Cornwall has been transformed over recent years.

It was once the poor relation of the UK, with high unemployment and bleak prospects for the younger generation. Many youngsters left home to go to university and never returned.

Now, thanks in large part to millions of pounds of EU funding, all that has changed. The county has a booming economy, its own university and a fast expanding business community offering career prospects to local youngsters who don't want to leave the county of their birth.

Cornwall's 700 kilometres of coastline still attract millions of visitors each year but the county is no longer totally dependent upon tourism.

Jobs are now available in many other business sectors which can offer all-year-round employment, although the tourist industry remains a vital part of the economic mix.

Cornwall has become the "in" place to live and work and thousands of people in the UK's big cities look with envy at those of us lucky enough to be here. Although the population has grown by 7% over the last ten years, now topping 500,000, Cornwall still has a low population density and can offer the peace and quiet of the countryside without being totally isolated.

The development of Newquay airport has put Cornwall within an hour's flying time of London and the North - with international links likely in the near future - and major road improvements are gradually providing a faster connection to the UK motorway network which starts at Exeter.

Cornwall's future is therefore looking particularly bright, especially in view of the fact that more major developments are in the pipeline.

The Combined Universities in Cornwall hub at Tremough, Penryn, will see further expansion over the next few years and an urban regeneration company - backed by millions of pounds from the EU and the British government - is working to bring more homes and jobs to the Camborne, Pool and Redruth area. The development of a cruise ship terminal at Falmouth also promises a further significant boost to the economy.

Many new businesses have been established in Cornwall over recent years and more will follow. This feature focusses on some of the businesses and organisations that are part of the county's success story...the cream of Cornwall, in fact.