West Midlands | UK
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West Midlands | UK Invest in the West Midlands | UK 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 Coventry, 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 Birmingham 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 Solihull, 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 Combined Authority in May You will have seen the cranes on of the Black Country, 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 High Speed 2 (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 United Kingdom 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 Warwick; medical is building a sustained and gifted including the leading Russell Group 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 Aston 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 Wolverhampton. 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 Land Rover (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, Coventry University 11 CONNECTIVITY At the very heart 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 Birmingham Airport INVESTMENT of the West Midlands 12 East Staordshire Cannock Chase Lichfield Tamworth Wolverhampton Walsall North Sandwell Warwickshire Nuneaton Dudley & Bedworth Birmingham Coventry Wyre Solihull Forest Rugby Bromsgrove Warwick Redditch 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.