by Paul Murphy, chief executive of York Inward investment Board

This year has been York Inward Investment Board's most successful period yet.

It started with the arrival of CPP Card Protection Plan at Holgate Park. Their first recruits began training - at Lowfield School - in January, and they took their first 'live' call in March.

I remember some people expressing scepticism that the company would carry on recruiting staff at a rate of 150 a year. In fact, less than 12 months later, they currently employ more than 330 staff.

We shall shortly be welcoming the bulk of CPP's senior management to York. Their impressive new building is growing week by week at Holgate Park.

This was also the first full year of the Science City York project. Working with our colleagues in that team, we have been able to use this initiative to articulate York's credentials in new and very powerful ways to a worldwide audience.

We have given presentations about Science City in Taiwan and on both coasts of America. The combination of ultra-modern industries against the backdrop of our unique heritage, creates a very resonant image.

It will take time for this project to bear fruit, but I have no doubt that, provided the city and the university continue to work together, York is capable of becoming a global base for R&D companies.

We could become a Cambridge of the North - but having learnt Cambridge's lessons and without repeating the mistakes that have led to that city's planning and transport problems.

As part of that initiative, we have been pleased to welcome a number of new high technology companies to York.

These include Berkeley Process Control, whose headquarters are in California, but whose European head office is now on York Science Park.

We have also seen the arrival of Pivotal Laboratories, a new bioscience company at Clifton Moor. And there have been many more - more than 150 jobs, all told.

Nor have we been neglecting York's existing major employers. We work with the City of York Council in situations where our services can add value, and it has been particularly pleasing to watch CGU's continued expansion in York, with two new property acquisitions in the last 12 months. They now employ more than 2,000 people in this city.

Property brings me to my final reflection - which has less to do with inward investment in the short term, but which could prove to be a very significant factor in the longer term.

When I first took this job two and a half years ago, I had virtually no vacant modern property on my books.

It was sometimes hard to convey just how odd this made York look. Potential investors don't want to see green fields and drawings - they want to see serviced sites and buildings ready to occupy now.

I am pleased to say there has been a major turn-around in the last six months.

I now have available vacant properties or committed schemes totalling more than 150,000 square feet, all built on a speculative basis. The development market now has confidence in York - and we must repay that confident by filling that space and bringing jobs to the city.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.