Inspired by the words of Steven Knight CBE from the West Midlands Growth Plan prologue.

For too long, the West Midlands has let its achievements speak in whispers. We’ve created, invented, manufactured, moved and transformed, but quietly. But as Steven Knight reminds us in the opening of the West Midlands Growth Plan, that time has passed. 

“That is all about to change.” 

Now, we tell our story. Proudly. Boldly. Together.

Because what comes next doesn’t start in London. 

It starts here. 

A Region That’s Always Made Things Happen 

From the ironworks of the Black Country to the creative force of Digbeth, we are a region built by makers, doers, and disruptors. 

We’re the birthplace of the First Industrial Revolution. The home of the Lunar Society; radicals who powered the world with nothing more than imagination, grit, and collaboration. 

Today, we channel that same energy through innovation districts, academic hubs, and commercial corridors, from Wolverhampton to Coventry, and everywhere in between. 

We’ve done this not as isolated places, but as a collective. 

Now, we double down, together. 

The Growth Plan Is a Rallying Point 

The West Midlands Growth Plan is not just a policy document, it’s our shared blueprint for transformation. Backed by government, fuelled by private sector investment, and co-authored by local leaders, businesses, institutions and communities, it sets a clear direction: 

  • A region leading the next green and digital revolutions 
  • A region where cities and boroughs complement, not compete 
  • A region powered by the youngest, most diverse population in Europe 
  • A region where public service innovation supports economic renewal 

As partners, councils, universities, NHS leaders, industry anchors, we all play a role not just in delivering projects, but in shaping the narrative. 
 

Why This Moment Matters 

Our greatest strength is also our greatest opportunity: 
We are not one place; we are many places, united by ambition. 

The Growth Plan sets a path for: 

  • Delivering real social mobility through skills and inclusive growth 
  • Rebuilding local economies with community-rooted enterprise 
  • Attracting private capital into our priority sectors and places 
  • Making the West Midlands a trailblazer for net zero, health equity and smart mobility 

This is the story we must tell and own, with one voice. 

Because global investors are watching. Young people are choosing where to build their futures. And our residents are looking to us to make growth mean something. 
 

Steven Knight Said It Best… 

“When fortune drops something valuable on your lap, you don’t just dump it on the bank of the canal.” 
— Tommy Shelby, Peaky Blinders 

We’ve been given something valuable: 

  • A globally significant innovation economy 
  • A bold, unified plan for growth 
  • And most importantly, a renewed sense of shared purpose 

Let’s not waste it. 
 

It Starts Here With All of Us 

Whether you’re a local authority shaping place-based strategy, a university forging new R&D partnerships, or a business group backing future skills, you are part of the It Starts Here story. 

This campaign is more than a message. It’s a mindset. And we need every partner, every place, and every platform to help us deliver it. 

Because if we’ve learned anything from our region’s history, it’s this: 

Breakthroughs don’t just happen. They are built by people who believe in what comes next. 

And what comes next? 

It Starts Here. In the West Midlands. Together. 
 

Want to get involved? 

Let’s collaborate to amplify the story. 
Contact your WMGC representative to share success stories, case studies, and innovation highlights.