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MAYOR Mayor of the West Midlands

This is the West Midlands’ time to shine.

Whether it’s driverless and electric The National College for High Working closely with Government, vehicles made in , the next Speed Rail recently opened its we will drive an ambitious generation of medicines being campus here to train the engineers house-building programme to pioneered in or future of the future. With two high-speed help unlock 200,000 new homes trains, planes and automobiles rail stations being built in central in the West Midlands by 2031. being designed in the Black Birmingham and , plus Country, this region is becoming huge supply chain opportunities Since becoming Mayor and the engine for the UK’s success. available to companies across chair of the West Midlands the manufacturing heartland in May You will have seen the cranes on of the , the whole 2017, I have had the privilege the skyline. There is a growing area stands to benefit. of representing 2.8 million sense of optimism as we enter an people, with the area building exciting period of transformation As the country’s youngest, most momentum like never before. and reinvention thanks to diverse region – with our brilliant unprecedented investment in the universities leading the way to Coventry’s success in winning the region. HSBC, Deutsche Bank produce breakthrough innovation prestigious UK City of Culture 2021 and PwC are just some of the and talent – the West Midlands is competition and Birmingham major international businesses buzzing with entrepreneurial spirit. being named the host city for the calling the region home. A record number of start-ups 2022 Commonwealth Games is emerged last year, and proof of the whole of the West (HS2) is a clear Birmingham led the way with Midlands working together to make statement of confidence in the more small businesses emerging a real difference and showcase West Midlands – adding to the than any other city outside London. a resurgent region to the world. region’s unparalleled connectivity and access to global markets. With economic success leading to I invite you to join us in a once an increasing number of people in a generation opportunity moving to the region, housing for our great region to truly is one of my key priorities. realise its potential.

03 UK

ECONOMY

The is a Above all, it has a can-do free-trading nation with an entrepreneurial culture, something economy deeply rooted that British icons of industry, arts in innovation. and design all share. We are the innovators and the creators, the The world’s fifth largest economy, directors and the performers, with predicted GDP growth of the doers and the achievers. A 3.9% between 2016 and 2020, the huge pool of the world’s best UK benefits from robust levels talent focuses on the UK for all of investment, leading creative these reasons – and more. talent, some of the world’s best universities, a business friendly regulatory framework and a low tax regime.

04 4 OF THE WORLD’S EUROPE’S No.1 TOP 10 WORLD’S UNIVERSITIES 5th

LARGEST FINANCIAL INSURANCE ECONOMY CENTRE MARKET

WORLD’S 4 OF THE UK POPULATION WORLD’S 2ND

TOPBUSINESS SCHOOLS 10 TO REACH LARGEST LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL 70mby 2026 SERVICES MARKET

INNOVATION CULTURE

We are global leaders in creative These Catapults are a network of We are more than just a great place industries such as music, fashion, world-leading centres designed to to conduct business. We offer the design and film, as well as in transform business capability and best in culture as well as commerce, business services ranging from enhance the innovation ecosystem. have a renowned quality of life and banking and insurance to legal The West Midlands is home to some of the world’s greatest and and professional services. An the Energy Systems Catapult as most famous visitor destinations. emphasis on cutting edge R&D well as having strong links with Our wealth of history helps tell underlines our university sector the High Value Manufacturing the story not just of Britain, but that includes four of the world’s and Transportation Catapults. of the wider world around us. Top 10 business schools. In addition, the new Strength When firms across the globe in Places Fund is a boost to need the very latest ideas, the further collaboration and will very best talent, or want to help to build further innovation complete a deal or fund an clusters and drive productivity. expansion, they turn to the UK.

Our national Catapult programme is deliberately targeting high growth sectors to develop new, world leading technologies and systems such as cell and gene therapy and offshore energy.

05 WEST MIDLANDS

With its new Mayor, devolved powers, There are a wide range of investment opportunities across support of Government, wealth of the region, demonstrating talent and exceptional lifestyle offering, that the West Midlands is open for business and offers a we believe the West Midlands is the compelling global proposition. best place to invest in the UK.

06

TALENT

A centre for advanced We are one of only four UK regions Crucially, with continued growth manufacturing, energy systems, life to contain more than 10,000 finance and record investment in the local sciences, banking, law and fintech, professionals and have further higher education sector and a the West Midlands produces world-class research specialisms growing student age and school more than 52,000 graduates in manufacturing technology at age population, the West Midlands a year from eight universities the University of ; medical is building a sustained and gifted including the leading and life sciences at the University talent pool for decades to come. universities of Birmingham and of Birmingham; transportation and Warwick. Within an hour’s drive of low-carbon energy at Coventry The West Midlands created more Birmingham there are another 15 University; one of the country’s jobs last year, as a result of foreign universities with 160,000 students. top business schools at direct investment, than any other University; a leading school of region. The local economy is computing and digital technology worth more than £87 billion. at Birmingham City University and an excellent school of architecture and built environment at the University of .

UNIVERSITY GRADUATES More than CITY REGION 52,000 POPULATION OF A YEAR

1.3UNDERm 25 YEAR OLDS 4.1m

FDI JOBS 7,000 LANGUAGE 6,570 STUDENTS CREATED More than anywhere else in 2016/17 in the West Midlands region in the UK outside London

07 INNOVATION AND R&D

With a critical mass of high Global innovators such as technology companies, research Mondelēz International, Changan, institutions and development Rolls-Royce, Tata and Jaguar expertise, the West Midlands is at (JLR) have made their the centre of the UK’s advanced homes here thanks to access to engineering and manufacturing a strong, growing workforce and sectors, employing some 113,600 the closeness of world leading people in 5,250 companies. research and education institutions.

Birmingham’s entrepreneurial spirit and young population is reflected in the fact it has more company start-ups than anywhere else in the country.

08 THE ADVANCED PROPULSION CENTRE IS A

10 YEAR COMMITMENT between Government and the automotive industry to position the UK as a centre of excellence for low carbon propulsion, development and production

Birmingham Life Sciences Park

09 has recently OPENED A NATIONAL TRANSPORT DESIGN CENTRE focusing on undergraduate and postgraduate education HOME OF UK in transport design ENERGY SYSTEMS CATAPULT BUSINESSES 171,600 EMPLOY MORE THAN 1.8m PEOPLE in WMCA area

HORIBA MIRA Technology Park is EUROPE’S LARGEST TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY R&D CLUSTER

THE NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION CENTRE opens in 2018

10 Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, 11 CONNECTIVITY

At the very of the UK, the We enjoy an unparalleled strategic Locally, the West Midlands is West Midlands is one of the driving location at the centre of the UK’s expanding its rail and tram hubs of the British economy. Home motorway and rail network, networks with more than to the largest cluster of business, enabling a commute to London £2 billion of investment committed professional and financial services in under 70 minutes and from just over the next ten years, on top roles outside of London, the region 45 minutes by 2026 thanks to the of the £1 billion spent over the supports more than 260,000 £56 billion High Speed 2 (HS2) past five. Global connectivity is jobs in this sector, spread across project. Advanced manufacturing, provided by the country’s fastest more than 45,000 companies, automotive, aerospace, rail systems growing airport, handling 13 contributing more than £14 billion and transport technology are just million passengers a year flying a year to the local economy. some examples of parts of the to 150 destinations, with further economy that rely upon world international ports and airports class connectivity to bring their just a short distance away. goods and services to market. 50 AIRLINES FLY TO 90% LOCAL PUBLIC OF THE UK 150 TRANSPORT POPULATION DESTINATIONS is within four hours’ drive direct from INVESTMENT of the West Midlands

12 East Sta­ordshire

Cannock Chase Lichfield

Tamworth

Wolverhampton

North & Birmingham

Coventry Wyre Solihull Forest Rugby

Bromsgrove

Warwick

Stratford-on-Avon 45mins JOURNEY TIME TO LONDON BY 2026

13 QUALITY OF LIFE

The West Midlands provides The New Art Gallery in Walsall, The Games will bring economic EUROPE’S more than a business case – it the Herbert Art Gallery & and social benefits thanks to offers companies and their Museum in Coventry and Ikon world-class sport, a business staff an excellent quality of Gallery in Birmingham are just expo and cultural programme. No.1 life at the geographic and some of the West Midlands economic centre of the UK. venues with leading collections More than three quarters of the and varied programmes. region is rural, with a wealth of The region welcomed 71.5 million historic market towns, villages tourists last year, including Coventry has recently been and countryside. Birmingham 1.5 million from overseas – drawn announced as the UK City of has more green open space than to the area’s culinary reputation, Culture for 2021, a title that any other city in the country, and arts and festivals scene, retail offer will accelerate the growth, its and waterways are and international sporting events. prosperity and wellbeing of the famous for both recreation and city, with arts and culture set to development opportunities. From the Birmingham Royal Ballet be more accessible than ever. and City of Birmingham Symphony The West Midlands offers a Orchestra to Shakespeare’s With Birmingham being variety of affordable homes and in Warwickshire and the named as host city for the 2022 respected schools, with nine of Black Country Living Museum in Commonwealth Games, the region the UK’s top 30 schools for GCSE Dudley, the West Midlands offers has an unprecedented opportunity results located in the region. amazing cultural experiences. to showcase its recent resurgence on an international stage. The region is a creative hub and is home to the UK’s most popular theatre, the Birmingham Hippodrome.

BIRMINGHAM THE CITY OF has been ranked WOLVERHAMPTON as having the is undergoing a major transformation with

HIGHEST QUALITY OF LIFE

of any English city of investment in outside of the capital its city centre

14 The New Art Gallery Walsall

15 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON the birthplace of – welcomes nearly five million £336 visitors a year, spending MILLION

Birmingham has one of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, the CBSO, and the world-famous SYMPHONY HALL

BIRMINGHAM’S has been a centre for jewellery design for over 250 years – producing 40% of the UK’s jewellery

‘SILICON SPA’ in Warwickshire is one of the UK’s largest games development clusters with 40 firms BIRMINGHAM is Europe’s youngest major city with nearly 4

MICHELIN STARRED RESTAURANTS 30% in Birmingham, one in Solihull and one of its inhabitants in Warwickshire under the age of 20

16 Birmingham is 45 mins away from Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

With

acres of parkland and open space, Birmingham is one of the greenest 8,000 cities in the UK

40th THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM - DUDLEY Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2018, tells the story of the world’s first industrial landscape

WARWICKSHIRE which includes attractions such as Warwick Castle, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and Castle – was the only UK destination to be named in acclaimed travel guide Lonely Planet’s Best of Europe 2016 List

17 & FINANCIAL SERVICES

Home to HSBC’s new ring-fenced UK banking headquarters, the West Midlands has one of the largest BPFS clusters in Europe.

With a strong talent pool and With a long history in the sector, excellent transport links to London, a readily available and flexible the West Midlands is home to the employment base and a cost UK’s largest regional banking and competitive business environment, professional services cluster. the region now has more than 280,000 BPFS jobs in WMCA. It Fuelling this growth are major benefits from the largest regional institutions such as Lloyds Bank and legal and insurance cluster as Deutsche Bank as well as home well as the largest accountancy grown financial services providers cluster outside London. With readily like Wesleyan and , available cutting-edge city centre supported by the full spectrum office space in new developments of professional services firms. across Birmingham, Coventry The West Midlands includes the and Wolverhampton, the region UK headquarters of Gowlings is growing its ability to attract WLG and PwC’s largest regional and support major occupiers. office set to house 2,400 people.

18 REGIONAL LOCATION FOR INWARD INVESTMENT according to PwC

19 Birmingham has more business Shared Services Centres students – 16,275 – than any have grown with the likes of city outside London and the international law firm Hogan area’s universities teach leading Lovells and property consultants MBA programmes across five Cushman and Wakefield. business schools. Aston and Warwick universities both rank Aided by better connectivity in the top five of UK MBAs. across the city region year on year and excellent professional support networks, the area is well established as the leading professional services hub outside of London.

MORE BUSINESS THAN STUDENTS ANYWHERE OUTSIDE LONDON

Talent strengths:

TALENT GRADUATES R&D CLUSTERS EXAMPLES Banking and 12,365 Aston Business School, Birmingham HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Finance Birmingham Business city centre, RBS, Birmingham School, Warwick Wolverhampton, Midshires, West Brom Business School Coventry, Solihull BS, The Coventry BS

Legal 2,200 , Birmingham city Gowling WLG, Aston, Birmingham City, centre, Black Eversheds Sutherland, Coventry, Warwick, Country, Warwick Gateley, Hogan Lovells, Wolverhampton & George Stephenson, universities Wright Hassell

Accountancy 1,705 Aston Business School, Birmingham city PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, Birmingham Business centre, Solihull EY, BDO, Baker Tilly, School, Warwick Grant Thornton Business School

Fintech 1,560 University of Birmingham, Birmingham city Advanced, SSC, FIS Aston, Warwick, centre, Black Global, Oxygen Finance Wolverhampton Country, Solihull, universities Coventry

20 MAJOR LEGAL, INSURANCE & BANKING SECTOR EMPLOYING

21 & TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING A core sector for the UK’s With 52,750 people employed in industrial strategy, advanced transport technologies and an manufacturing is helping to ever-growing student base, the lead research and development sector is tied to leading research, across the West Midlands. A wave development and teaching. There of technologically advanced are more than 100,000 graduates techniques for autonomous vehicles within an hour’s drive of the region. and intelligent transport networks as well as current automotive, rail Major investment in new R&D and aerospace product ranges, institutions is driving the region has helped push the region to the forward as a pre-eminent forefront of international patenting. European centre of transport technology excellence. All of the region’s universities have a strong engineering and technology focus, from Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education.

22 EVERY YEAR, LARGEST WITH EXPORTS AEROSPACE GROWING CLUSTER IN EUROPE 12% IN 2016

HEART OF UK BIRMINGHAM MANUFACTURING

TOP CATAPULT HUBS FOR UK with UK HIGH VALUE CITY 2MANUFACTURING 113,600 EMPLOYED IN 5,250 Advanced manufacturing companies

AUTOMOTIVE FIRMS, FOR MANUFACTURING R&D, LOW CARBON & TECHNOLOGY UKCAPITAL FOR TECHNOLOGIES & START-UPS SUPPLY CHAIN

The National College for High Speed Rail 23

AUTOMOTIVE

Home of the British automotive The National Battery Prototype Further top marques , sector and a national and Centre at the BMW, London Electric Vehicle international transport hub, the is another large scale public Company (LEVC) and Dennis West Midlands continues to be the investment in the research and Eagle are also based here and natural choice for international production required to drive have invested billions in their automotive firms with a strong forward tomorrow’s technology latest manufacturing hubs, such talent base and large student while Coventry University’s as the new £325 million LEVC population helping to support National Transport Design Centre plant at Ansty in Coventry. more than 26 Original Equipment is a new facility focusing on Manufacturers (OEMs) and the education in transport design. Warwick Manufacturing Group biggest concentration of industry is the top automotive R&D centre R&D institutions in the UK. JLR has invested more than in the country with major players £4.5 billion in new plant, research such as Tata, JLR and Ford This includes the £30 million and technology across the region in partnering with the University of National Manufacturing recent years and its product range Warwick to lead designs across Technology Centre at Ansty as continues to grow sales around the new automotive technologies. well as the Advanced Propulsion globe, supporting the local, national Regulation changes to allow Centre at Warwick which is a key, and international supply chain. driverless cars to be tested without £1 billion public-private initiative to direct human input makes the UK produce low carbon powertrain one of the best places in the world and vehicle architecture. to develop, test and sell connected and autonomous vehicles.

HOME TO WORLD FAMOUS AUTOMOTIVE BRANDS SUCH AS:

TOP AUTOMOTIVE UK SECOND R&D CENTRE LARGEST IN UK new vehicle market in Europe

PRODUCE UK WILL Automotive Centres BAN SALE 1/3 8 of Excellence & 4 of petrol, diesel and hybrid OF ALL CARS Low Carbon Centres vehicles from 2040 made in the UK

Tata Motors Europe, R&D JLR, Shanghai NEXT IN LOW Automotive, GENERATION £1bn CARBON Changan, LEVC TRANSPORT INVESTMENT POWERTRAIN SYSTEMS R&D will build on current cluster strengths

24 RAIL SYSTEMS

Modern society relies on railway Academic centres of excellence There is also expertise in light rail systems more than ever before include Europe’s leading rail technologies centred on Warwick to move people to work and research institute, the Birmingham and CAF’s UK HQ in Coventry. goods to market. Railways have Centre for Railway Research become integral to how people and Education, with over 130 International transport advisors live and how economies grow in academics and researchers and consultancies such as Arup, the 21st century. The West Midlands helping to create the transport Arcadis, WSP, Bechtel, Jacobs and continues to be a pioneer of technologies of the future. The Systra all have a presence as do advanced technology and home Centre recently announced a the major HS2 contractors such to an internationally important rail £92 million industry-partnered as , Kier and VINCI. research and construction cluster. investment in research on digital These firms are setting up bases in train technology through the UK Rail and around the region in order to Birmingham is home to HS2’s Research and Innovation Network. service their major HS2 contracts. construction and procurement HQ, employing more than 1,500 people With the region leading the UK in The West Midlands is also due to locally, as well as the National cutting edge transport technology, be the home to the HS2 network College for High Speed Rail in there is a real cluster of rail control centre and maintenance Aston that will be creating 300 construction specialists such as facilities. The region’s own light engineers of the future every year. Aecom based in the region as well rail tram network, as major stock players like Metro, is due for large-scale Bombardier and infrastructure investment and will see the specialists Siemens Rail Automation. country’s first battery-operated trams on the streets in 2019.

FOR HS2 Centres of excellence: construction and ÂÂ National College for High Speed Rail HQ supply chain, national control centre and ÂÂ Birmingham Centre for Railway rolling stock centre Research and Education

ÂÂ One of lead centres for UK Rail Research and Innovation Network

2West Midlands HS2 stations will add £3 billion GVA to the local economy

OF NEW ROLLING STOCK FOLLOWING LAUNCH OF LATEST WEST MIDLANDS RAIL FRANCHISE

25 AEROSPACE

The West Midlands is a global The region’s lead in component The site is also home to the High centre for the design and design and manufacture Temperature Research Centre, manufacture of aerospace of composite materials is a £60m joint facility between components. , unrivalled. Rolls-Royce’s materials Rolls Royce and the University of Rolls-Royce Control Systems, Timet, technology centre is based at Birmingham – a unique , Meggitt, Moog, UTC Aerospace the University of Birmingham design, simulation and advanced Systems, GKN and more all have while Coventry University’s manufacturing research facility. a major presence in the West Centre for Manufacturing Midlands, supporting the large and Materials Engineering is Design strength comes not only international manufacturers researching new processes for from the region’s universities, but such as Airbus, BAE Systems, use in the aerospace sector. also from leading manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin. such as GKN, Timet and UTC Birmingham City University Aerospace. The sector continues The Midlands Aerospace Alliance, is leading on the application to grow, with Meggitt recently based in Coventry, represents of lightweight casting. announcing a new £130 million the largest aerospace cluster investment in Coventry and Dunlop in Europe and underlines the Ansty by Coventry is home to developing new lighter tyres for the region’s strength in the sector with the Manufacturing Technology world’s large commercial aircraft. more than 300 members. Local Centre, a £40m facility supporting manufacturers are focused on the R&D projects for industry in the development of high technology aerospace sector in net shape systems, engines and motors, manufacturing including additive components and control systems. layer manufacturing for example.

Close proximity to Rolls-Royce global HQ and in Wolverhampton is production Several centres for the US company’s centre in Derby R&D excellence such as GLOBAL HQ Rolls-Royce’s materials FOR ACTUATION technology centre at the SYSTEMS

WEST70 MIDLANDS COMPANIES 25% supply parts to latest passenger OF UK planes such as the Boeing 787 LEADING AEROSPACE and Airbus A380, from tyres R&D SECTOR and wing components to engine into carbon fibre based in the Midlands and flight control systems materials

26 Advanced manufacturing & transport technology strengths:

TALENT R&D LOCATIONS COMPANIES Systems University of Birmingham Birmingham, Coventry, Rolls-Royce Control and Warwick Wolverhampton Systems, Moog, Meggitt

Design Birmingham City Birmingham, Black GKN, Dunlop, Meggitt, University, Coventry, Country, Coventry Mettis Aerospace, Warwick, Wolverhampton Timet, TRW Conekt universities

Advanced Engineering University of Birmingham, Birmingham, Black Guhring, Rolls-Royce Aston, Birmingham, Country, Coventry Control Systems, UTC Coventry, Warwick, Aerospace, Timet, Wolverhampton Industries universities

Materials Investment across Birmingham, Coventry, Rolls-Royce, Timet, the region Wolverhampton ThyssenKrupp

27 MATERIALS With the largest concentration of materials related jobs in the UK, the West Midlands can match business expectations with the right R&D from some of the best universities.

LEADERS in composites manufacturing like MVP Europe and Babcock

28 This research-led advantage The Automotive Composites Additionally, with strong links to also makes the most of the Research Centre at University our world-leading automotive, talented, sector-experienced of Warwick, for example, aerospace and advanced workforce. The proximity of opened in 2013 and builds upon manufacturing sectors, the local leading transportation technology, the university’s work with the materials industry is perfectly automotive and aerospace sectors automotive supply chain to take placed to make the most of and the presence of companies advantage of new lightweight existing markets alongside such as Rolls-Royce and Timet, vehicle technology and application. complementary sectors. provides dynamic cross sector collaboration opportunities. The strength of local research For example, Nord Composites centres of excellence can support in and MVP Europe Leading innovation from the companies to grow whichever in , both in the Black region’s universities is helping materials segment they specialise Country, are just two major develop materials for industrial in. With many existing suppliers European composite businesses use and future applications. attracted by a flexible labour doing well in the region. Specialist market, perfect location and materials manufacturers like transport links, there is also a track Babcock Vehicle Engineering record of companies developing in Walsall and Mitsubishi talent and benefiting from access Carbon Fibre in Coventry also to a highly skilled workforce. underline the breadth of major companies already here.

RESEARCH STRENGTHS IN MATERIALS LOCAL ENGINEERING GROWING TALENT thanks to Rolls-Royce technology centre at the University of Birmingham POOL

Home to

2,000MATERIALS COMPANIES STRONG 36,200 LINK LARGEST to markets and complementary concentration of materials- sectors such as advanced sector jobs in the UK manufacturing, automotive and aerospace

29

& ENERGY STORAGE The region is already the number one location in the UK and Europe for low carbon and energy storage technology and has the aspiration to become one of the world’s leading pioneers of green technologies.

Talent strengths:

TALENT R&D LOCATIONS COMPANIES Transport energy systems Birmingham, Coventry, Birmingham, Coventry Energy Systems Catapult Warwick universities and Warwickshire

Design National automotive Coventry, Birmingham LEVC, JLR technology centres

Low carbon Public Birmingham, Coventry Birmingham, Midland Metro Transport universities Black Country

30 The West Midlands is leading this Aston, Birmingham, Coventry and It will also help to grow the regions sector thanks to companies such Warwick universities are pioneering high tech, high skilled economy. as Rolls-Royce and research-led world-class research into institutes like the National Battery bio-energy, hydrogen materials Birmingham is home to the Prototype Centre, part of the and future power systems. Energy Systems Catapult, offering Whitley South Technology unique capabilities and assets Campus in Coventry. The The University of Birmingham that provides a clear innovation £1 billion Advanced Propulsion Energy Institute is a leader in pathway which leads to more Centre at Warwick, meanwhile, is energy innovation through heating innovations accelerating to market. spearheading the UK’s research and cooling systems, while into low carbon powertrains for Coventry University is leading in the Based at the the next generation of vehicles. application of low-carbon transport European Bioenergy Research technology such as fuel cells. Institute (EBRI) delivers world- The region is also taking its class bioenergy and energy automotive heritage to the next The University of Warwick has systems research. It acts as a level through investment in energy just begun work on the National focus for international activities storage technology and is home Automotive Innovation Centre on scientific and technological to more patents in relation to low to provide a national focus for aspects of biomass conversion carbon transport than anywhere expertise in automotive research and utilisation of products for else in Europe. JLR and LEVC are and development, including low renewable power, heat, transport both investing in all-electric models. carbon energy technology. fuels, hydrogen and chemicals.

Expertise in batteries and energy The centre will house more than The ERBI is committed to storage is laying the foundations 1,000 researchers, designers, understanding, creating and today for when petrol and diesel students and engineers. conducting world class bioenergy cars are phased out in the UK and research and technology other European countries in 2040. The £180m Energy Research development and to communicate Accelerator is a cross-disciplinary its importance and role for society. The region’s own increasingly hub of technology research and integrated transport system energy talent which brings the already benefits from low-carbon expertise of Midlands Innovation trams, being the first in the UK to universities and the British partially run on lithium-ion batteries Geological Survery together with and carbon neutral buses. the surrounding industrial base to tackle some of the biggest energy challenges facing the UK.

WORLD UNIVERSITY- CLASS LED RESEARCH in collaboration with world’s leading automotive manufacturers SPECIALISM in fuel cells and energy storage

NATIONAL BATTERY PROTOTYPE CENTRE Live examples of & NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE LOW-CARBON PUBLIC INNOVATION CENTRE TRANSPORT both at University of Warwick in Coventry already on region’s roads

31 FOOD PROCESSING

The West Midlands is the birthplace of great British food and drink icons , Typhoo Tea, Bird’s Custard and Marston’s.

That consumer tradition lives Mondelēz International houses on today with companies like its global chocolate research and Mondelēz International, East development centre at the historical End Foods, Allied Bakeries plant in Birmingham. and Cleone Foods using the region as a base for R&D and The region’s universities help product development as well as provide expertise thanks to relevant manufacture and distribution. food technology courses and a high level of specialist research. With a strong and growing Food technology delivery systems regional economy, the sector and equipment technology are enjoys unrivalled connectivity and a particular specialism with the strong R&D expertise. Skills and West Midlands leading the way experience in the food supply chain in food and drink distribution and processing helps support the due to unrivalled connectivity sector and its distribution network. and easy access to national and European markets. East End Foods alone produces 30,000 lines for more than 3,500 retailers and is one of the largest importers and suppliers of ethnic foods in Europe.

32 Sector employs more than 35,000 people in 1,500 companies UNIQUE FOOD & DRINK EXPERTISE of local universities, including food science research at University GLOBAL CENTRE College Birmingham (UCB) FOR CHOCOLATE R&D CENTRAL LOCATION LEADER and strong logistic networks in food and drink machinery and equipment FOOD AND STRONG FLUID CONTROL TRADITION TECHNOLOGY from companies like IMI, OF PHOTONICS R&D Ishida and TNA Europe relevant to sector

33 TECHNOLOGY

GAMING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) The region’s heritage in this Leamington Spa alone accounts Serious gaming is helping to sector stretches back more than for more than 10% of the UK’s total develop large scale immersive three decades with Central gaming jobs and is home to more simulations and visualisations, Warwickshire boasting one of than 3,000 digital businesses enabling companies to train and the UK’s largest concentrations of support staff and customers. gaming companies in the UK. Start-ups and SMEs benefit from Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick, attractive business costs, expert and Birmingham City universities This creative sector is fast-paced professional advice such as top all have centres in this field and fast-growing, with a sizeable Intellectual Property lawyers, and and are at the cutting edge number of graduates and access to centres of academic of AR, AI and VR research and experienced programmers helping excellence. Coventry University’s development. Birmingham to support cross-over opportunities Serious Games Institute, for City University is internationally with other tech-driven sectors. example, is a national centre leading on training provision of excellence and can provide and consultancy in this area. More gaming providers are gaming companies with a centred on the Digbeth area of platform to embrace Augmented Warwick Computer Science is Birmingham with companies such Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality ranked amongst the best computer as Codemasters, Sega and Ubisoft (VR) and this is supported by departments in the world, while enjoying significant cost savings cross-over opportunities with the the Data Science Lab at Warwick over other UK locations. local aerospace and advanced Business School is leading the manufacturing sectors. latest AI technology into deep learning applications that can make subjective judgement calls.

34 More than 5,600 ICT Almost STUDENTS 12,000 in WMCA DIGITAL AND CREATIVE companies across the region DIGBETH HOUSES ONE OF THE Over LARGEST 40 creative clusters in the UK GAME DEVELOPMENT SERIOUS GAMES COMPANIES INSTITUTE in and around Leamington Spa and Warwick is a national centre of excellence

35 FINTECH With leading lifestyle and quality From software provider Advanced, With a growing market cluster of life rankings, the West Midlands with a 400-strong team in of financial technology firms delivers a compelling case for central Birmingham, to regionally servicing an ever-growing, inward investment in the sector. headquartered SCC, Europe’s international marketplace, the The region is also currently piloting largest independent IT services West Midlands offers access a new government programme business with 2,500 international to an excellent talent pool of to roll out 5G mobile networks customers, there is a growing graduates and other experienced earlier than in other parts of the IT Support sector in the West employees thanks to the region UK by using innovative roadside Midlands as well, ensuring the being home to major hubs for connectivity making the West right business networks are on firms such as HSBC, Deutsche Midlands an early adopter and hand. The proximity of digital, life Bank, Deloitte, PwC and KPMG. testbed for new technology. sciences, gaming and advanced manufacturing technology means Along with proximity to London, Further growth in the sector there is a supportive and rich local business cost savings and and interest from students will business ecosystem ideal for SMEs excellent links to other world-class create sustained opportunities for as well as larger companies. FinTech locations across Europe, companies basing themselves in the region offers the perfect the city region, whether they are business and talent location. units of multinational companies, start-ups or SMEs. The area’s young and rapidly growing population also helps to future proof the local talent pool.

36 14,000 FINTECH GRADUATES A YEAR from 8 top local universities

Region just 2 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF GRADE A OFFICE SPACE 45mins currently under development FROM LONDON BY 2026

LEADING FINANCIAL LOCAL HUB AND SHARED FINTECH SERVICES CENTRE COMPANIES employing more than include Lombard Risk Management, FIS Global and Oxygen Finance

BIRMINGHAM IS BEST 94,000FINTECH JOBS BRITISH CITY TO

INVEST IN MAJORbusiness schools and IT according to PwC and computing centres

37 (IoT)

The application of IoT needs a wide talent pool as well as an accessible marketplace in which to look for new applications and develop bespoke, end to end solutions based on cutting edge technology.

Manufacturers have made Moving to an IoT-enabled, Access to a well-developed great strides in connecting their customer-centric and service talent pool as well as research products and appliances to orientated culture requires strength and specialist professional the IoT; succeeding in this new professional services support services means locally-based era demands business as well as well as manufacturing and companies such as Fanuc as technology connectivity. product development, and the Robotics and Autodesk have the West Midlands benefits from very best chance of bringing With our outstanding industrial the presence of some of the top their IoT products to market. and technological heritage legal, accounting, intellectual and track record of producing property and HR providers. The West Midlands’ own IoT globally competitive products Incubator is working across and solutions, the West Midlands sectors to help find applications, is well-placed to facilitate the especially in the context of our local required research through its strengths in hi-tech engineering, class-leading universities. advanced manufacturing and industrial automation.

38 1,560 GRADUATES R&D STRENGTH from applied and computer science courses IN ROBOTICS AT in region every year

IOT INCUBATOR EXPERTISE already working on new applications

IN INDUSTRIAL Worldwide Industrial AUTOMATION IoT set to be

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING AT LARGE MARKET & complementary hi-tech engineering sector and talent pool BY 2020

39 SCIENCES

40 The region’s largest life sciences sites encompass hospitals and universities at Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick and Wolverhampton, with the largest campus located two miles south of .

This life sciences district includes Offering Europe’s largest organ the University of Birmingham, transplant centre, the world’s Birmingham Medical School (the largest single-site critical care second largest in the UK) and the unit and a world-class burns 1,500-bed Queen Elizabeth Hospital and defence medicine centre, site which also includes the Centre the Queen Elizabeth campus for Translational Medicine, the offers excellent opportunities for National Centre for Mental Health the application of research and and the Birmingham Women’s medical devices technology. Hospital. A brand new 400 bed Children’s Hospital is also planned for the site during the next decade.

41 1,500-BED Birmingham Health QUEEN Partners ELIZABETH is one of the largest hospital sites in Europe

The city’s wider life sciences The focus on science and research A supportive regulatory cluster includes the nearby Pebble coupled with the UK’s favourable environment and a large, Mill healthcare campus and a regulatory environment has seen non-transient regional population, dedicated life sciences park at Selly the sector grow strongly in the excellent transport links and world Oak, due to open in 2020. Leading West Midlands over the past class locally available research local healthcare firms include Salts decade, especially since the Queen institutions, makes the region Healthcare and The Binding Site. Elizabeth site opened in 2011. the number one choice for life sciences and medical technology In total the local healthcare sector The University of Birmingham companies. The range of crossover includes 14 general hospitals, eight based Birmingham Health Partners opportunities with advanced specialist hospitals (Children’s, is a clinical-academic accelerator manufacturing and engineering Dental, Mental Health), nine bringing together leading research, also supports the sector. teaching hospitals, 12 private training and clinical trials facilities hospitals and four medical schools. plus medical devices testing and evaluation, in one location.

42 13,000 LIFE SCIENCES COMPANIES IN REGION

7,400

MEDICAL GRADUATES from our regional universities every year

LEADING electro medical and control 14general 9teaching 4medical instruments cluster hospitals hospitals schools

LEADING MEDICAL RESEARCH WORLD UNIVERSITIES at Aston, Birmingham, CLASS Birmingham City diagnostic and clinical and Warwick trials facilities

43 The West Midlands Growth Company aims to help create new jobs, expand existing firms and attract new businesses and investment to the region, aligned to the ambitions set out in the West Midlands Combined Authority Strategic Economic Plan.

The West Midlands Growth The West Midlands Growth Company offers a wealth of Company has been established in support to organisations looking partnership with Local Enterprise to establish their presence in the Partnerships; local authorities; region. This includes property Growth Hubs; universities; and search and visits; access to business a wide range of businesses information and intelligence; PR across the private sector. It and communications support; focuses its core activities across discounted hotel and serviced Greater Birmingham and Solihull; apartment provision to assist Coventry and Warwickshire; staff relocating into the area; and the Black Country. recruitment; and introductions to commercial partners & business opportunities. This ensures all challenges are minimised and new location projects run smoothly from the outset.

t. 0121 202 5115

e. [email protected] core-marketing.co.uk by produced Designed and

t. 0121 202 5115 e. [email protected]