BRADFORD has benefitted from a near 70 per cent rise in foreign investment into the region over the past year, a new study shows.

According to the latest EY Attractiveness Survey, the district has attracted eight major overseas funded projects.

Yorkshire has seen more foreign investment than any year since 1997 with 83 deals recorded in 2015, the study by international auditors Ernst & Young reveals.

In Bradford, companies investing locally are: Indian-owned medical services provider Axxonet; German-owned chemicals producer BASF at Low Moor; French-owned Carnaud Metal Box Engineering in Shipley; banking support business Geoban UK, part of Spanish-owned banking group Santander; Swiss-owned conveyor belt maker Habasit UK at Silsden; US-owned greetings card firm Hallmark UK in Bradford; Finnish-owned chemicals manufacturer Kemira and Austrian-owned industrial gasket maker Klinger UK in Bradford.

Most of the investments made by Bradford-based companies were on expansion projects.

Investment incodues a 400,000 sq ft acrylamide production plant at Kemira’s Bowling Park Drive site which employs about 115 people. The £14 million expansion enables Kemira Chemicals UK to make products it currently has to buy in.

The largest ever investment at BASF’s Low Moor site, which employs 600 people, has secured its long-term future and created a flagship operation.

Foreign investment wins locally have been partly due to the work of Invest in Bradford, the council’s investment and enterprise team which advises on suitable premises, relocation, recruitment and skills and the availability of financial assistance.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council leader, said: “This is fantastic news for the district and proves that Bradford has a place on the global map for businesses wanting to set up in the UK. We have the benefits of affordable properties and attractive locations. Our Invest in Bradford team is providing valuable support.”