Places in Hampshire

Perfectly placed to connect your business.

With a workforce of 380,000 people and excellent road and rail links to London, the West Country, the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth and the Midlands, Andover is perfectly placed to connect your business.

If you are thinking of expanding or relocating your business, you’ll find yourself in very good company.

Andover has flourished in recent years and is now one of the most sought-after logistics locations in the UK and is home to some well-known established brands including Co-operative Group, Rich Products, Travelodge, Stannah Lifts, Ocado, Twining, and Costa.

More people are moving to Andover; the borough has good quality housing, an abundance of leisure provision with a good number of indoor and outdoor sport facilities, and host well-located public open spaces creating opportunities for walking, cycling, and exercise.

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Built for business. Designed for life.

Home to global brands like Sony, Eli Lilly, Fujitsu, and Bombay Sapphire alongside more than 7,900 other businesses. The borough has all the ingredients for businesses to succeed:

• a supportive environment
• plenty of networking opportunities
• affordable and flexible space
• excellent road, rail, sea and air connections within the UK and internationally

Surrounded by beautiful Hampshire countryside, Basingstoke has an outstanding quality of life with a vibrant cultural offer and great places to socialise and shop.

The town continues to capitalise on major multi-million-pound investments already made including Basing View, a designated Enterprise Zone. Basing View offers sustainable Grade A office space just minutes from the rail station, town centre and the M3.

Basinstoke aims to become a carbon neutral borough by 2030, and with a vision for growth that includes:

• £60 million investment in local road infrastructure
• a new £300 million leisure park
• 15,000 new homes by 2029

Basingstoke continues to be dynamic and ambitious as it grows into the future.

Read more about Basingstoke

Vibrant, modern economy.

East Hampshire is an economically successful area at the heart of south east of England. Its assets include

• quality housing
• first class schools
• active communities
• good health facilities
• a diverse range of leisure and recreational opportunities
• the beautiful countryside of the South Downs

The district is located between London and the south coast, and so offers easy access to national and international markets. East Hampshire has strengths in advanced manufacturing, engineering, information technology and business services. The district also has a strong tourism sector and rural economy.

Major transformation is being delivered through the Whitehill & Bordon regeneration programme. This represents a £1 billion, 20-year scheme in response to the Army’s departure from the town after more than 100 years in the area. The regeneration programme is already underway and includes:

• new homes
• new infrastructure
• employment opportunities including the ‘Tech Forest’ Enterprise Zone

Read more about East Hampshire

Where business is soaring.

Farnborough is famous worldwide for aviation. It has used its aerospace connections to lead in technology, where companies like BAE Systems, Airbus, Qinetiq, and Fluor are based.

Farnborough is only 35 minutes from London by train, attracting major companies like BMW.

Every two years, the famous Farnborough International Airshow takes place. Over 80,000 trade visitors from 112 countries attend. In 2018, deals worth $192 billion were announced. The show was held in the new £33 million conference and exhibition centre for the first time.

Farnborough Airport is very important for Hampshire and the UK. It is Europe’s top business aviation airport. Gulfstream, a leading US executive jet maker, invested £50 million to build a new European service centre at the airport.

Farnborough Sixth Form College is one of the highest performing colleges in the UK. It has a 99.2% A-level pass rate.

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Where heritage and water are catalysts for business opportunities.

Gosport is home to the world-famous yacht racer Alex Thomson and many companies like Boeing, Huhtamaki, North Sails, and QinetiQ. The town's naval history has built strong facilities and skills, attracting engineering and manufacturing businesses.

As a result, marine and aerospace industries thrive here, with local businesses supporting these sectors. The military is reducing its presence, leading to the redevelopment of key sites, including waterfront areas. These sites, rich in heritage, are being transformed for modern use. The council and Historic England are working together to preserve these historic assets.

Gosport offers affordable living in the Solent area. Despite being an urban centre, it boasts 39 kilometres of coastline, two beaches, and the 200 hectare Alver Valley Country Park. Residents enjoy easy access to waterfront, beach, and countryside living.

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Where business is booming.

Hart is a small yet thriving economy in northeast Hampshire.

Known for its excellent quality of life, many businesses choose Hart for this reason. The area boasts great air, road, and rail connections, with some attractive village high streets. Hart excels in key business metrics, with strong local business networks.

Whether you're starting a business, growing your company, or considering relocation, the Council's 'Hart for Business' service offers a wealth of information to support you.

Read more about Hart

Perfectly placed for business.

Discover the charm of Havant, a borough perfectly situated between a National Park and a breath-taking coastline of international importance. Havant offers excellent connections by land, sea, and air, making it an ideal hub for customers, resources, and labour.

Spanning 20.6 square miles and home to over 125,000 residents, Havant boasts a prime location. It sits at the junction of the A3(M) and A27, with easy access to the M27 corridor. This provides strong links to Portsmouth, Southampton, and London, ensuring seamless connectivity across the southeast and beyond. With proximity to two major docks, Havant also enjoys international connections.

Businesses see the value in investing in Havant. The borough is recognized for its strengths in advanced manufacturing, marine industries, defence, IT, and engineering. With continuous investment, Havant is set for significant growth, attracting even more industries and international companies.

Experience the strategic advantages of Havant, where business meets beauty. Join a thriving community and discover the benefits of investing in Havant today.

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Where business makes waves.

The Isle of Wight is known as a top holiday destination, but it also has a rich maritime and industrial history. This island is home to some of the world's most innovative solutions in marine and aerospace technology. It's famous for flying boats, the world's first hovercraft, and the development of Britain's space rockets.

Innovation is still thriving here. GKN, a global aerospace company, designs and manufactures winglets for modern aircraft to reduce noise and pollution. Other major businesses include Mitsubishi, BAE Systems, Gurit, and Vestas, leaders in sustainable energy and offshore wind turbine blades.

The Isle of Wight hosts a wide range of activities across:

• advanced engineering
• marine
• aerospace
• business services
• environmental technologies
• tourism
• leisure sectors

With a new major regeneration program on the way, the island aims to create more jobs and boost the local economy.

Experience the Isle of Wight, where tradition meets innovation and growth.

Read more about the Isle of Wight

Where business meets rural.

The New Forest economy is diverse and vibrant. This diversity in businesses, landscape, and workforce makes it an ideal place to do business.

Located just 90 minutes from London and well-connected by land, air, and sea, the New Forest combines stunning natural beauty with a thriving business community. It is home to 9,000 businesses, the highest number in any local authority area in Hampshire. Many of these businesses are in the visitor economy and marine sector, with strong growth in communication and business services.

Though predominantly rural, the New Forest is ambitious. It aims to create higher-value jobs, ensure a skilled workforce, and benefit from greater connectivity. Areas like the Waterside are poised for high-value growth in the coming years.

Experience the New Forest, where natural beauty meets business excellence. It’s a great place to start and grow your business.

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Where business is buoyant.

Portsmouth is set to become one of the UK’s top 10 cities for economic growth. With over £48.75 million investment, strategic sites will be developed for employment and housing, aiming to attract £830 million more investment, build 2,300 new homes, and create over 3,500 new jobs.

As a leading hub for advanced manufacturing, engineering, transport, logistics, low carbon, and creative sectors, Portsmouth is home to major companies like BAE Systems, IBM, Airbus, and Ben Ainslie Racing.

Strategically located near London and mainland Europe, Portsmouth is only 20 nautical miles from the vital Shanghai to Rotterdam shipping route.

Bordered by two national parks and featuring three islands and two peninsulas, Portsmouth offers rich heritage, countryside, and coastline. With a proud naval and maritime history, it's the home of the British Navy.

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Where business is global.

Southampton, with its rich maritime history, is a key commercial centre in Hampshire. Major investment in retail by Hammerson has revitalized the city centre, and future plans include developing prime office spaces.

Major companies like Quilter and Carnival have chosen Southampton as their base, along with notable firms such as Ernst & Young, Irwin Mitchell, and PWC.

Southampton Port, managed by ABP, is the UK’s top export port. It handles £40 billion of goods annually, with 90% going to non-EU markets. It's also a major cruise hub, serving around 5 million passengers yearly. DP World operates the UK's most productive container terminal at the port.

The city hosts the University of Southampton, part of the prestigious Russell Group, and Solent University, known for its expertise in creative media and maritime studies. Together, they have around 38,000 students.

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Where business makes history.

Winchester has one of the strongest economies in southern England, with the UK's highest employment rate, 15% above the national average. It boasts top-notch schools and is a thriving spot for both leisure and business.

As the ancient capital of England and the former seat of King Alfred the Great, Winchester is rich in history. Today, it's home to prominent employers like Arqiva, Simply Health, IBM, HSBC, NATS, and Zurich.

Read more about Winchester