• The dynamic business environment in the region consists of a unique mix of university research, new start-ups and major multi-nationals working in closely networked clusters. • The region is a huge economic success and has the third highest GDP in the UK, contributing £75 billion towards total UK GDP - over 10 percent of UK total. • An unrivalled environment for research, development and innovation. The East of England's expenditure on R&D is the highest in the UK, at over three percent of regional gross domestic product (GDP). • The East of England has ten universities, with the world-renowned University of Cambridge at the heart of research activities. • Of the region's 5.5 million population, 83 percent are economically active, more than the national 78 percent average. • The East of England is a logistically attractive location with an advanced network of roads, railways and airports to give access to London, the UK heartland, main markets of Europe, four international airports and seven major seaports. • Four international airports are located in the region: London Stansted, London Luton, Norwich and Cambridge, with London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London City up to 60 minutes drive away. • The seven major seaports, all of which face mainland Europe, handle over half of the UK's containerised traffic and offer state-of-the-art facilites to track goods as they enter or depart from the UK. • The East of England has a first class track record for inward investment success - over 1,600 foreign-owned companies are already established across the six counties of the region • Of these companies, over 500 are US businesses, representing the largest single source of investment. • The East of England's appeal to technology companies continues to attract the highest quality investment - despite the downturn in global technology markets. Cambridge is home to Microsoft's first research facility outside the US. Invest East of England is the inward investment agency for the region and has two key objectives: • To support companies considering investment in the East of England. • to work with investors to ensure they grow profitably in the region. For more information on how Invest East of England can help, visit www.investeastofengland.com