access will be made to reduce congestion at J28 of the M25, where it joins the A12 near Brentwood. Junction improvements are also to be made at the M40/A404 junction at Handy Cross, near High Wycombe in South East England. In South Yorkshire, the go-ahead has been given for the Dodworth Bypass at Barnsley. This will also provide access to a new 38-acre business park, Capitol Park.

Third Wave Systems, a US supplier of machine modelling software, has opened an office at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in Rotherham, Yorkshire and Humber. It will share the facility with aerospace giant Boeing. The company’s software is used by aerospace and automotive companies worldwide to reduce product design and manufacturing costs.

Companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemical sectors in the North East have gained a powerful new voice with the launch of the North East Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC), an industry association that brings together many of the region’s largest manufacturing companies, and represents a quarter of its entire industrial base. NEPIC will represent over 350 organisations, with a combined economic power of $15 billion. Member companies employ more than 34,000 people directly, with another 200,000 employed in the supply chain. They are spread across the region, but there are clusters in locations such as Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham and the Tees Valley.

LogicaCMG, an Anglo-Dutch IT service provider, has opened an office in Bridgend, South Wales to accommodate the expansion of its outsourcing operations. The move is part of a major expansion programme, and is expected to create 750 new jobs by 2007. Outsourcing accounted for 39 per cent of the company’s UK revenues in 2004.

Wipak UK Ltd, owned by Finnish group Wihuri Oy of Helsinki, is to invest $11.4 million at its packaging plant in Welshpool, Powys in mid-Wales. The company, which manufactures printed film packaging, primarily for use in the perishable fresh foods sector, plans to build a 16,855 sq ft extension to the plant at Buttington Cross Enterprise Park to house a new printing press and ancillary converting equipment. The expansion will add 38 new jobs to the current workforce of 52.

Commercial production has started at the UK’s first large biodiesel plant, a £29 million facility at Motherwell in central Scotland. The plant will make environmentally friendly fuel from animal fat and used cooking oil, which will then be taken to refineries at Grangemouth and Teesside, where it will be mixed with mineral diesel, in the ratio 5:95. The resulting blend, which requires no modification to vehicle engines, will be marketed under the Bio-plus brand. The plant at Motherwell employs 16 people and is able to produce 50,000 tonnes of the green fuel a year.

Oracle Corporation of the US, the world’s leading enterprise software company, is to invest $2 million to set up a new facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland to provide services to its customers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Inward investment agency Invest NI has contributed $475,000 to the cost of setting up the facility, which will be based in the Laganside area of the city. Oracle, based in Redwood Shores, California, provides database, tool and application products to leading companies around the world.

Another US-owned software company is expanding its operation in Belfast. Liberty Information Technology (LIT) is to invest a further $2.8 million in its centre in the city to develop software services for its parent company, insurer Liberty Mutual Group. The expansion is the company’s second in the past year, and will create 25 new jobs for experienced software engineers, in addition to the 26 new positions that were created in May 2004.

To find out about business exhibitions and events happening around the United Kingdom click on the EVENTS button.