Invest in the West Midlands

Our time is now. Growth is strong and optimism is high. We are at the forefront of good change. Come and join us.

Home to three thriving cities – Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton - the West Midlands is on the move.

Economic revival.
The region is seeing an economic revival with rapid growth. The West Midlands Combined Authority has one of the fastest growing economies of any Combined Authority in the country, with a GVA growth rate of 22.4% over the last five years

Talented.
The West Midlands is proud of its young, diverse and entrepreneurial population. Eight universities and world-class research institutions produce 55,000 graduates every year. More than 1.3 million under 25s living in the region.

Innovative.
Around the world, the most successful ideas emerge from places which have three critical things: world-class research institutions; a cluster of high technology firms: and major government investment. The West Midlands is home to all three.

Quality of life.
The West Midlands offers a huge range of cultural interests, drawing around 120 million visitors a year. Quality of life in Birmingham is ranked higher than Rome, Los Angeles, Osaka, Shanghai and Dubai. Wolverhampton undergoing a £1 billion transformation. While Coventry has been selected at the 2021 UK City of Culture and Birmingham will be the next host of the Commonwealth Games.

Connected.
The region enjoys an unparalleled strategic location at the heart of the country’s motorway and rail network. 90% of the UK population lives no more than a four-hour drive away. Birmingham airport has flights to 150 destinations worldwide. From global players to start-ups business are drawn to the West Midlands for its superb transport links.

The region’s growing, diverse economy is a key strength. Instead of being reliant on one sector, the West Midlands is home to leaders in finance, life sciences, digital, automotive and aerospace making it more resilient to boom and bust. Key sectors include:

Business, Professional & Financial Services

One of the largest business, professional and financial services clusters in Europe, employing 350,000 people.

Automotive

The region is the UK’s premier centre for automotive with firms in the area employing 47,000 people. Home to world-famous brands including Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Aston Martin.

Aerospace

A global centre for aerospace design and manufacture, with 25% of UK aerospace sector based in the wider Midlands area.

Materials

Largest concentration of materials-related jobs in the UK across 2,000 materials companies who offer unrivalled expertise in composite materials.

Technology

Across the region there are 13,900 tech companies and with more software developers than any other regional city, Birmingham has the largest tech centre outside London.

Food Processing

20,000 people employed in 545 companies and home to world-leading brands including Cadbury, Typhoo and Marston’s.

Games and AI

40 games companies in Silicon Spa and the renowned Serious Games Institute based at Coventry University, with local universities at cutting-edge of AI and VR research.

Low Carbon & Energy Storage

Specialism in heating and cooling systems, fuel cells and batteries with world-class university-led research.

Life Sciences

6,700 medical graduates from our universities each year and 13,500 life sciences companies.

Rail

Largest rail R&D centre of excellence in Europe.

Advanced Manufacturing

Heart of UK manufacturing, with 113,600 employed in 5,250 advanced manufacturing companies.

The West Midlands Growth Company helps our region make its mark, nationally and internationally. We work together to attract investment, jobs, businesses and visitors to the West Midlands.

Our team of experts welcome the chance to answer any questions, get in touch with us here or find out more about what we do, including our work on inward investment and business support.