Devon County Council Business Areas, Sectors, Industries. Major Economic & Specialist Areas

Europe/ UK/ South West England/ Devon/ Devon County Council

Click on the sectors below for further information about each one:

Environmental technology

Food & drink production

Shipping & maritime

Tourism & leisure

Creative industries

Biotechnology

Biotechnology

Key Reasons:

Over the past decade, output has increased by almost 220% and the number of businesses has risen by 300% making it Devon’s fastest growing sector.
Biotechnology activity has spread throughout the county, with particularly strong clusters in Barnstaple, Exeter and Plymouth.
The sector is supported by a growing pool of highly skilled labour from educational institutions within the county that offer specialist courses in the sciences.
Research facilities, such as the Brixham Environmental Laboratory, collaborate with the business community, encouraging innovation, development and commercialisation.
Activity varies from the manufacture of basic pharmaceuticals to research and development in natural sciences and engineering.
Major companies include Actavis, Perrigo, AstraZeneca.

The South West region is known globally as an important centre for biomedical research and development, and Devon makes a significant contribution to the region’s biotechnology sector, with biomedical research centres at the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and large teaching hospitals present in the county. The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry conducts high-quality clinical research and education, which makes a significant contribution to the region's health, wellbeing and wealth creation.