Facts & Figures

Important facts and figures about relocating to Glasgow's financial district

The International Financial Services District (IFSD) has created a highly attractive environment for indigenous and overseas firms in finance and related sectors.  As a pre-equipped business area, it is designed to allow fast track occupancy by financial firms seeking a new UK location for their operations.
The IFSD project is driven by a partnership between the public and private sectors.  Over £1 billion investment has been secured, over 90% from the private sector.
Since the launch of the IFSD, over 15,000 jobs have moved in to the District through new investment, expansion or diversified development.  This includes companies such as JP Morgan, esure and Morgan Stanley who have moved into the district and existing employers such as BNP Paribas which has expanded its operations.
Employers who have moved into the IFSD from other locations in Glasgow include Hymans Robertson, Clydesdale Bank, The Weir Group, British Steel Pensions Fund and ACCA.
Covering approx one square kilometre between St Vincent Street and the River Clyde, the IFSD is the catalyst for regenerating the Broomielaw and the west city centre area.
The IFSD is being developed by a partnership comprising Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Government, Scottish Development International, Scottish Financial Enterprise and a range of financial institutions and private sector property developers.
Two million sq ft of top quality grade A office space has been developed in the IFSD since 2001.
Glasgow has a strong heritage in the financial services sector with over 30,000 people working in the industry.
Greater Glasgow has 4 universities, 12 colleges, other specialist higher education centres and over 200,000 students in its travel to work area.
Glasgow offers a high quality pipeline of staff to employers in the IFSD.  Each year, 30,000 students study financial services related subjects at Glasgow institutions.  This includes three of the UK's top business schools at Strathclyde, Glasgow and Caledonian Universities.
Glasgow has a strong cluster in dedicated technology operations for the financial sector with companies like JP Morgan, National Australia Group and Ernst & Young benefiting from a pool of high quality computing science and software engineering graduates produced by local universities.
Glasgow is the Best UK retail centre (outside London) according to Experian's annual retail vitality index.
In Glasgow, one in thirteen employees works in the financial services sector where there has been a 34% growth in employment since 1995, making it Glasgow's fastest growing employment sector.
The IFSD offers access to a large pool of skilled labour with a workforce of 1.5 million living within its "travel to work area."
The IFSD in Glasgow has "assisted area" status, making it eligible for Regional Selective Assistance grants to support investment in capital or jobs.
The IFSD offers excellent communications links for staff with Glasgow offering among others, the largest suburban commuter rail network in the UK, outside London.
Complementary activities such as residential, commercial and leisure uses are being encouraged, bringing life and activity to the area outwith normal office hours.
Since 2001, over 1,000 leisure and retail jobs, 700 new residential units and over 1,300 new hotel bed spaces have been created in the IFSD.
The successful development of the IFSD and the overall regeneration of the city's economy has been recognised by a string of prestigious awards, nationally and internationally.  View a list of recent awards.
  1. Glasgow's International Financial Services District (IFSD) has created a highly attractive environment for indigenous and overseas firms in finance and related sectors.  As a pre-equipped business area, it is designed to allow fast track occupancy by financial firms seeking a new UK location for their operations.
  2. The IFSD project is driven by a partnership between the public and private sectors.  Over £1 billion investment has been secured to date, over 90% from the private sector.
  3. Since the launch of the IFSD, over 15,500 net new jobs have moved in to the District through new investment, expansion or diversified development. This includes companies such as JP Morgan, esure and Morgan Stanley which have moved into the district and existing employers such as Barclays Wealth and BNP Paribas which have expanded their operations substantially.  Other employers who have moved into the IFSD from other locations in Glasgow include Hymans Robertson, Clydesdale Bank, The Weir Group, British Steel Pensions Fund and ACCA.
  4. At the time of its launch in 2001, the IFSD covered approx one square kilometre between St Vincent Street and the River Clyde and it became the catalyst for rengerating the Broomielaw and the west city centre area.  Following its successful growth over the past eleven years, the Disitrct has expanded to the north, east and west to cover a wider area of Glasgow city centre and has now become the 'brand' for Glasgow's financial services community.
  5. The IFSD is being developed by a partnership comprising Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Government, Scottish Development International, Scottish Financial Enterprise, BT and a range of financial institutions and private sector property developers.
  6. Over 2.75 million sq ft of top quality grade A office space has been developed in the IFSD since 2001.
  7. Glasgow has a strong heritage in the financial services sector, with over 30,000 people working in the industry.
  8. Greater Glasgow has 4 universities, 12 colleges, other specialist higher education centres and over 200,000 students in its travel to work area.
  9. Glasgow offers a high quality pipeline of staff to employers in the IFSD. Each year, 30,000 students study financial services related subjects at Glasgow institutions.  This includes three of the UK's top business schools at Strathclyde, Glasgow and Caledonian Universities.
  10. Glasgow has a strong cluster in dedicated technology operations for the financial sector with companies like JP Morgan, National Australia Group and Ernst & Young benefiting from a pool of high quality computing science and software engineering graduates produced by local universities.
  11. Glasgow is the Best UK retail centre (outside London) according to Experian's annual retail vitality index.
  12. In Glasgow, one in thirteen employees works in the financial services sector where there has been a 34% growth in employment since 1995.
  13. The IFSD offers access to a large pool of skilled labour with a workforce of 1.5 million living within its "travel to work area."
  14. The IFSD in Glasgow has "assisted area" status, making it eligible for Regional Selective Assistance grants to support investment in capital or jobs.
  15. The IFSD offers excellent communications links for staff with Glasgow offering among others, the largest suburban commuter rail network in the UK, outside London.
  16. Complementary activities such as residential, commercial and leisure uses are being developed in the IFSD, bringing life and activity to the area outwith normal office hours.  Since 2001, 1,600 leisure and retail jobs, 700 new residential units and over 1,600 new hotel bed spaces have been created in the IFSD, along with 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure floorspace.
  17. The successful development of the IFSD and the overall regeneration of the city's economy has been recognised by a string of prestigious awards, nationally and internationally.  View a list of recent awards.