Member Article

North Wales businesses support Growth Track 360

Over 300 delegates at the Business Growth North Wales Conference have added their voices to a campaign to secure £1 billion of infrastructure investment across North Wales and Cheshire.

The business leaders from across North Wales learned more about the Growth Track 360 campaign which is being led by a cross-border alliance of business, political and public sector leaders during the conference at Pontio, Bangor University’s new Arts and Innovation Centre.

The event, which was held by the North Wales Business Council, was a showcase for growth, innovation, and burgeoning commercial opportunities for the region.

Delegates gained valuable insights into the key drivers that will shape the North Wales economy over the next five years and heard how £20 billion of planned investment, alongside new technologies like 3D printing and ‘wonder material’ graphene, are opening up new markets and possibilities for business.

Ashley Rogers, Chairman of the North Wales Business Council and a member of the Rail Taskforce leading the Growth 360 campaign, said: “Over 300 delegates attended the Business Growth North Wales conference to learn more about emerging opportunities and the key growth spots in the region and we’re very pleased to have had the opportunity to showcase the region’s strengths and to have welcomed such a great line up of speakers to the conference.

“We’re delighted to see support for the Growth Track 360 campaign gaining real momentum and attracting attention from the business community across Wales and the North West. Good connectivity is critical to a healthy, growing economy - enabling the flow of goods and services, and crucially, helping companies attract and retain a talented, skilled workforce – and this was a great opportunity for businesses to hear more about how they can add their support to the campaign.

“Ensuring that people sign up and add their names to the Growth Track 360 campaign is vital and we want to encourage anyone who hasn’t signed up to do so!”

The Growth Track 360 campaign is being driven by the North Wales and Mersey Dee Rail Task Force (NW&MD) and has the backing of the region’s eight local authorities, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, the Mersey Dee Alliance, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, the North Wales Business Council and the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce.

The campaign is calling for:

The electrification of the line from Crewe to North Wales so the region can be linked to HS2 and fast London trains can continue to Bangor and Holyhead The doubling of frequency of trains between the North Wales Coast Line and Wrexham to Manchester through Chester The investment in new, modern, better equipped rolling stock Creating new services between Liverpool and Liverpool Airport to North Wales and Wrexham via Chester (Halton Curve) Doubling journey frequency between Wrexham and Liverpool via Deeside and Bidston

People can show their support for Growth Track 360, by adding their names to the online campaign at www.growthtrack360.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Bernard Stuart .