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The M4 corridor is the area in the United Kingdom adjacent to the M4 motorway, which runs from London to South Wales.^[1] The area is a major hub for high-technology companies.^[2][3] Technology companies with major operations located in the area include Citrix Systems, Dell, Huawei, Lexmark, LG, Novell, Nvidia, Panasonic, SAP and Symantec.^[3]

Important cities and towns in the area include Bath, Bracknell, Bristol, Cardiff, Maidenhead, Reading, Newbury, Newport, Slough, Swansea and Swindon. The area is served by the M4 Motorway, the Great Western Main Line, including the South Wales Main Line, and London Heathrow Airport.^[4]

England[link]

Reading International Business Park

The eastern end of the English M4 corridor is home to a large number of technology companies, particularly in Berkshire, Swindon and the Thames Valley. For this reason this part of the M4 Corridor is sometimes described as England's "Silicon Valley".^[1] Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell and Newbury are the main towns in the Berkshire stretch of the M4.

Reading is home to many information technology and financial services businesses, including Cisco, Microsoft, ING Direct, Oracle, Prudential, Yell Group and Ericsson. Vodafone is located in Newbury, O2 plc is in Slough and the headquarters of Hutchison 3G UK are in Maidenhead.

Investment has gradually spread westwards since the 1980s. In the west the interchange of the M4 motorway and M5 motorway at the Almondsbury Interchange near Bristol had seen considerable growth of industries by the mid 1990s, in adjoining areas where, for example, the headquarters of Orange is located.

Wales[link]

The Second Severn Crossing, which carries the M4 motorway between England and Wales.

The Digital Technium at Swansea University

The major Welsh cities along the M4 corridor are Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. South Wales is a significant industrial heartland of the UK. The 1980s and 1990s saw the development of the Swansea Enterprise Park. The Celtic Manor Resort located adjacent to the M4 in Newport has undergone significant investment and successfully hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup. Newport is home to factories for many electronics firms, such as Panasonic and Alcatel. The 1990s also saw significant investment in Cardiff such as in Cardiff Gate and the Cardiff Bay area. One site of note on the M4 Corridor is Port Talbot Steelworks - the largest steel producer in the UK and one of the biggest steel producers in Europe.^[5]

The opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996 resulted in the previous M4 and bridge, serving Chepstow, being renumbered the M48, although the area is still generally considered as falling within the M4 corridor.

Since the start of the 21st Century there has been evidence of more investment west of Cardiff, such as:

• Port Talbot
  • Aberavon Beach
  • Baglan Industrial Park
  • Baglan Energy Park
  • 33-acre (130,000 m²) Amazon.co.uk fulfilment centre at Crymlyn Burrows
• Swansea
  • Maritime Quarter
  • SA1 development
  • Swansea Vale
  • Felindre
• Llanelli
  • Dafen/Llanelli Gate
  • Parc Hendre
  • Parc Trostre and Parc Pemberton
  • Llanelli Waterside - including North Dock and Delta Lakes
  • Ffos Las racecourse
• Cross Hands
  • Cross Hands Food Park
  • Cross Hands Business Park

Despite recent development the M4 corridor still has within it some of the poorest areas in Western Europe as well as the wealthiest.

See also[link]

• Silicon Fen
• Silicon Glen
• Silicon Gorge
• South Wales Main Line

References[link]

v t e Economy of the United Kingdom World economy Companies Co-operatives Employee-owned companies FTSE 100 Index FTSE 250 Index FTSE Fledgling Index FTSE SmallCap Index Government-owned companies Currency, governance and regulation Bank of England Governor of the Bank of England Budget Company law Competition Commission Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Financial Services Authority Gilts HM Revenue and Customs HM Treasury Chancellor of the Exchequer Monetary Policy Committee Office for Budget Responsibility Office of Fair Trading Pound sterling Banknotes Coinage Taxation UK Debt Management Office UK Statistics Authority UK Trade & Investment History 1926 general strike 2008 bank rescue package 2009 bank rescue package Agricultural Revolution Big Bang Black Wednesday Corn Laws Economic geography Free trade Gold standard Great Depression Industrial Revolution Late-2000s recession List of recessions Long Depression Marshall Plan Nationalization Navigation Acts New Imperialism Panic of 1796–1797 Privatization Second Industrial Revolution Winter of Discontent Nations, regions and cities England Atlantic Gateway Birmingham Big City Plan Bristol Cornwall Croydon Croydon Vision 2020 Devon Expansion plans for Milton Keynes Fishing Leeds List of counties by GVA Liverpool London East London Tech City London Plan M4 corridor M11 Corridor Manchester Reading Sheffield Silicon Fen Thames Gateway Tourism Transport Northern Ireland Belfast Transport Scotland Aberdeen Agriculture Edinburgh Fishing Oil and gas Renewable energy Silicon Glen Tourism Transport Whisky Wales Cardiff (Cardiff Bay) Swansea Tourism Transport People and labour Billionaires Businesspeople Demography Income Poverty Labour law Equal opportunities Minimum wage Working Time Directive Pensions Trade unions Trades Union Congress Unemployment Sectors Agriculture Cinema Construction Education Energy North Sea oil Renewable energy Forestry Gambling Healthcare Internet Manufacturing Aerospace Automotive Pharmaceuticals Media Television Mining Science and technology Telecommunications Tourism Transport Aviation Financial services Baltic Exchange Banking Canary Wharf The City Euronext.liffe Glasgow International Financial Services District Insurance Lloyd's of London LCH.Clearnet London Interbank Offered Rate London Metal Exchange London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market Trade and business organisations Business and employer associations British Bankers' Association British Chambers of Commerce Confederation of British Industry EEF the manufacturers organisation Federation of Small Businesses Industry trade groups Institute of Directors UKPA Category  Commons

v t e Science and technology in the United Kingdom Economy of the United Kingdom Official bodies and personnel Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence · Council for Science and Technology · DESG (Defense Engineering and Science Group) · Defence Science and Technology Laboratory · Food and Environment Research Agency · Forensic Science Service · Government Office for Science (Chief Scientific Adviser) · Intellectual Property Office · List of UK government scientific research institutes · Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology · Science and Technology Select Committee · UK Research Councils (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences • Engineering and Physical Sciences • Medical • Natural Environment • Science and Technology Facilities) · UK Space Agency Industry sectors Aerospace (British space programme) · Automotive · Computers · Nuclear technology · Pharmaceutical · Renewable energy · Telecommunications Non-governmental bodies Education and museums Science museums (National Museum of Science and Industry • National Space Centre) · Universities (List • Golden Triangle • Russell Group) Societies and professional bodies British Science Association · Engineering Council · Engineering Professors' Council · Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine · Royal Academy of Engineering · Royal Aeronautical Society · Royal Entomological Society of London · Royal Institution (Christmas Lectures) · Royal Society · Royal Society of Chemistry · Science Council · Society of Biology Other Campaign for Science and Engineering · EngineeringUK · Science Media Centre · Wellcome Trust People Engineers · Inventors · Nobel laureates · Science writers · Scientists · Technology writers Places East London Tech City · M4 corridor · Science parks · Silicon Fen · Silicon Glen · Silicon Gorge · Sites of Special Scientific Interest Other Inventions · Science and technology awards · Science and technology magazines · JANET · National Science Week Category ·  Commons

Coordinates: 51°30′N 1°30′W / 51.5°N 1.5°W / 51.5; -1.5

Jet O'Rourke is a Melbourne-based musician from Adelaide. He started performing in Adelaide and released a solo ep, Are Ya Gettin' On? which reached #93 on the ARIA Singles Chart.^[1] He later relocated to Melbourne where he formed The Gear with Damian Gibson and Brett Wolfenden (later replaced by Leigh Baines). The Gear won a spot on the Coke Live 'N Local tour^[2] and released an EP in 2005. The Gear EP was produced by 5- time Aria Award winner^[3] Paul McKercher (You Am I, Little Birdy, Eskimo Joe, Augie March).

The Gear toured the United States and Canada during 2006 and 2007, most notably performing shows to audiences at Canadian Music Week (Toronto), and SXSW Austin, Texas. The bands received added support and radio airplay on KROQ-FM from renowned L.A. DJ and pal Rodney Bingenheimer.^[4]

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Are Ya Gettin' On? (2003) Warner Music Australia

1. Fight the Good Fight (Single)
2. Take What I Need
3. What's gonna make you smile
4. Are Ya Gettin' On
5. Goodnight for Good

The Gear[link]

• The Gear EP (2005) Independent

1. I've Got Trouble (Single)
2. Eight Arms To Hold You
3. Always Changin'
4. Faces At Me

References[link]