Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Cornish entrepreneurs and engineers helped kick-start Britain's
first industrial revolution, but the decline of industries such as
mining and fishing brought severe challenges during the
1990s. As a result, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were
classified as an 'Objective One' region within the EU during the
period from 2000 until the end of 2007, enabling it to benefit from
major structural funding to improve its competitiveness.
Between 2000 and 2003, Cornwall's economic growth outstripped
most comparable EU regions, with GDP (gross domestic product) per
head rising by over 10%. The regeneration of parts of
Cornwall and the focused investment from the RDA have all
contributed towards this area’s next phase of development through
the EU 'Convergence'
funding (European Regional Development Fund) award of £445
million. The South West RDA is the managing authority for the
ERDF programme.
Major projects driven by the South West RDA in Cornwall
include:
The South West RDA's Area Director for Cornwall and the Isles of
Scilly is Theo Leijser. The Area Team is based at the RDA's Truro
Office.