Southampton is home to a thriving and varied business scene. With an economy worth around £6 billion, it accounts for over 12% of the overall economy for Hampshire. While the city was impacted heavily by the 2008 economic downturn, it has seen rapid recovery in recent times - GVA increased by 18.8% from 2010 to 2015, a growth rate higher than that of the Hampshire region for the same period.
Southampton has strengths in sectors such as energy and environment, marine, aerospace, and financial and professional services.
The city is set to enjoy investment of £3 billion, which will see 24,000 new jobs being created and 5,000 homes being built by 2030, offering further business prospects in the region.
If you'd like to know which companies are making the biggest waves in the city of Southampton, take a look below. Our Southampton B2B data provides an intriguing look at the industries and specific businesses currently outperforming their competitors.
There are currently more than 7,400 enterprises across the city of Southampton, providing jobs for 127,000 people. The number of businesses grew by an impressive 9.7% between 2015 and 2016. The growth rate of micro businesses (0-9 employees) has been particularly strong, increasing by 30% from 2010 to 2016.
Southampton is an important retail hub for the south coast region, as well as a renowned centre for cruises - 1.5 million people enjoying cruises visit every year. Public administration, education and health is the sector with the most growth, at £348 million since 2010. This is followed by transport, distribution, accommodation and food at £320 million, and professional services at £109 million.
