Sectors

Southampton’s maritime and logistics sector operates across the UK and the world, contributing £2.5bn to the UK economy in a typical year. This is set to increase as Southampton welcomes the launch of the Solent Freeport which is expected to attract £1bn investment to the region and create 16,000 local jobs, supporting the UK’s aspiration to be a Global Britain. 

The Port of Southampton is also the UK’s number one cruise port, welcoming on average two million cruise passengers every year. As the post pandemic recovery increases pace, the Port of Southampton aspires to grow and welcome more cruise companies, delivering a fifth green cruise terminal in 2021 that includes the latest technology, making it the UK’s greenest cruise terminal.

Southampton is home to the Headquarters of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, UK Ships Registry and the National Oceanography Centre and has recently welcomed the world-leading maritime innovator and robotics company Ocean Infinity to a new purpose-built riverside facility.

Dan Hook, Chief Technology Officer at Ocean Infinity, said:

"Southampton is well renowned as the maritime hub of the UK and that in itself along with the city’s rich maritime history, makes it a great place from which to launch our first remotely operated vessels."

There is an offering for those that enjoy all aspects of sailing and boats with the Southampton International Boat Show. Hosted by the city in September each year, the show typically attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually and showcases the best of the sailing and yachting world for commercial and leisure users.

Announced on 10 March 2022, the UK government has launched a new unit, UK SHORE, to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future. £206 million of new funding has been committed to accelerate research into and the development of clean maritime technologies and create skilled jobs across the country.

University Hospital Southampton (UHS) is a leading university teaching hospital, a centre of clinical academic excellence where new treatments are being discovered, new healthcare professionals are being trained and cutting edge developments are being put into practice.

The hospital operates across four locations in Southampton and provides services to over 1.9 million people living in Southampton and south Hampshire, as well as specialist services such as neurosciences, cardiac services and children's intensive care to more than 3.7 million people in central southern England and the Channel Islands.

UHS is a designated major trauma centre, and one of only two places in the south of England to offer adults and children full onsite major trauma care provision.

In Spring 2018 the University opened the Centre for Cancer Immunology, the UK’s first centre dedicated to cancer immunology research. Connected to leading institutions worldwide, this cutting-edge research hub enables our interdisciplinary teams to expand clinical trials, explore new areas and develop lifesaving drugs.

Southampton has two universities with a student population of approximately 46,000. Many students are international and will not only come to complete a degree course but also attend English language schools in the city before starting student life.

The University of Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, has worked on prominent COVID-19 research projects and is now ranked 77th in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

Solent University specialises in business, the creative sector, sport and marine studies. It’s Warsash Maritime School offers courses and training facilities ranked among the best in the world with training available to cover all aspects of a maritime career.

Both universities are key parts of the education and skills pipeline of exceptional university and college graduates who want to stay and work in the city with expertise in sectors such as AI, the Internet of Things and Marine and Maritime.

Southampton is home to a number of well-known financial service providers including Quilter, Starling Bank, and Benefex. These financial institutions are supported by a good selection of quality professional service providers including the “Big 4” Accountants and Legal firms.

Anne Boden, CEO of Starling Bank, said:

“What really attracts us to Southampton is its entrepreneurial spirit and its level of tech talent.”

There is a growing selection of innovative co-working spaces being developed across the city including Network Barclays Eagle Lab in partnership with Southampton City Council, Old Bond Store combining co-working space and a club membership approach, through to the Ocean Village Innovation Centre, Regus and Basepoint business centres.

Our 10-year vision is to develop tourism in Southampton to deliver exceptional experiences and transform people’s perceptions of our culturally diverse and vibrant city. Southampton will be known as a welcoming cultural destination, captivating cruise visitors, growing conferences and drawing on our stories to create memorable experiences for visitors and communities.

Southampton hotels offer a wide range of accommodation options from a family run Bed and Breakfast through boutique hotel’s like the Moxy Southampton to the luxury five-star Harbour Hotel located in Ocean village.

Southampton’s traditional dining and restaurant locations, Oxford Street and Ocean Village, have been bolstered following the launch of Westquay South, the new leisure and dining extension to Westquay in 2016, which boasts 50 cafés, bars and restaurants from Wagamama, Nando’s and Pizza Express to L’Osteria, Red Dog Saloon and Bill's, as well as a Showcase Cinema de Lux and Hollywood Bowl.

Westquay is an iconic shopping centre located in the heart of Southampton. It has an unparalleled reputation as a premier shopping, casual dining and leisure destination. Westquay is home to some of the top UK brands such as John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Apple and The Lego Store alongside over 70 other well-known retail favourites attracting an annual footfall of over 19 million.

Westquay is easily accessible, with rail, bus, and taxi stations nearby and a short distance to ferry links from its central city location. With 4,000 secure car parking spaces spread over two car parks, it provides a modern and evolving retail destination for shoppers of all ages.

The city also has an Ikea, and various other well-known brands located on the edge of the city centre, complimented by easy access parking and a short distance from Southampton Central Railway Station and National Express Coach station.

Southampton will soon feature new retail destinations at Maritime Gateway and Bargate Quarter, two new schemes coming forward in the city. These new shopping venues will complement the existing high street and provide new opportunities for businesses whilst giving residents and visitors to the city an even greater shopping experience.

The Southampton area ranks in Europe’s top five tech superclusters, ahead of Cambridge and Bristol, according to a 2019 report by estate advisers CBRE. High-tech employment has continued to grow in Southampton with growth of 15% between 2010 and 2016 and in 2017, Southampton’s turnover for digital tech businesses was £2.1b.

A pillar of Southampton’s tech sector, the Ordnance Survey has been at the cutting edge of geospatial technology for 225 years and has been headquartered in Southampton since 1841. Southampton is also home to artificial intelligence firm Senseye, carbon footprint management consultants Emitwise and M3 corridor fibre broadband provider toob among many other tech businesses and start-ups.

Southampton is a world renowned innovation hotspot, with Future Worlds and the Southampton Science Park providing advice, support and space to hundreds of start-ups leading to millions of pounds in investments.

Intelligent City

Southampton’s ‘Smart City’ credentials are established in Southampton City Council’s Intelligent City project, which aims to consolidate technological advancements and 5G broadband infrastructure to improve connectivity, quality of life and the city’s positioning as a tech capital for the south.

The council has engaged a range of local partners to define the vision and road map to become a Smart City. This is now being factored into the implementation of our new Local Plan and delivery of our Economic and Green Growth Strategy.