Australian investment in the UK - The common heritage shared by Australia and the United Kingdom, in terms of language, business culture, legal system and political and economic attitudes, has been instrumental in making the UK the first choice of a base in Europe for Australian investors. Over 70% of Australian investment in Europe is directed into the UK.
For Australian firms, the UK is not only an attractive market in its own right but a springboard for doing business in other parts of the European Union. The EU is now on the path of enlarging itself from 15 member states to perhaps 27. That step will create a single market of up to 500 million consumers – about 100 million more than now. It will be a bigger market than the United States and Russia combined.
As the world’s leading financial and business centre, London is a magnet for foreign investors. More foreign companies are listed on the London Stock Exchange than any other bourse and three hundred and seventy five of the world’s top 500 global companies have offices in the UK. For small to medium size Australian companies, a public listing on London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is routinely considered as part of their strategy to raise capital and internationalise their businesses.
A diverse range of Australian companies are already in the UK, ranging from world class multinationals in financial services and property development to leading edge e-commerce, software and biotechnology firms. AMP alone provides jobs for 5000 in the UK, the National Australia Bank’s subsidiaries at least 16,000 and Lend Lease for well over 5000. Cochlear, which designs and manufactures the world leading ‘bionic ear’ technology has moved its European marketing and logistics headquarters to the UK. And, in the IT sector, shareholder services company, Computershare, has its biggest single operation located outside Bristol in the UK.
UK Trade & Investment is the Government’s sole inward investment agency, representing the whole of the United Kingdom. It provides a single point of entry for advice and assistance.
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