Leading the way for investment and growth, it
is at the heart of one of the strongest regional economies outside of London,
is the UK’s top-performing city for business scale-ups
has the most active regional venture capitalist fund
welcomes and supports businesses to thrive and grow.
Leeds is culturally diverse, richly creative and perfectly located, with easy access to the famously stunning countryside that is Yorkshire, the largest county in the UK spanning 2.9 million acres.
Located at the heart of the UK’s Northern Powerhouse, Leeds has superb transport links nationally and internationally.
A leading city for digital, data and tech industries, it is also headquarters to the world’s largest healthcare system – the NHS, and its academic research is globally-leading.
Its dynamic new Innovation Arc is creating a world-class hub for research, innovation and technology in health and life sciences.
The forthcoming, state-of-the-art new hospital development will transform healthcare for the region is forecast to create 4,000 jobs and bring economic benefits of £13 billion for the city and region.
Leeds’ strong and diverse talent pool includes 75,000 students, many of whom are among the region’s 17,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates each year.
With a collective ambition to be the best city in the UK in which to live and work, this is a city working in partnership to
"Leeds is a brilliant city - the fastest growing in the UK and in a recent Top 100 global trailblazer cities for innovation. Much of its success is because we put our Team Leeds ethos into practice and work across sectors to innovate. That is, to keep innovation, partnership and inclusion at the heart of everything we do."
3rd largest and fastest growing city in the UK
One of the top UK cities for high-growth companies
Top city for business start ups
Part of the 15 million people in the Northern Powerhouse.
A £40m global innovation community
1 partnership across health and care
3 NHS Trusts, together providing care in mental health, in the community and – via one of Europe’s largest teaching hospitals trusts – highly specialised care.
60,000 people employed across health and care
unique citywide online learning
A world-leader in AI
Home to more than 3000 digital and data companies
Hosts one of the world’s first digital pathology cooperatives
3 major universities
World leading health research
Home to one of the top 3% of European universities
One of the UK’s largest further education colleges
Welcoming around 75,000 students
Part of the region’s 17,000 STEM graduates per year
UK’s 3rd largest cohort of digital analysts
£60bn GVA
Investment growth in healthtech businesses from £2m to £30m
(2018 – 2023)
600 health and life sciences firms, 250 medtech companies, 65
digital health firms
and more than 190,000 people working in this sector
Part of a £160m West Yorkshire Healthcare and Digital Tech Investment Zone
17,000 STEM graduates per year
