SOUTHAMPTON has all the ingredients needed for business success but has a dismal record of under-performing against rivals.

Despite being served by two motorways, its own airport, two universities, a top UK port and just an hour or so from London on the train, Southampton has the experts scratching their heads over the lacklustre results.

Fed-up business leaders have decided to take action to boost the city's performance and get Southampton's coffers overflowing again.

Launched yesterday, Business Southampton brings together some of regional economy's biggest hitters with top politicians and academics in a bid to get the city on the map.

Already it has won more than £175,000 of backing from founder firms known as City Champions, who believe the investment in Business Southampton will reap long-term rewards.

In total, 30 firms have handed over between £3,000 and £35,000, either as cash or in-kind, to fund the group, which ultimately hopes to enlist the support of 100 companies from its SO postcode region.

Big names Big names already on board include Southampton Football Club, which sponsored last night's launch at St Mary's Stadium, port owner ABP, Daily Echo owner Newsquest, radio station Original 106, logistics firm In Port Services and communications agency Carswell Gould.

Chief targets include promoting its status as the UK's number one port city across Europe and highlighting the city's glorious record of innovation and invention, which still thrives today.

Other targets include attracting more high-profile events to the city, tackling the urgent skills shortage, helping secure a rail freight upgrade for containers from the port and developing new tourist attractions.

The group also intends to use the muscle of its heavyweight board to swing big government decisions Southampton's way.

Based at St Mary's Stadium, the small team aims to make an impact far beyond its size. Initially funded by regional development agency SEEDA, the organisation will in future be funded exclusively by cash from local businesses.

It's headed by chief executive Sally Lynskey and former managing partner of local law firm Paris Smith and Randall, Malcolm le Bas, who has come out of retirement to chair the board of directors.

Sally, a former Wessex Businesswoman of the Year winner, said: "We have got an amazing board because of the number of years of experience and the calibre of the people on it. Thanks to that, Business Southampton will have a powerful voice to influence decisions affecting the city region.

"We want to make Southampton the number one city to do business in outside of London.

"There's a perception that the city's heyday was in the 1930s when the docks were full of liners. But that's not true, the heyday is now.

Priorities "The port is busier than it's ever been and generates more than £2 billion to the UK economy. We also have a world class airport on our doorstep and we need to encourage its growth and expansion."

She has a list of priorities to tackle after today's launch is behind her and top of the list is the city's tarnished image.

Sally said: "We have got a different offer here.

"We will never be like Bournemouth where you can paddle in the sea or like Portsmouth with its naval military history. We are the number one port city in the UK and we should be proud of that.

"My priority is an improved city image. We should have an international reputation for innovation and creativity and be recognised as the major port city in the UK.

"We want everyone to know how critical the port is to the city.

"We want to see more containers leaving the port on the railway to take lorries off the road and free up traffic around the city and we're going to support moves for a rail freight upgrade.

"The aim is to promote Southampton locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

"We have major assets that make us a great place for business and we need to shout about it.

"We want to help bring new high-profile events to the city such as international cruise conventions, conferences and exhibitions.

Superior "We have also already identified the need for a port visitor attraction and I want to see that up and running by this summer."

She feels Southampton needs to act now or fall behind its rivals.

"If you take cities such as Liverpool, Glasgow and Manchester, Southampton used to be far superior in terms of its quality of life.

"Over recent years these cities and even, let's face it, down the road at Portsmouth, have increased their performance and we can't afford to be left behind.

"Southampton has lots of head offices of big companies based here. Why is that? It's because Southampton is the centre of business excellence outside London and we need to tell people about that. We have a long history of invention and innovation.

"Not just the Spitfire and fibre optics but a huge array of more recent developments. We want to gather up all these together and show the world all the great things created here and use it to promote the city.

"We also want to help today's inventors who have great things at home or the shed, get their ideas to market and continue this proud history."