Greater Birmingham reveals MIPIM programme
GREATER Birmingham is planning to showcase the scale of the region’s investment offer at next month’s international property show MIPIM.
The show, which takes place in Cannes from March 10-13, is a must attend event for UK cities and regions seeking to attract investment into developments and inward investors.
Greater Birmingham’s events schedule – comprising 11 events and 25 speakers across the four-day property exhibition – will focus on the opportunities presented by flagship schemes, including the Black Country Enterprise Zone and UK Central in Solihull.
Covering 120 hectares, the Black Country Enterprise Zone has seen investments in excess of £1.5bn from global names including Jaguar Land Rover and Moog.
Together with the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone, it has attracted more than a quarter – a total of 3,200 – of the 12,530 jobs created since 2012 by the Government’s 24 enterprise zones based nationwide.
At MIPIM speakers including Andy Street, chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, Tom Westley, Black Country LEP lead for the Enterprise Zone, and Rob Groves, senior project director at property developer Argent, will highlight the impact of the West Midlands’ Enterprise Zones on the UK economy, as well as plans to accelerate their growth.
Westley, said: “The Black Country has a unique history of driving innovation forward, we are leading the way through world-class manufacturing and engineering and are seeing record levels of private sector investment.
“The Black Country Enterprise Zone, described as the most successful in the UK, has seen unprecedented growth through a public and private sector partnership approach and we want to talk to potential investors about how they can be part of this success.
“MIPIM creates a fantastic opportunity to showcase how collectively the West Midlands’ Enterprise Zones are creating thousands of jobs, attracting significant investment and driving the economy forward.”
Based in Solihull, UK Central combines business, transport and entertainment assets with the area’s reputation as an attractive place to live.
At MIPIM, delegates will learn of the opportunities that the site presents to investors. Speakers at Greater Birmingham’s UK Central event include Councillor Ian Courts, deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development & land at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Nick Page, chief executive at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Andy Street, and Steven Myers, managing director of Development at Genting.
Cllr Courts said: “UK Central offers an outstanding combination of opportunity, connectivity and lifestyle attracting growing interest from global investors.
“2015 will see major milestones in its development – the opening of Resorts World Birmingham, the launch of the new Jaguar XE following Jaguar Land Rover’s £1.5bn investment in Europe’s largest aluminium bodyshop, and Rolls Royce opening the new HQ, design and technology facility for its Controls and Data Services subsidiary on Birmingham Business Park.
“We will be sharing key elements of our emerging masterplan for the HS2 Interchange site linked to Birmingham Airport at MIPIM, as well as highlighting the major opportunities for investors over the next tenyears.”
The Greater Birmingham team will also join forces with Greater London and Coventry at two events promoting the benefits of the new HS2 high speed rail network to the UK’s economic prosperity and connectivity. Speakers include Sir Michael Bear, chairman of the UKTI’s Regeneration Investment Organisation.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Collaboration is at the heart of Greater Birmingham’s transformation into one of the top international business destinations.
“By joining forces with our partners in Solihull and the Black Country – together with a host of private sector organisations – we will be demonstrating to MIPIM delegates that we have the momentum and ambition to remain the country’s strongest region for inward investment.”
For more details on Greater Birmingham’s event programme at MIPIM 2015, visit http://businessbirmingham.com/strongmipim-2015strong/eventbrpresentations/
