The Gateway and Distribution Hub for Europe, Asia and North America

The Liverpool City Region's central location within the UK and its excellent road, rail, sea and air links provide advantages for shipping and freight forwarders, processors and manufacturers through to retailers and distribution firms.

The Port of Liverpool, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and the Manchester Ship Canal are all under common ownership, providing unique opportunities to integrate these three important assets.

Liverpool City Region also provides access to two-thirds of the UK population within a two hour drive, as well as direct rail connections to London and other major UK cities.

Key Industry Features and Benefits

• The Port of Liverpool is the largest Freeport Zone in the UK, handling around 34 million tonnes annually. It is the top UK port for UK-USA and UK-Canada container trade and the UK's third largest container port overall.
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) serves more than 650 destinations through its KLM service to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. One of the fastest growing regional airports in Europe, LJLA has carried 5.5million passengers over 12 months.
• Plans for the first post-Panamax container terminal on the UK's West Coast have been approved by the government. The £100million plus facility on the River Mersey will almost double container capacity at the Port of Liverpool, and has been described as the most significant development for the Port of Liverpool for more than 30 years.
• Merseyside provides access to an established rail freight network and construction of a direct link between Liverpool docks and the UK's central rail route, the West Coast mainline, has recently been approved. The docks are also being increasingly integrated with the Manchester Ship Canal, bringing massive logistical benefits.
• Freight is a vital part of Liverpool John Lennon Airport's business, with availability for night and day operations. Further development of the airport's cargo facilities is a key aspect of the airport's long-term masterplan.
• A new Mersey Maritime Institute is to develop a range of Port Operations and International Trade and Logistics simulators. These will use computer-generated scenarios to replicate real-life conditions.
• Sitting across the River Mersey opposite Liverpool, Wirral's waterfront has seen massive investment at Twelve Quays Ro-Ro terminal carrying freight and passengers to and from Belfast and Dublin.
• An online portal, ContainerPort, has been developed by the AIMES Centre (Advanced Internet Methods and Emergent Systems) at the University of Liverpool to give shipping and haulage companies more control over their operations and drive improved service levels. It features live web vehicle tracking, estimated times of arrival, improved transport visibility and electronic proof of delivery.
  
  Existing investors include: P&O, Maersk, DHL, ACL, Peel Holdings, Peel Ports, Stobarts (3MG), Potter Group, Coastal Container Line, SvG Intermol Ltd, Pleroma Distribution, Bahr Behrend, Denholm Shipping Services, NYK (Europe) Ltd, RH Freight Services, YA Logistics, Interport Logistics, Norse Merchant, QVC, Sainsbury's, Booker Belmont, Somerfield, Exel Logistics.
  
  Mersey Maritime, one of the leading organisations of its kind in Europe, is an industry support organisation for the Maritime sector.

To contact The Mersey Partnership's Investment Team, please call 0151 237 3931 or email