£1bn Black Country manufacturing strategy looks to lure investors

Investment opportunities in a ground breaking High Value Manufacturing City development have been highlighted by the Black Country LEP at the MIPIM property exhibition in Cannes.

The HVM City programme promises to add more than £1bn to the Black Country economy by bringing forward 150 hectares of land for advanced manufacturing and create over 73,000 jobs.

Delegates at MIPIM have highlighted two key investment programmes: the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Energy Capital programme and HVM City Platform.

Launched for the Black Country in February, the WMCA Energy Capital programme aims to position the region as the UK’s ‘energy capital’ by bringing together the public and private sectors with a common aim of developing clean, sustainable energy.  

The Black Country delegation outlined the investment opportunities for energy companies and businesses in order to build the energy capital needed to sustainably power HVM City.

Tom Westley, board member for the Black Country LEP, said: “Energy Capital is a uniquely powerful geographical partnership, designed to ensure the West Midlands delivers low cost, clean power to local industry and becomes the most attractive place in the world to make energy systems investments and the easiest place to grow innovative energy systems companies.

“Energy solutions are the key to economic growth for our area and through bringing key stakeholders together, these solutions will be attractive to businesses looking to invest in the Black Country.”

To support the development of the Black Country as a world class destination for High Value Manufacturers, the Black Country LEP has commissioned BiP Solutions to complete the innovative interactive HVM City Platform, the only one of its kind in the UK.

The HVM City Platform, which will be directly aligned with the HS2 Procurement Portal, will enable inward investment opportunities, drive supply chain development and integration and support major contract delivery through the development of virtual models.

The full portal covering all investment and supply chain opportunities across the Black Country will be complete at the end of this month.

“The HVM City tool will give investors a sense of all the opportunities across the Black Country, quickly and easily,” added Mr Westley.

Investors at MIPIM were told of the sites that are now ready across the area and how they could work with the various partners to ensure the Black Country squeezes every available drop of value out of the scheme.

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