The Isle of Wight, a British island located just off the southern coast, faces economic challenges as major employers downsize operations. Vestas, a Danish wind turbine manufacturer with a two-decade presence on the island, has reduced its workforce by half to 300 employees. The company cited limitations in plant size, which prevent production of the longer blades now required for offshore wind farms. Although it will continue manufacturing shorter blades for onshore turbines under an agreement with the UK government, the reduction represents a significant loss for the local economy.
The island has historically depended on a small number of large industrial employers to provide stable, well-paying jobs. The contraction at Vestas threatens household incomes and could discourage future investment. Labour MP Richard Quigley described the situation as a potential loss of 300 good salaries, impacting overall economic vitality.
Despite these setbacks, the Isle of Wight retains several economic strengths. Its scenic landscapes and tranquil pace of life attract retirees—30 percent of residents are over 65—though this trend contributes to a shrinking working-age population as younger people move to the mainland for opportunities.
Other industries offer signs of resilience. BAE Systems is investing in local education to promote science and technology careers. Wight Shipyard recently delivered an electric passenger ferry for use on the Thames, showcasing innovation in maritime engineering. Additionally, Britten-Norman, an aircraft manufacturer that moved production overseas in the 1960s, is returning to the island with a £10 million ($13.6 million) investment to expand operations in Bembridge. The company, known for its rugged Islander planes, now employs 45 workers and is repairing specialized equipment to support manufacturing.
Local entrepreneurs, like Vivette Fryatt, who runs Viv’s Cooking, a Caribbean restaurant in Sandown, say they manage to cover expenses but struggle to grow. Still, many residents express deep attachment to the island, calling for targeted support rather than relocation.
While tourism and niche manufacturing provide some stability, long-term economic sustainability will depend on diversification and improved connectivity to counteract geographic isolation.
— news from The New York Times
— News Original —
Can This Isolated British Island Keep Its Economy Afloat?
Until recently, a cargo ship called Blade Runner Two would frequently carry 279-foot-long wind turbine blades from a factory on the Isle of Wight to the nearby English mainland. n nThe island, about a mile off Britain’s south coast, cannot be reached by rail or road, but the voyage of the huge blades showed that the Isle of Wight’s isolation had not stopped it from contributing to the country’s economy. n nIn recent months, though, Blade Runner Two has made few voyages. n nVestas, the Danish company that made the blades, is pulling back on production on the Isle of Wight, where it has operated for more than two decades. Offshore wind farms require even longer blades now, and Vestas said its plant was too small to make them. n nLast year, it reached an agreement with the British government to make the shorter blades for onshore wind turbines at the factory on the island, but it is cutting the work force there by half, to 300 employees. n nThe downsizing is a heavy blow for the Isle of Wight, which has long relied on a few large manufacturers to inject a measure of dynamism into its economy and provide well-paying jobs. n n“It’s an issue in terms of wealth for the island,” said Richard Quigley, a Labour Party member of Parliament who represents part of the Isle of Wight. “That’s potentially 300 good salaries that are disappearing.” Mr. Quigley’s wife, Leah, runs the cafeteria at Vestas, and they have long owned a fish and chip shop, Corries Cabin, in nearby Cowes. n nIt does have draws. The Isle of Wight’s beaches, for all their beauty, are usually not too crowded. Its countryside is among the most beautiful in Britain, and Lord Tennyson, who lived on the island, reputedly said its air was “worth sixpence a pint.” n nIts relative inaccessibility has led to a slower pace of life, one of the reasons many retire there. (Thirty percent of its population is over age 65.) “There’s stunning scenery in places,” Mr. Cox said. “They don’t want that to ever change.” n nBut as older people move in, younger ones leave for better prospects on the mainland, a trend that is shrinking the island’s labor pool, potentially deterring companies from setting up or expanding on the island. n n(In 1971, Parliament passed a law putting onerous restrictions on large rock festivals on the island. They began again in 2002.) n nOn the street behind the Sandown hotels, Vivette Fryatt, sitting in her Caribbean restaurant, said she and her husband made enough from their eatery, Viv’s Cooking, to cover their bills but not much more. In 2023, they vacationed in a town just five miles northeast of Sandown called Bembridge. n n“Despite the challenges, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said, “It’s a beautiful place. It just needs a bit of T.L.C.” n nMs. Kaur said BAE was investing in schools on the island to support scientific and technological studies, adding that the company “continues to play an important role on the island, contributing to its economy and prosperity.” n nWight Shipyard, which is based in Cowes and specializes in making aluminum vessels, recently delivered an electrically powered boat that will ferry passengers across the Thames River in London. n nBlade Runner Two, the blade-carrying vessel, is another example of maritime innovation. Each end of the ship can act as its bow. One end is designed for sailing on the Medina, the gentle river that Vestas’s factory is on. The other end — after a 180-degree turn — becomes the bow for crossing the sometimes choppy strait. n nAnd Britten-Norman, a small aircraft manufacturer, is moving back to the Isle of Wight. n nThe company relocated production of its best-selling plane, the Islander, to Romania in the late 1960s, and much of the manufacturing process was there until a few years ago. n nIslanders, sometimes called Land Rovers of the Sky because pilots say they can handle demanding conditions, sell for about $2.4 million. n nAfter struggling in recent years, Britten-Norman announced last year an investment of 10 million pounds (about $13.6 million) from Beechlands Enterprises of Northern Ireland that will help finance the expansion of a plant in Bembridge, where it first made planes more than 70 years ago. n nPete Dowers, a manager at Britten-Norman, started at the company in 1978 on the Isle of Wight and has helped build 499 aircraft. “That’s music to my ears,” he said about the hammering and drilling by the apprentices on the site, which employs 45 people. Some of the investment is being spent on repairing a rubber die press that shapes metal into plane parts.