Industrial Strategy

The H&F Industrial Strategy – called Economic Growth for Everyone – reflects our ambition to make our borough the best place to do business in Europe. And to ensure that everyone benefits, not just a favoured few.
Building shared prosperity
- Booming borough benefits all with shared prosperity by Cllr Andrew Jones
- Local government can help business thrive during Brexit by Cllr Stephen Cowan

Hammersmith & Fulham is changing rapidly and we’re determined to seize the opportunities for everyone.
We believe local government has a role in supporting growth. It can bring partners together, regenerate town centres, help with affordable workspaces, teach people the skills they need, use procurement to support local firms and much more. In Hammersmith & Fulham, we want to use the power of local government to create a borough able to compete with the best in the 21st century.
Read our Industrial Strategy (pdf 2.6MB)
The strategy also includes:
- How we will make it easier for savvy entrepreneurs to start a business, creating more affordable workspaces, exploring business rates cuts for key sectors, and creating a new venture capital fund to support tech and creative businesses
- Details of major regeneration and infrastructure schemes, including delivering 10,000 new homes, half of which will be affordable, as well as improvements to rail links and the station at Old Oak Common
- Our investment in local skills, with extra support for science and maths teachers and apprenticeships.
Ground-breaking partnership with Imperial College London
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has unveiled a new partnership with Imperial College London to boost local bio-tech, digital and creative businesses.
The partnership is part of our new Industrial Strategy and includes actions on how we will boost enterprise, innovation, skills and infrastructure locally. The centrepiece is the ambitious new partnership with Imperial, based in White City, to drive economic growth and innovation.
Our new partnership with Imperial will help support the development of a world-class innovation ecosystem, fuelled by close collaboration between academics, businesses, entrepreneurs and residents.
Imperial’s new White City Campus includes a major new facility for innovation the Translation and Innovation Hub (I-HUB) – a space for corporate partners, fast-growth and start-up companies to work side-by-side with Imperial academics in modern office and laboratory space, and translate research outcomes into commercial applications.
Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College London, said: “Collaboration is at the heart of Imperial’s strategy. At our White City Campus, we are building a dynamic environment where academics work alongside corporate and community partners to drive discovery, promote entrepreneurship, inspire young people, and develop solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
“We look forward to working with H&F Council to explore new opportunities for growth and innovation in this vibrant community.”
Why H&F?
Hammersmith & Fulham is already home to a thriving business community, including global companies such as GE, Disney, and L’Oreal. However, the borough also has one of the highest concentration of start-up firms.
As a result, we are focusing on accelerating growth in key sectors where there are already pockets of innovation. This includes in the digital sector (approximately 2,000 local businesses) and in creative industries (more than 4,000 local firms), as well as in the television industry where H&F has the highest concentration of companies in the UK. The borough is also nurturing a small but significant presence in life sciences, with 30 such firms operating in the borough.
The many benefits within our borough include H&F’s location halfway between Heathrow and the city and the West End, and its many transport links. They include 14 tube stations, two motorways, and current work to build Europe’s biggest train station at Old Oak Common which will provide an interchange between HS2 and Crossrail.
On top of this, there is a thriving media and arts scene such as the BBC, Endemol and Disney, as well as the renowned Shepherds Bush and Lyric theatres, the Apollo and LAMDA.
What businesses say
Michael Lewis, Executive Chairman of iPlato Healthcare, a cloud based mobile health company based in Hammersmith Grove which connects patients with their doctors through the convenience of an app, said:
“H&F Council has created an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurs, and mixes convenience, a great location, as well as excellent leisure and communications facilities. It’s a unique environment that enables us to attract and retain quality staff.
“With access to multinational, highly skilled employees, and located in an environment that makes it easy to find staff, being in H&F has enabled us to double the size of our business every year.”
Dr Mark Oleynik, Founder and CEO of Moley Robotics in Hammersmith, which has created a robotic kitchen, said:
“Being surrounded by tech companies and start-ups creates an atmosphere that really encourages innovation.
“We already have a great relationship with H&F Council, who have supported us from the start, and welcome the industrial strategy which is sure to make this area an even better place for business to grow.”
Simon Hay, Founding Partner of Firefly Learning in Hammersmith, an online tool bringing together teachers, students and parents, said:
“Firefly was founded in an office the size of a lift. We now work with hundreds of schools all over the UK and internationally. We decided to stay in H&F due to the area’s excellent transport links, and the high quality amenities, pubs, shops and restaurants which make it a great place to work.
“When we started out, the kind of support that H&F Council sets out in its industrial strategy would have been invaluable – the strategy will certainly make it easier for start-ups like ours to innovate and grow.”
Nick McCooke, Chief Business Officer of DNAe in White City, a next-generation diagnostics company developing simple and fast clinical genomic tests to support treatment decisions, commented:
“We moved to White City as a young start-up team and instantly felt part of a community. We have since been able to expand our team here in H&F – and will be adding further new jobs over the coming 12 months.
“The location has been perfect not only for attracting local talent but also to act as our global HQ - we have facilities in California, so access to Heathrow as well as into the city and to Imperial is ideal. H&F Council’s support and excellent transport links in the area have been instrumental in our growth.
“The investment in skills and local infrastructure set out in the council’s strategy will be invaluable to new start-ups in the life sciences sector.”
A better place to live and work
To make the borough an even better place to live and work, major improvements are planned to the town centre with new offices and leisure activities, as well as a new public square.
Other measures include:
- the Local Plan, which will deliver 10,000 homes, half of which will be genuinely affordable
- harnessing the growth driven by the opening of the Queen Elizabeth line, connecting to HS2 at Old Oak Common
- supporting Westfield’s expansion, ensuring that the jobs in the 70 new stores are for local residents
- supporting the resident-run HF ArtsFest and street festivals
- adopting a licensing approach that supports a vibrant night-time economy.
Read more
- Industrial Strategy related news stories
- Building genuinely affordable homes on the Springvale estate (06/10/2020)
- H&F showcases leading tech firms at London Tech Week (09/09/2020)
- Local businesses shine in new Shop Local Shop Safe video (02/09/2020)
- Local businesses help kickstart local economy with safe and innovative new ideas (31/07/2020)
- H&F Council leads economic recovery with 185 new genuinely affordable homes in White City (24/07/2020)
- Local businesses thrive outdoors thanks to new Our Space is Your Space scheme (17/07/2020)
- Fruit-tastic! Local artists brighten up North End Road with new market-inspired crossing (10/07/2020)
- Local businesses – Our space is your space (26/06/2020)
- H&F launches new Patch business support scheme with help of local community (18/06/2020)
- Calling all businesses! Get involved in our Shop Local Shop Safe campaign (15/06/2020)
- Adapting public spaces to make travel safer and support H&F businesses (15/05/2020)
- Local businesses and organisations pull out all the stops for residents in need (07/05/2020)
- Grants are on the way to struggling H&F businesses (10/04/2020)
- H&F’s eco-cargo bike delivery service hits 1,000 parcels (11/03/2020)
- Award-winning local fashion designer puts Made in H&F on the map (21/02/2020)
- Because H&F is worth it! Beauty giant L’Oréal moves to White City (29/01/2020)
- Not in Kansas anymore! American business opens in renovated Wood Lane Arches (16/01/2020)
- IKEA to open city centre store in Hammersmith (10/01/2020)
- Hammersmith entrepreneur lands life-changing deal with help of local business network (19/12/2019)
- Eat, drink and be merry at North End Road Christmas Market (29/11/2019)
- H&F is a growing hotbed for artisans and craftspeople says new Fulham business (26/11/2019)
- And the winner is… Local businesses honoured at H&F Brilliant Business Awards (22/11/2019)
- AWARDS: Local businesses named in H&F Brilliant Business awards shortlist (15/11/2019)
- Is Hammersmith the New Hollywood? (01/11/2019)
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Local artists and designers celebrate first-year anniversary at Made in H&F pop-up (30/10/19)
- New science and technology school and sixth form set to open in Fulham (17/10/19)
- AWARDS TIME: Enter your business into the H&F Brilliant Business Awards (30/09/19)
- New Crowther Community Garden space sits nicely with local residents in North End Road (26/09/19)
- BIO-TECH FESTIVAL: Fashion meets bio-tech on catwalk in Shepherds Bush (23/09/19)
- Turn your engines off! Head to car-free North End Road Autumn Festival (17/09/19)
- WORLD CAR FREE DAY: H&F Council celebrates with pedestrian-friendly events (06/09/19)
- Lidl set to arrive at Kings Mall in Hammersmith (14/08/19)
- VOTE NOW: Nominate your favourite local business in H&F Brilliant Business Awards (01/08/19)
- Hong Kong fashion giant leaves Marylebone for White City (23/07/19)
- Give us your views on future improvements to North End Road (04/07/19)
- Battle of the Bands ready to rock North End Road’s traffic-free summer market (20/06/19)
- TECH WEEK: Leading minds talk tech in White City (13/06/19)
- TECH WEEK: Young innovators learn the art of coding in White City (13/06/19)
- Funnyman Tim Key bets on a surprise at Shepherds Bush Comedy Festival (10/06/19)
- H&F Council gives local entrepreneurs chance to cook up a storm in White City (04/06/19)
- ArtsFest is back! Local artists take over H&F with nine-day festival (23/05/19)
- Who’s got the best lunch in Hammersmith? (23/05/19)
- It’s back! Shepherds Bush Comedy Festival brings the laughs (20/05/19)
- Feast your eyes on our new Hammersmith food festival (16/05/19)
- Shepherds Bush tattoo artists celebrate first birthday in new shop (08/05/19)
- Two-day food festival in Hammersmith will delight your tastebuds (02/05/19)
- Revolutionary ‘solar leaf’ will purify White City’s air (29/04/19)
- Building work to start on the new Sands End Arts and Community Centre (25/04/19)
- London’s hottest new music venue and event space to open in White City (23/04/19)
- Sunday...Funday! Traffic-free North End Road Spring Market is coming to town (28/03/19)
- Made in H&F pop-up shop is back! Come and see the new line-up of local artists and designers in Hammersmith (19/03/19)
- Up the Chimni! New digital tool can help tackle your home’s paperwork (12/03/19)
- SUCCESS STORIES: WorkZone helps young people get their foot on career ladder (27/02/19)
- Our seasonal North End Road markets bag Great British Market award (11/02/19)
- Boost your business at the free H&F Means Business event (11/02/19)
- Posh Spice and ITV choose H&F as it remains a number one hit with businesses in London (31/01/19)
- A popping success! Local entrepreneurs thrive at Made in H&F pop-up shop (31/01/19)
- Help shape the future of North End Road – take our online survey (23/01/19)
- Ground-breaking bio-tech firm leaves King’s Cross for White City’s thriving tech district (16/01/19)
- Imperial builds new research hubs and affordable homes in White City (15/01/19)
- Local entrepreneurs hail Petit Miracles effect (12/12/18)
- Christmas is coming early this year at the car-free North End Road festive market (06/12/18)
- L’Amorosa in Hammersmith retains coveted Michelin award (06/12/18)
- Major pharmaceutical company chooses White City for new HQ (04/12/18)
- Have yourself a merry little car-free Hammersmith Christmas Market this weekend (29/11/18)
- Sleigh bells ring, are you listening... the traffic-free Hammersmith Christmas market is coming to town (20/11/18)
- H&F agrees 646 new genuinely affordable homes at Gasworks for Fulham residents (19/11/18)
- Local businesses shine at H&F Brilliant Business Awards (12/11/18)
- Looking for an affordable co-working space? Look no further! (06/11/18)
- Record number of businesses enter this year’s H&F Brilliant Business Awards (31/10/18)
- Don’t let Brexit mess with your business! Tell us your thoughts with our Brexit business survey (31/10/18)
- Pop in! New exciting pop-up space for local artists and designers opens in Hammersmith (30/10/18)
- Happy birthday Westfield! Shopping centre invests £2.3billion into White City (20/10/18)
- Co-working bio-tech hub creates new jobs in H&F’s tech district (17/10/18)
- The world’s first dedicated bio-tech accelerator continues to break ground in White City (11/10/18)
- Work begins on another 427 new homes for residents in London’s most exciting new neighbourhood (09/10/18)
- Local residents to get first call on new Westfield homes (25/09/18)
- White City Incubator creates more than 100 jobs in H&F’s thriving tech district (13/09/18)
- Inaugural biotech festival opens in Shepherds Bush (31/08/18)
- Open Cell launches affordable biotech hub in Shepherds Bush (31/08/18)
- Hammersmith social enterprise leads the world in business volunteering support (27/07/18)
- Gigglebyte comedy festival comes to White City tech firms (16/07/18)
- White City bags biggest office let in London as Publicis moves in (13/07/18)
- WORLD CUP 2018: H&F pubs and bars set to be the busiest in London (09/07/18)
- Major biotech firm and Airbus agree moves to White City (06/07/18)
- Work starts to build genuinely affordable homes in Emlyn Gardens (06/07/18)
- Hammersmith charity helps entrepreneurs do the right thing (03/07/18)
- Westfield London launches free summer series of arts and culture events at new Pavilion (02/07/18)
- Young people can spend the summer inventing at Imperial College (21/06/18)
- Food hall breathes new life back into iconic landmark in Fulham (15/06/18)
- Silent Witness is back as H&F remains a box office hit in the world of TV and cinema (07/06/18)
- The transformation of White City has really taken off (04/06/18)
- H&F Means Business event proves a real hit with local businesses (16/05/18)
- Britain’s Got Talent live shows come to Hammersmith Apollo (15/05/18)
- Our seasonal markets are hotspots for budding entrepreneurs (15/05/18)
- Get a helping hand from H&F Council winning lucrative construction contracts (15/05/18)
- Cheers! New H&F pubs and bars boost booming night-time economy (14/05/18)
- White City is London’s next tech powerhouse (14/05/18)
- New cinema, new public square and redevelopment of Hammersmith Town Hall (18/04/18)
- Fulham FC to expand Riverside stand and open Thames Path (21/03/18)
- £600million Westfield London expansion opens (20/03/18)
- Hundreds of genuinely affordable homes planned for White City (19/03/18)
- Forty-five genuinely affordable homes come to White City (19/03/18)
- White City first area to get ultra-fast broadband in H&F (16/03/18)
- Firms in White City stream ahead with new ultra-fast fibre broadband (16/03/18)
- Work begins to build 30 genuinely affordable homes in Fulham (12/03/18)
- Fulham celebrates as work begins on new Sands End Arts and Community Centre (09/03/18)
- H&F gives £50k to Petit Miracles Hub to help budding entrepreneurs (27/02/18)
- Lidl opens at West12 Centre in Shepherds Bush (23/02/18)
- Million-pound improvements on the way for North End Road – help shape the next steps (16/02/18)
- Tech start-ups thrive in new White City innovation district (14/02/18)
- Hammersmith trader backs new King Street cinema plans (26/01/18)
- Businesses boom in H&F as firms rush for office space (24/01/18)
- Local traders win big contracts with H&F Council help (18/01/18)
- Over 8,000 jobs up for grabs at Westfield for residents (16/01/18)
- Finding a new job need not be hard work: How H&F WorkZone can help (12/01/18)
- 16,000 visitors flock to new Hammersmith Christmas Market (07/12/17)
- Imperial White City Incubator has the love for local entrepreneurs (23/11/17)
- First glimpse of two new stations for H&F (17/11/17)
- Ultra-fast broadband for businesses comes to H&F (08/11/17)
- H&F agreement with BT will see high-speed broadband reach more than 2,000 more homes and offices (02/11/17)
- New affordable workspaces on offer in Hammersmith (26/10/17)
- High-flying tech firm expands Hammersmith HQ (06/10/17)
- Eat, work and play at daring new food court in Kings Mall (13/09/17)
- Local businesses back H&F industrial strategy (28/07/17)
- ITV switches over to White City (28/06/17)
- New I-HUB signals Hammersmith & Fulham’s bid to be the best place for jobs and business growth in Europe (04/11/16)
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