The West Midlands

Business facts

The West Midlands is located at the hub of the UK’s road and rail network. 75% of the UK’s population is within 5 hours truck drive and all the major European cities are within 48 hours. Birmingham International Airport (BHX), the second largest airport in the UK outside London, serves over 100 destinations in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East

• The West Midlands has a range of internationally recognised research institutions including expertise in automotive design and development, polymer research, ceramics and science and technology

• Industry in the West Midlands has particular strengths in the automotive, motorsport and aerospace industries. The region also has a fast-growing service sector with the largest concentration of professional firms outside London

• Major international firms like Cadbury Schweppes, JCB and Wedgwood started and continue to prosper in the West Midlands, while Fujitsu, Vodaphone and Muller have relocated to the region. Local companies with headquarters in the West Midlands include Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and JCB

• The region’s business tourism sector is larger than in any other UK region outside of London. Conference facilities such as the NEC, ICC and Telford International Centre are a big draw.

Lifestyle facts

• From the earliest pre-school care through to advanced research and academic institutions educational opportunities are plentiful and standards are high. MBA courses at Aston and Warwick rank as some of the world’s finest and IBM rates Aston as Europe’s best in terms of quality of recruits

• The West Midlands is home to many prestigious sporting events including Premiership football, test match cricket at Edgbaston, Ryder Cup golf at the Belfry, International Indoor and Outdoor Athletics and Davis Cup tennis, as well as arts organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

• The region boasts 20,000 hectares of National Park and 127,000 hectares of land designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from the Peak District in Staffordshire to Herefordshire and the Wye Valley to Worcestershire, the gateway to the Cotswolds and home to the Malvern Hills.

Want to find out more?

To find out about more about support for businesses in the region visit the Advantage West Midlands website.