Published in February 2019, The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s Drivers of Firm Relocation investigates the main drivers for the relocation of firms within the UK.

Based on an extensive literature review, 40 in-depth interviews and econometric analysis of the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR), the report explores the drivers of firm relocation in the modern UK economy. The report finds several factors, from the availability of labour and access to transport, to the perception of an area and quality of life, affect relocation decisions. The Report finds that the propensity of firms to relocate is relatively low. Most relocations are undertaken by smaller firms in sectors that require few fixed assets. Firms most often relocate for internal reasons (such as expansion or contraction). Overall firms placed access to transportation as the greatest factor for deciding to relocate.