By james art The campaign was launched at a special event at Symphony Hall, Birmingham during Birmingham Tech Week – the UK’s largest regional technology festival.
Developed by WMGC in collaboration with organizations across the region, It Starts Here seeks to reinforce and revitalize the region’s brand as dynamic and confident within a fiercely competitive international market.
With a focus on showcasing the region’s innovation-led strengths, the campaign narrative positions the West Midlands as where ‘disruptive minds meet’ and ‘breakthroughs begin’, aiming to inspire a shared mantra of confidence and a confident ‘new era’ for region.
It Starts Here will span a number of sub-campaigns focused on the region’s key growth sectors, including The Green Energy Revolution Starts Here; Life-changing science starts here; Game-changing technology starts here; and next-generation services start here, with subsequent phases covering broader placemaking topics.
The campaign aims to attract investment from target markets including India, North America and Germany to ultimately create high-value jobs across the region.
In February, WMGC will take the campaign internationally for the first time through a regional trade mission to India led by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.
According to EY’s latest UK Attractiveness Survey, the West Midlands bucked the general downward trend in UK FDI, registering a 72 percent increase in foreign direct investment projects in 2023 (127 projects). Birmingham was at the forefront of this growth, leading the West Midlands and outperforming all other UK cities outside of London. Delivering 67 projects, it sets a record for the highest number of projects managed by a regional city in the last decade.
Neil Ramey, chief executive of West Midlands Growth Company, said: “International competition for investment is fierce; with global investors citing access to innovation opportunities as their number one priority. In response, we developed a campaign that affirms our past and present ingenuity in a different and compelling way – and that speaks to all corners of our region.
“New technology is developing rapidly in the West Midlands. It is the golden thread of our economy, with the technology sector now valued at £15.3 billion and growing. We are therefore incredibly well-positioned to partner with organizations around the world to drive pioneering technologies, thanks to our talented people and cutting-edge university-led research and development activities.
“Inward investment is primarily about growth and job creation, but we need to have clarity and conviction about our strengths to get them. So I’m inviting organizations from across the West Midlands to work with us and come together to confidently convey that it all starts here.”
As part of the campaign’s launch event, innovation leaders from across the region participated in a panel discussion on the region’s strengths in disruption, chaired by Courtney Fingar, director of Fingar Direct Investment. They include Joanne Rowney CBE, Managing Director at Birmingham City Council; Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick; Murray Paul, director of public relations at JLR and Melissa Snover, founder and owner of Nourished. The event was opened by the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker.
Mr Parker said: “The West Midlands has always been home to entrepreneurs and inventors. Now we are fast becoming a powerhouse for new sectors such as clean and green industries, cyber security and cutting edge technology.
“There has never been a better time for businesses to invest, grow and succeed here in the West Midlands. I want us to seize this opportunity to become the best place in the UK to do business, creating new jobs, new opportunities and improving the lives of thousands in the region.”