YOUNG, growing businesses and start-ups in the South and South East are set to benefit from a strong support system under plans by the South East England Development Agency.

Proposals for a network of enterprise hubs in Hampshire and other parts of the South have been highlighted at a development agency conference attended by many of the region's business leaders and local authorities.

Under the proposals, a network of 25 to 30 hubs across the region will set out to provide an effective local support network for successful, innovative and far sighted entrepreneurs and give individual entrepreneurs more influence in their local communities to create a business environment in which they can thrive and prosper. They also aim to drive innovation and enterprise, and stimulate the growth of small businesses, and develop local clusters of businesses in specific industries.

The first six hubs to be funded by the agency are to be announced in April, and a rolling programme of hub creation will be introduced over the next three to five years.

Locations have still to be finalised, but among sites earmarked for future development are the Isle of Wight, Blackwater Valley, Fareham, Gosport, Crawley and Gatwick, Chichester, East Malling, Ashford and the former Greenham Common airbase. Each enterprise hub will have a specific focus - Thanet aims to create a cluster of bioscience and specialist manufacturing businesses, in Canterbury the focus will be on financial services and in Southampton on media and communications.

Business champions, each of whom is highly respected in their local community or field, are being selected to drive forward the plans.

Director of enterprise development Barrie Giles said: "Enterprise hubs will make a real difference to business development."

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