Opportunities arising from the creation of HS2 ‘need to be spread far and wide’, a new report has said.
High Speed Rail Industry Leaders (HSRIL), which represents tier one suppliers to the project, has launched a report looking at how the project can benefit local economies and create opportunities across the supply chain.
The report – High Speed Rail: Grasping the Opportunity - summarises the findings of a series of focus groups that HSRIL held with small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
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Can high speed rail help meet the skills challenge?
It also discusses the opportunities that businesses associate with the project and identifies its challenges.
It highlights four areas where HSRIL members can offer support to SMEs: ensuring that businesses have the right skills and resources; simplifying procurement processes; and building relationships and confidence for the opportunities long before tendering processes commence.
HSRIL will organise a national conference in Birmingham this summer to discuss ‘the particular contribution high speed rail can make to meeting the industry skills challenge’ and finalise a clear industry-wide response to the issue.
A HSRIL spokesperson said: ‘The delivery of HS2 will transform Britain’s transport networks, significantly improving capacity and connectivity as well as driving growth in local and regional economies. We want to ensure that all business big and small have the opportunity to benefit from the project.’
Last week’s launch of the report was supported by transport minister Robert Goodwill and Labour’s shadow transport secretary Lilian Greenwood.
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