Big ideas to change the Midlands

As big changes require big ideas, a session of the Invest Midlands conference took a close look at how the region is currently thinking big and setting out to achieve long-term transformation as a result.

The panel was chaired by TheBusinessDesk.com’s North West editor Shelina Begum.

Taking part in the panel discussion were Matheu Parr, director of customer business at Rolls Royce, Christopher Ware, director at the Conygar Investment Company Plc, Stuart Bloomfield, chief development officer at Urban-Air Port Ltd and Liz Draper, head of corporate partnerships at Coventry City of Culture Trust.

Parr outlined how Rolls Royce has built what it hopes will be the fastest all electric powered aircraft.

This aircraft has now been completed and is about to be put through its final session of ground testing.

Parr said it should be able to travel at more than 300-mph, which means it is capable of beating the 210-mph electric aircraft speed record set by Siemens in 2017.

“Aviation benefits us all but we need to be thinking more about sustainable aviation and travel via disruptor technologies such as electrification,” he said.

“We hope to get people inspired about what electric aviation can unlock. It’s not all about the speed, it’s also about the technology which we hope can move into other markets as well. It’s about more efficiency, zero emissions and reducing noise.”

Staying with the aviation theme, Bloomfield explained how his company is setting out to revolutionise travel through developing the world’s first operational facility for vertical take off and landing electric aircraft as well as electric vehicles.

The initiative in Coventry is being backed by the Government through its Future Flight Challenge funding.

Bloomfield added: “Urban air mobility is one of the most important subjects we’re going to be talking about over the next few years.

“The air taxi industry is growing hugely worldwide and throughout the UK.

“We’re developing the infrastructure to support air taxis, and also urban logistics – unmanned drones carrying out deliveries – along with emergency disaster response.”

Ware provided an update on Nottingham’s ambitious Island Quarter development, a 2.8 million sq ft mixed use scheme which will comprise homes, offices, hotels, student accommodation and leisure provision.

Work has begun on site with the first phase of the project due to complete in March next year, but the timescale for the entire scheme is expected to be eight to 10 years.

Ware said: “We believe mixed use development is the way ahead. The days of just having an office development, which is dead at night, are gone.”

He said the former Boots HQ site has been derelict for 25 years, so there is a groundswell of support for the land finally being brought back into use.

Draper spoke about Coventry’s City of Culture year – which begins this month after the programme of cultural activities was rescheduled from January in response to the pandemic.

She said: “We want to attract an extra 2.5 million visitors over the course of the year. We estimate that will have a direct economic impact of about £350m.

“Over the last year, while people have been stuck at home, they’ve really remembered the value of arts and culture and why it’s so important.

“We know from previous Cities of Culture that these programmes have a major economic and social impact on the cities which host them.”

View the full session below:


Invest Midlands is a one-day virtual conference bringing together business and policy leaders to set the agenda for what comes next in the region.

The event has been curated by TheBusinessDesk.com and backed by a broad coalition of organisations spanning the public and private sectors, led by EYShakespeare Martineau, Lloyds Bank, and Impact Data Metrics.

Find out more about the event here.

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