West Midlands Growth Company

West Midlands Growth Company
Name	West Midlands Growth Company
Founded	2017
Headquarters	Birmingham
Area served	West Midlands
Key people	Nadhim Zahawi
Industry	Investment promotion

West Midlands Growth Company is an investment promotion and trade agency established to attract inward investment, support international trade, and promote regional sectors across the West Midlands metropolitan area. Launched with backing from civic leaders in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and the wider West Midlands Combined Authority, it has engaged with multinational firms, export promotion bodies, and academic institutions to accelerate projects in advanced manufacturing, automotive, life sciences and digital industries. The organisation works alongside devolved authorities, airport operators, and port and rail bodies to shape major site investments and workforce programmes.

History

The organisation was formed in 2017 following devolution discussions involving the West Midlands Combined Authority, Andy Street, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council and Wolverhampton City Council as regional leaders sought an international-facing body similar to London & Partners and Scottish Development International. Early milestones included partnerships with HS2, Birmingham Airport, Birmingham City University and Aston University to showcase the West Midlands at trade missions in Bengaluru, Shanghai, New York City and Dubai. During the late 2010s it promoted major inward investments such as projects by Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce Holdings, BMW Group and supply-chain companies from Germany, Japan and China. Post-2020 activities adjusted to global shifts following the COVID-19 pandemic with targeted campaigns around advanced manufacturing, digital services, and life sciences, coordinating with bodies like the Department for International Trade and regional enterprise partnerships such as the Black Country LEP.

Structure and Governance

The entity operates as a limited company with a board drawn from local government leaders, private-sector executives and academic partners, reflecting models used by Invest Northern Ireland, Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Enterprise Ireland. Its governance links include formal agreements with the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Mayor of the West Midlands office, and combined local authorities including Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. Senior executives liaise with industry bodies such as the Confederation of British Industry, Make UK and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Staffing and secondments have involved personnel from Midlands Engine, regional universities such as University of Birmingham and Coventry University, and investment agencies like Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.

Functions and Activities

The organisation conducts investment attraction, export promotion, site marketing, and sector development, drawing on practices from Choose France and Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. Key activities include lead generation with multinational corporates such as Toyota suppliers, arranging investor visits to strategic sites like Bickenhill, supporting export programmes with trade missions to markets including India, USA, UAE and Germany, and coordinating inward investor services with Birmingham Airport and logistics providers like DP World. It runs sector-focused campaigns for automotive, aerospace, life sciences, digital tech and advanced manufacturing clusters, engages with research partnerships at Warwick Manufacturing Group, facilitates skills pipelines with West Midlands Combined Universities and works on localisation of supply chains for companies such as GKN Aerospace and Aston Martin.

Economic Impact and Outcomes

Reported outcomes include enabling jobs pledged by investors, securing capital investment projects in manufacturing and research, and creating supply-chain linkages with firms from Germany, Italy, Japan and USA. The agency’s activity has been associated with site developments in Birmingham Enterprise Zone, expansions in Coventry supply networks and cluster growth around Science Park facilities linked to University of Warwick and University of Birmingham. Outcomes are often measured alongside regional indicators tracked by Office for National Statistics, investment tallies comparable to UK Department for Business and Trade reports, and performance benchmarks used by Local Enterprise Partnerships and pan-regional initiatives such as the Midlands Engine.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding and partnership models combine local authority contributions, match-funding from devolved institutions, and collaborative work with national promotional arms including Department for International Trade and British Chambers of Commerce. Strategic partners span Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, West Midlands Combined Authority, universities like University of Warwick and private-sector investors including Canary Wharf Group-scale developers and institutional investors from Singapore and Saudi Arabia. The organisation has also cooperated with infrastructure stakeholders such as Network Rail, High Speed 2 (HS2), National Highways and operators like Birmingham Airport to align investment pitches with transport connectivity improvements.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have focused on transparency, measurement of claimed job outcomes, and the balance between city-centre projects in Birmingham and regeneration in towns across the wider Black Country and Coventry areas. Local commentators and opposition councillors from Labour Party and civic campaign groups have questioned procurement processes, value-for-money compared with national bodies like Scottish Development International, and the clarity of reporting against metrics published by the Office for Local Government and regional audit bodies. Debates have also arisen about foreign direct investment sources, including scrutiny when investors originate from jurisdictions linked to state-backed enterprises such as some firms from China and Middle East sovereign capital, and the role of public subsidy in supporting private-sector site acquisitions.

Category:Organisations based in Birmingham, West Midlands