Financial & Business Services
With 59,000 employees in the sector, Bristol is the hub of the financial and business services sector in the South West and one of the leading centres in the UK.
Bristol has long specialised in banking and mortgage provision, insurance/brokering and ethical finance. Leading companies include AXA Sun life, Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland, HBOS, DAS Legal and Triodos Bank. Now there is also a strong presence of international legal, accountancy and consulting firms including Osborne Clark, Beachcroft, Bevan Brittan LLP and KPMG.
HBOS (including Clerical Medical) is expanding its Bristol Headquarters by moving to the prestigious Canon's Marsh site on the newly regenerated Harbourside, which it will occupy by the end of 2007 with capacity to accommodate up to 1,700 staff.
This major new investment follows similar moves by Bank of Ireland (including Bristol & West), RBS and other companies occupying prime new grade A office space at Temple Quay next to Temple Meads station.
Academic research and expertise are also prominent and include the Bristol Centre for Management Accounting and Research and the Centre for Fiscal Studies at the University of Bath. The city region can also boast a lower cost base and good staff retention which can be an issue in other UK centres.
"Bristol has the third largest financial services sector outside London" (source UKTI)
