Sectors

Norwich – and Norfolk – is a hub for advanced engineering, with over 95ha of development land available at established and very successful locations such as Hethel Engineering Centre and Norwich Airport. Both have ambitious development plans, and are offering attractive investment opportunities for advanced engineering, ancillary and aviation companies.

Financial, legal, professional, and business service companies are thriving in Norwich, a long-standing centre of excellence. From large-scale, global corporates including Aviva, to family-run businesses specialising in niche areas, more companies in this sector are making Norwich their home.

Norwich is home to the Norfolk and Norwich University (NNUH) Hospital; one of the biggest trusts in the country, employing more than 10,000 staff. The NNUH, along with University of East Anglia (UEA), Earlham Institute, Quadram Institute, John Innes Centre and the Sainsbury Laboratory make up Norwich Research Park; one of the largest single-site concentrations of research in food, genomics and health in Europe, with world-leading credentials.

Norwich’s creative, digital and tech industry is booming, with digital tech businesses at the heart of our region’s growing economy. The University of East Anglia and Norwich University of the Arts play a big role in the success of this industry, as well as the dynamic, innovative and supportive tech community in the area – which hosts regular meet-up events.

Norfolk is a global leader for offshore wind, with over £39bn of clean energy investment projected over the next 20 years. Norfolk has the world’s largest windfarm in development, and the proposed development of Sizewell C nuclear power station will create 25,000 jobs. There are many opportunities and a lot of investment in the Norwich and Norfolk area in Energy and Environment.

Opportunities for construction and property businesses in Norwich and Norfolk are ample, with North Norfolk recently listed as a top 10 property growth hotspot. We have a large and diverse property development sector, specialising in Passivhaus and sustainable design. Our strong economy and location for housing has driven economic success in the sector, with significant levels of employment across all related industries – employing approximately 70,000 people and supporting over 10,000 companies.

Norwich’s hospitality, retail, and tourism sectors are thriving. In Norfolk, they support over 54,000 jobs and contribute £3 billion to the local economy. In 2023, tourism alone generated £769.5M in Norwich and welcomed over 2.2 million visitors (Economic Impact of Tourism, 2023). This surge in footfall has fueled growing demand for cafés, hotels, restaurants, and event spaces, strengthening hospitality’s role as a key driver of Norwich’s local economy.