Slough: The UK’s Gateway to Sustainable, Transparent and Resilient Supply Chains.

As the global economy accelerates toward net zero, businesses are rethinking how they source, move, and manufacture goods. Supply chain resilience has become a strategic priority across industries, shaped by climate change, digital transformation, and shifting geopolitics.

In Slough, one of the UK’s most progressive business hubs, this transformation is already well underway. The town is enabling international companies to build supply chains that are transparent, stable and sustainable. Home to more than 4,600 businesses and one of the highest concentrations of global corporate headquarters outside London, Slough’s ecosystem is leading the shift toward transparent, low-carbon, and resilient operations.

Building Transparency Through Innovation

Digitalisation is driving a new level of supply chain transparency. By adopting blockchain, digital twins and advanced analytics to trace materials from source to shelf, businesses can reduce exposure to geopolitical shocks while ensuring compliance with tightening sustainability regulations.

Slough supports this transformation through its thriving network of logistics, data, and technology providers — offering everything from smart warehousing and cloud-based inventory control to predictive modelling that optimises energy use and transport routes.

 

Collaborating for Carbon Reduction

In line with the UK’s 2050 net-zero target and Slough Borough Council’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions from its own operations by 2030, sustainability in the supply chain has become a commercial and civic priority.

Many of Slough’s leading businesses are embedding carbon reduction into procurement, logistics and production processes, demonstrating how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate progress.

Pat Hayes, Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration at Slough Borough Council, explains: “Decarbonisation doesn’t just cut emissions, it future-proofs our local economy. By working alongside industrial clusters, developers and innovators, we’re building the infrastructure and partnerships that enable businesses to thrive sustainably. Collaboration is what turns net-zero ambitions into real, measurable change across Slough’s supply chains.”

A Hub for Global Connectivity

Slough’s strategic position at the heart of the UK’s transport and digital networks continues to make it a magnet for global business — and now, that same advantage is being reimagined for the net-zero era.

Across the town, companies are investing in greener logistics, AI-powered tracking, and shorter, smarter supply chains that reduce carbon as well as cost.

On the Slough Trading Estate, SEGRO is setting the benchmark. A 20,210 sq ft unit has been transformed to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A+ standards, complete with smart sensors, PV panels saving around 26 tonnes of CO₂ a year, and EV charging points. It forms part of a wider sustainable growth strategy: nine new industrial units totalling more than 107,000 sq ft each feature heat pumps, intelligent building controls, and EV-ready infrastructure.

Innovation extends beyond buildings. Logistics firm Speedy Freight, headquartered in Slough, was named a finalist at the 2025 Supply Chain Excellence Awards for its sustainability-driven responsiveness. Around Noon, a food-to-go manufacturer, is expanding locally with a new high-efficiency facility powered by solar panels, LED lighting, and SMART meters that cut energy use across operations.

Circular Energy in Action

Adding to Slough’s green credentials, SSE Thermal and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) are delivering the Slough Multifuel facility — a major energy-from-waste project that will divert around 480,000 tonnes of residual waste from landfill each year.

The project has created local supply chains and employment across its development, using precision construction and intelligent engineering. Steam generated by the plant will be reused by a neighbouring business to decarbonise its energy-intensive operations — a model of industrial symbiosis that supports circular, low-carbon growth.

A Strategic Destination for Responsible Investment

Slough’s location, infrastructure, and progressive sustainability agenda make it a compelling proposition for investors seeking measurable environmental and social impact.

For multinational corporates, Slough offers access to a skilled workforce, advanced logistics infrastructure, and established industrial clusters aligned with decarbonisation goals. For institutional investors and trade finance funds, it represents a low-risk, high-impact environment where capital can accelerate the transition to net-zero supply chains.

By combining transparency, collaboration and innovation, Slough’s business community is positioning the town at the forefront of the UK’s transition to a net-zero economy — proving that a greener future and a stronger economy can move forward together.