Businesses can easily access Gatwick, Heathrow and Southampton International Airport, connecting Hampshire to the rest of the world.
Heathrow is the UK’s premier international airport, with over 80 airlines flying direct to more than 200 destinations in 85 countries, across the globe.
Hampshire is also home to Farnborough Airport, which is the UK’s only dedicated business aviation airport.
The M3 motorway is the main route to London, the M25 motorway, Heathrow and Gatwick, connecting Hampshire to the capital and the rest of the world. The M27 which is being upgraded to a 4-lane smart motorway, connects to the Midlands and the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth, linking Hampshire some of the UK’s major shipping routes.
London is in easy reach with over 50 trains direct to and from London Waterloo every day. The rail network offers easy connectivity to other key business centres in the UK including Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle and beyond.
Eastleigh and Southampton have recently expressed an interest to be considered as a national headquarters for Great British Railways (GBR). Both councils have responded to the call by Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, following his announcement to open a competition to identify the first national HQ for the public body responsible for running Britain’s railways.
Eastleigh has a strong railway heritage dating back to the 1800s, while the history of railways in Southampton began in 1831, with the formation of the Southampton, London and Branch Railways and Dock Comp.
The Port of Southampton is the UK’s leading export port and a major gateway to global markets. More than £40 billion in UK manufactured goods is exported through the port every year, of which 90% is destined for non-EU markets. Southampton is also Northern Europe’s biggest cruise port – handling over 5 million passengers a year.
The Port of Portsmouth is Britain’s most successful municipal port, operating departures and arrivals for cruise ships, cargo ships, and passenger ferries. It is a key port for the import of fruit and vegetables.
We have ambitions to be one of the first 5G connected counties in the UK. Working in partnership with the 5G Innovation Centre (University of Surrey), a 5G Emulator has been established in Basingstoke for local businesses and entrepreneurs to get a head start on enabling new technology. They have signed Cellnex UK to build a 5G private network for the Basing View central business district. It will consist of a 5G core and a radio access network for indoor and outdoor connectivity and support a 5G Living Lab for showcasing smart city and internet of things technology.
Hampshire based Ordnance Survey (OS) are also leading on the Government’s E- CAVE initiative aimed at better understanding the infrastructure required to support a nationwide network of connected and autonomous vehicles.
Business Hampshire is the economic development service of Hampshire County Council.
© Hampshire County Council 2024