The UK attracted more than 2,200 new inward investment projects in 2016 to 2017 with more than 107,000 jobs across the country safeguarded or created, according to new figures.

Figures published by the Department for International Trade revealed that the UK attracted more foreign direct investment projects than ever before for the year.

With more than 2,200 projects recorded, the post-referendum figures show an increase of 2% on the previous year. The data also shows that 75,226 new jobs were created, and 32,672 safeguarded, amounting to over 2,000 jobs per week across the country.

Overall, the UK is the number one destination for inward investment in Europe, with the technology, renewable energy, life sciences and creative industries all seeing an increase in the number of projects.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “Almost one year on since the EU referendum, the UK continues to attract record levels of inward investment and remains extremely attractive to foreign investors.”

We agree. Digital technology is playing its part every day and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

Three quarters of businesses expect to increase the number of high-skilled roles over the coming years, according to the 2017 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey.

The survey of 344 companies highlighted that 62% are seeing strong competition for candidates with appropriate qualifications.

Asked about the impact of the introduction of the £2 billion apprenticeship levy, 58% of firms plan to increase apprentice programmes.

Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said“Skills have to be the beating heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy – it’s the best growth strategy a country can have. More high-skilled opportunities are good news for our future – and a sign we can make progress on productivity – but this is tempered by the growing urgency around skills shortages.”

We agree that skills development is crucial, including in the digital sector where we see plenty of opportunities for young talent. For our part, we will do all we can to develop talented people.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

Growth in the UK’s private sector slowed in the three months to June, according to the latest CBI Growth Indicator.

The survey of 762 respondents across the distribution, manufacturing and service sectors showed the balance of firms reporting a rise in output at +6%, compared with +13% in the three months to May 2017.

However, private sector firms expect growth to pick up over the next three months and we support that viewpoint. This is a time for calm heads.

The many companies we work with are expressing confidence that trading conditions, while challenging, do remain positive.

We are playing our part, offering a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of the digital revolution.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

Twenty-four innovative agri-tech projects have been awarded a share of £16 million through the latest round of the Government’s Agri-Tech Catalyst programme.

The money will help the companies solve the world’s greatest food challenges, including the need to provide ultra-sensitive storage.

The UK is a world leader in the fast growing agri-tech sector and, as a company that supports businesses in the food industry, we applaud this investment in technology to make companies as efficient as possible.

We see digital technology playing its part every day and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

 

With a year to go until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into law, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging businesses to start preparing to ensure that they are compliant with the legislation when it comes into force.

From 25 May 2018, all businesses that hold personal data will have to guarantee that their data procedures are fit for purpose and compliant with the new regulation.

While the GDPR is an EU-initiative, the UK government has already made it clear that the legislation will still take effect in the UK after Brexit. Businesses that are found to be non-compliant risk fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover.

Chambers of Commerce around the country are urging their members to start taking the necessary preparations to ensure they are ready for the regulation.

David Riches, Executive Director at the BCC, said:“Businesses need to be proactive about ensuring they are ready for the new data protection regulations when they come into force this time next year, and not leave preparations until the eleventh hour. Those firms that don’t fulfil the necessary responsibilities leave themselves vulnerable to tough penalties, not to mention public scrutiny.”

We agree. This is a major piece of legislation that affects just about every company in the country.

Bowe Digital specialises in keeping data secure as we offer a range of IT solutions that can help companies streamline their manufacturing processes in everything from quality control to stock management.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

Private sector growth eased in the three months to May, according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator, but the prognosis for the summer is good.

The survey of 721 respondents across the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors showed that growth slowed a little in comparison to April.

Manufacturing output continued to record expansion, with the retail sector and consumer services gaining a little momentum following a lacklustre start to the year.

Overall, expectations are for the pace of growth in the private sector to pick up a little over the next three months with healthy growth in manufacturing and business and professional services off-setting a slowdown in retail and falling volumes in consumer services.

That is reflected in what we are hearing from our clients, who are expressing confidence despite the turmoil in the world.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help companies streamline their manufacturing processes in everything from quality control to stock management to make the very best use of the prevailing conditions.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

If the recent global ransomware attack taught us anything, it is that everyone needs to be vigilant when it comes to cyber-security.

Among those issuing warnings was the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) who urged business people not to make the mistake of assuming only big business is at risk.

The federation is warning small businesses in the UK to take urgent steps to protect themselves.

Dave Stallon, commercial director at FSB, said: “We are raising the alarm with the UK’s 5.5 million-strong small business community. It is vital that small businesses and the self-employed prioritise this and that they do it today.”

We agree. In addition to offering a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of the digital revolution, Bowe Digital can also advise on your cyber security.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

The evidence continues to build that the UK economy has shrugged of the many challenges facing the world to continue trading and growing.

Among the latest data was a survey that showed that manufacturing order books improved on April, and output growth accelerated in the three months to May.

The CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey of 432 manufacturers reported that total order books were the highest since February 2015, broadly matching the strong levels seen earlier this year. Export orders also stayed robust, equalling the level seen in March (itself, the highest level seen since December 2013).

Output growth picked up pace, seeing the fastest rise since December 2013. This was underpinned by the mechanical engineering and chemicals sectors. Firms expect another firm rise in production over the coming quarter.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist, said: “The summer sun has come out early for Britain’s manufacturers. Robust demand at both home and abroad is reflected in strong order books, and output is picking up the pace.

“Boosting productivity is key to alleviating some of the cost pressures that manufacturers are facing. Sustained investment in innovation and education will be vital to shore up the success of British industry.”

In the survey, 26% of manufacturers reported total order books to be above normal, 22% of firms said their export order books were above normal and 41% of businesses said the volume of output over the past three months was up.

We see that confidence reflected among the companies that we help. We believe that digital technology is playing its part to support this continuing growth and our clients are benefitting from the use of IT to develop new projects and improve the efficiency of existing ones.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digital – we make I.T. happen

Confidence among UK small firms has risen to the highest level in more than a year, according to the latest Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Small Business Index (SBI).

The SBI stands at 20.0 in Q1 2017, the highest figure since Q4 2015, and up considerably from the -2.9 recorded after the EU referendum.

According to the federation, the strong recovery has been spurred by increased international trade with a net balance of 15.6% of small firms reporting a rise in export activity during the past three months, with a net balance of 30.5% expecting international sales to increase over the next quarter. Both figures are at their highest level since the SBI began.

Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said: “It’s hugely encouraging to see our small businesses trading more overseas, driving an exports-led recovery.”

We see that growing confidence every day among the companies with which we work and we believe that digital technology is playing its part to support continuing growth, and Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digitalwe make I.T. happen

A new survey has underlined the growing importance of digital technology to businesses of all size.

The British Chambers of Commerce Digital Economy Survey questioned more than 1,400 businesses across the UK and found that 84% of firms say digital and IT skills are more important to their business than two years ago, with 51% saying these skills are ‘significantly’ more important.

However, the survey also found that 20% of businesses had been hit by a cyber-attack in the past 12 months. Big businesses are far more likely than their smaller counterparts to be victims of attacks (42% of companies with more than 100 staff, compared to 18% of companies with fewer than 99 employees).
We agree that digital technology is playing its part to support the growth of the UK economy but that companies also need to maintain their security.

Bowe Digital offers a range of IT solutions that can help businesses take advantage of digital opportunities and we can also advise on ways to avoid falling foul of hackers.

Call us on 0191 214 1750 or email info@bowe.co.uk to find out how.

Bowe Digitalwe make I.T. happen