• £635m of private investment for West Midlands announced at Regional Investment Summit, with huge boost to sectors including AI, pharma, dairy and real estate.
  • New £125m skills and housing package from Combined Authority, to train 12,000 construction workers and to deliver 1,000 social homes.
  • Birmingham Sports Quarter investment to deliver transformational 14,000 new jobs and £700m boost to the region’s economy, updated data shows.

Hundreds of jobs in the West Midlands are set to be created after almost £800m of investment was announced at today’s Regional Investment Summit, underscoring the region’s reputation as a preferred destination for global investors seeking strong returns and long-term growth. This investment cements the West Midlands as a powerhouse for investment and turbocharges sustainable economic growth into the region.

The huge announcement follows the Regional Investment Summit held in Birmingham today where over 350 business leaders, investors and local mayors met to announce £10bn of new investment for key growth sectors around the UK, delivering on the Plan for Change to create new jobs and opportunities for people in every region.

Investments in the West Midlands include Hines and Woodbourne Group announcing a £400m investment to support the £4bn Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, a centrepiece of the West Midlands Investment Zone, driving innovation, regeneration, and economic growth in the region. Blackstone will invest £200m to ensure the NEC remains the UK’s leading live events business with world class venues across exhibitions, conventions and arenas.

Building on the UK-India free trade agreement, the Indian parent company of Freshway Dairy will also invest £25m in constructing a new processing facility in West Bromwich, creating at least 200 new jobs and enabling them to process 25% more milk.

In a boost to the Industrial Strategy, the Government is also announcing that Sterling Pharmaceuticals will receive a share of £30m of Life Sciences funding, which will help them build a 60,000 sq ft centre in Birmingham, creating 48 jobs and boosting UK production of medicines  for the NHS and sales overseas. To boost the digital sector, Atos is announcing £10m for AI centres, cementing the Midlands role as a key hub and creating 50 jobs.

In further good news for the region, the West Midlands Combined Authority has confirmed a £75m skills package to train over 12,000 people in construction trades and technical roles over three years. Backed by WMCA and government funding, the initiative supports a regional construction boom driven by major housing, transport, retrofit, and regeneration projects.

In further good news for the region, the West Midlands Combined Authority has confirmed a £75m skills package to train over 12,000 people in construction trades and technical roles over three years. Backed by WMCA and government funding, the initiative supports a regional construction boom driven by major housing, transport, retrofit, and regeneration projects.

£40m will also be made available by the WMCA to accelerate delivery of 1,000 new social rent homes across the region. The funding unlocks properties ready or under construction, building on 750 affordable homes already secured.

Earlier success for the region this year includes Knighthead announcing plans to invest at least £3bn in a new Sports Quarter in Birmingham, which will feature a new 62,000-capacity stadium, new sporting facilities as well as entertainment and residential spaces and create 14,000 jobs – up from initial projections of 10,000. New data shows the Quarter will transform the region’s economy, with a £700m boost to growth. Birmingham Airport will invest £300m over four years to upgrade baggage, immigration, retail, and airfield infrastructure, boosting growth.

This latest vote of confidence follows Britain becoming the most attractive place to invest in the world according to a survey from Deloitte.

The West Midlands is a thriving business hub, and these funding announcements are a major vote of confidence in our economy and demonstrate how our modern Industrial Strategy is helping to secure the investment we need to deliver growth in the West Midlands.

This huge boost to the region shows our Plan for Change is working in encouraging more companies to invest here, creating new jobs and exciting opportunities for local communities in the West Midlands.

- Peter Kyle, Business and Trade Secretary

 

The West Midlands is a powerhouse for foreign direct investment, and today’s announcements at the Summit further establish the region as a top-tier destination for investors. With a robust pipeline of transformational projects, outstanding connectivity, and a skilled workforce, the West Midlands offers unrivalled opportunities for those looking to invest and grow.

Our modern Industrial Strategy is giving investors the confidence they need to plan not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond - helping to create economic growth as part of our Plan for Change.

- Jason Stockwood, Minister for Investment

The first-ever Regional Investment Summit in the West Midlands has been a huge success. It’s given us the platform to showcase our innovation, talent, and can-do approach - and it’s already paying off, with world-class businesses like Knighthead Capital, Freshways and Atos choosing to invest, drive growth and create jobs.

The Government is backing us with new funding and new powers to go further and faster. I’m determined to make sure everyone shares in the opportunities this brings - building prosperity that reaches every community. The time to invest in the West Midlands is now.

- Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands 

 

The announcements at the Regional Investment Summit builds on recent landmark trade deals struck with the US and India and the launch of the modern Industrial Strategy in the summer, helping to hardwire stability for investors looking to invest in the UK.

Securing investment is central to the government’s mission to deliver economic growth which will create jobs, improve living standards, and make communities and families across the country better off as part of our Plan for Change.  

​The announced investments, highlighting a strong focus on regeneration, skills, and key growth sectors, include:

  • £400 million investment by Hines into the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter
  • £200 million committed by Blackstone to modernise the NEC
  • £75 million skills package by the WMCA to train over 12,000 people in three years
  • £40 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund created by the WMCA to deliver 1,000 new social rent homes
  • A share of the £30 million Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund to support Sterling Pharmaceuticals’ new Birmingham facility
  • £25 million investment by Freshways to create a dairy hub in West Bromwich
  • £10 million investment by Atos to open two technology centres

Our £25m investment in West Bromwich will deliver 200 new jobs, from engineers to food safety technicians, and deliver one of the most efficient dairy processing plants in Europe, capable of processing 500 million litres of fresh British milk a year.

The West Midlands is a key strategic location for Freshways, providing access to national transport networks and skilled job seekers. It’s also good news for our British dairy farmers and our customers as we’ll be able to process 25% more fresh milk from the new site, helping us keep up with growing demand. We’re working around the clock to get things ready and hope to have the site fully operational by the end of the year.

- Bali Nijjar, Freshways Managing Director 

 

Atos is delighted to invest in the Midlands, establishing new technology centres that will help drive digital innovation and create opportunities for local talent. Our commitment reflects the region’s growing reputation as a national hub for AI and digital transformation, and we look forward to supporting businesses and communities as they embrace the benefits of new technology.

- Michael Herron, Head of Atos UK&I