NEWS & EVENTS
National News
Cornwall Question Time debates what Cornwall has to offer as a business destination
A dynamic audience made up of potential inward investors, Cornish business people and public support agencies gathered in London to hear about the challenges of relocation to the county in the current economic climate. Hosted by Cornwall Pure Business, the County's inward investment service, and chaired by leading broadcaster Nicholas Owen, the panel discussed the pros and cons of the county as a business location.
The panellists all provided their own unique view point. Sitting on the panel were: John Fisher - Director, Local Futures Group; Dr Ranulf Scarbrough - Chief Researcher, BT Group; Paul Bason, Digital Media Innovations Director, Combined Universities in Cornwall; Lucy Jewson - Managing Director, Frugi; David Crisp - CEO, Orecon; and Charlotte Chadwick - Employment & Enterprise Officer, Penwith District Council.
The event, supported by Air South West, provided an opportunity for businesses interested in making the move to the county to have their questions answered.
Lucy Hunt, Inward Investment Manager, Cornwall Pure Business, explains: "You can't move for commentary about the economic slowdown. Therefore, we wanted to generate an honest and open debate about the practicalities of relocating to the county in the current economic climate. Any business relocating has to take a number of issues into account before making the move, such as costs of relocation; availability of skilled labour and premises; IT & transport infrastructure and access to good education. The debate looked to answer queries in these areas and demonstrate Cornwall's viability as a business destination."
MD of Frugi, award winning organics clothing company, Lucy Jewson added: "The idea of a recession is scary, especially when you see giants like M&S suffering, but the beauty of being a small business in Cornwall is you can be really quick on your feet and respond to changing conditions. Cornwall is unique as it has always had an atmosphere of ingenuity, innovation and creativity."
Commenting on access to staff, David Crisp, who has recently moved his firm Orecon, a wave energy device developer, into the county said: "We are getting good people from all over the country, and having no trouble recruiting - partly because of the opportunity we can offer, but partly because of where we've chosen to be located.
David added that competition is also welcome in Cornwall, particularly within the environmental technology sector, which many feel will continue its rapid growth despite a possible recession: "Go back 20 or 30 years, companies like Intel and Apple helped to create Silicon Valley. Cornwall has a very real opportunity to shape and lead the world in renewables."
Paul Bason, of University College Falmouth, part of Combined Universities of Cornwall, sees higher education as critical in safeguarding Cornwall's economy:" The growing student community in Cornwall means we have more talent coming through, that will be the lifeblood of businesses in the county. Higher education in the county is already meeting the needs of businesses through specialist training with 66% of companies recruiting graduates regardless of their discipline."
Ranulf Scarbrough, from BT, explained Cornwall's ambition to lead the country in faster broadband technology, and said communications technology is the key to adapting working habits to survive: "Cornwall is far from an intellectual graveyard. You can have a close relationship with a client - and I don't necessarily mean physically close - if the communication structure is vibrant enough. In times of a recession, the question is how you produce something twice as good at half the cost - and the answer is deep innovation. Recession means a boom for those working in innovation as their services are key to meeting the ever increasing demands for competitive advantage."
Charlotte Chadwick, recognised the balance between emotional and economic reasons to make the move: "Moving to Cornwall isn't like a move from Manchester to Bristol. It is a heart move - but it has to be a head move as well if your business is going to survive. Cornwall could well be at an advantage as recession often means businesses want dynamic, creative people, and if you work in an inspirational environment then your people will be inspired."
To access the full debate please go to http://www.idratherbeincornwallclub.co.uk/lastevent.html
Cornwall Pure Business is a service of Cornwall Enterprise