This number of successful project wins was similar to the previous year, albeit the value of the investments and the number of jobs created was higher. Some of the larger investments were in high value projects providing skilled jobs including research and development.
Most projects were in the Business, Professional and Financial Services sectors, closely followed by Information Technology & Electronic Communications and Life Sciences & Healthcare.
The EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Asia Pacific regions were the largest sources of inward investment into the Coast to Capital region. However, existing investors accounted for the majority of projects, demonstrating that Coast to Capital continues to be a strong location for those businesses already established in the region.
Trade and Investment Minister Lord Maude of Horsham said: "2014 was an exceptional year for UK inward investment and we are proud to be bucking the global trend. The UK is a great place for entrepreneurs and corporations to put their energy, their ideas, their money and their talents to work."
Tim Wates, Coast to Capital chairman said: "The Coast to Capital regional economy has seen a strong performance over the past year. These FDI investments have been driven by the exceptional business environment in the region and by the outstanding quality of life offered here.
"More than 1,720 foreign owned businesses are located here and our aim is to build on this strength, particularly in our priority sectors, by showing that we can offer one of the most dynamic business environments in the country.
The examples of expansion by Roche in Burgess Hill and by BMW /Rolls Royce in Goodwood demonstrate that we have the potential for growth in our more rural centres to complement the progress being achieved within our urban cities such as Croydon and Brighton."
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