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News Release from: Creative Sheffield
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 17 January 2008
Sheffield's economic masterplan targets
CDI sector
Creative Sheffield, the UK's first city development company, is launching an ambitious economic masterplan to continue the region's economic revival with new, better-paid jobs.
One element is to build on the city's already successful CDI (creative and digital industries) sector, which has seen more growth than in any UK city over the last five years Eighteen months in preparation, the Economic Masterplan includes ambitions to create 30,000 new jobs, to build a 1.5 million sq ft New Business District and to work with Manchester and Leeds to create the UK's second economic growth pole
Creative Sheffield chief executive, Ian Bromley, said: "This is the most authoritative business plan any UK city has seen.
"Sheffield had the highest level of employment growth of all UK core cities during the ten years to 2005, with 73,000 new jobs, which shows we have the track record to deliver on our ambitions".
Much of this growth has been in the creative and digital sector.
Sheffield's CDI sector grew 19 per cent in the last five years, more than in any other UK city, and film, design, interactive media and games will form the basis of the new Digital Square Mile in the city centre.
Already under way is the first of five buildings forming the Sheffield Digital Campus, which will be part of a 'Digital Square Mile'.
Creative Sheffield marketing director, Brendan Moffett, said: "With companies such as ZOOTech and Warp being based in Sheffield, and with bands such as the Arctic Monkeys, Reverend and the Makers and Richard Hawley all blazing a trail for the city, we are very well placed to attract some of the most exciting and interesting businesses here.
"It is the right time for the CDI sector to come here: Sheffield city centre has a uniquely youthful population, with 43 per cent living there aged 20-34 years, compared to a national average of just 20 per cent.
"Coupled with this, the two universities are firmly committed to producing high-calibre graduates to meet the demands of the growing CDI sector.
"Remember that Sheffield Hallam University's 'Playstation' degree was developed directly with Playstation and Sony themselves".
The economic masterplan sets a number of ambitious goals as well as describing the precise way in which they will be achieved, including: the creation of 30,000 new jobs; attracting a number of major employers to the region; helping local companies to expand; taking 16,000 people currently without work into employment; working with Manchester and Leeds to create the UK's second largest economic growth pole to attract people and businesses; building a 1.5 million sq ft New Business District; building a 'Digital Square Mile' around the Digital Campus as the focus for the city's rapidly-growing CDI sector.
Creative Sheffield was launched in April 2007 and is the UK's first city development company, focusing the economic regeneration of the city within one fully accountable organisation.
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