West Midlands to host flagship UK investment summit
A major UK investment summit will be held in the West Midlands this autumn, after the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Business and Trade backed Mayor Richard Parker’s plans.
The investment summit, originally planned by the Mayor, has now evolved into a flagship national event showcasing the UK’s regional investment strengths, with the West Midlands proudly hosting.
The joint event will be called Regional Investment Summit – West Midlands 2025 and will focus on unlocking investment into the UK’s cities, towns and industrial clusters – placing the West Midlands at the heart of the Government’s economic strategy.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves mentioned the Regional Investment Summit during the Sport’s Quarter investment announcement alongside Mayor Richard Parker at Birmingham City Football Club last week
Mayor Richard Parker said: “This is a huge vote of confidence in the West Midlands. We had ambitious plans for our summit – and now, by working with the government, we’re making it even bigger and better. This will be a national platform to promote investment in our region and a major opportunity to spotlight the talent, innovation and potential of the West Midlands.”
The event, expected to attract investors and business leaders from around the world, will align with the UK’s industrial strategy and highlight the specific investment opportunities in regional economies. A high-profile media campaign will promote the West Midlands as the host region.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, said: “Our regions offer huge investment potential that will help drive growth across the country and put more money in people’s pockets. I’m delighted to be returning to Birmingham later in the year to bring together investors from at home and abroad with our great regional businesses.
“We know how important regional growth is to deliver a strong national economy, which is why we have announced £2.4bn for the West Midlands to better connect people to the highly skilled jobs, education and social opportunities that drive up living standards and truly put our Plan for Change into action”.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We’ve seen the power of investment, with this government welcoming around £100 billion into the UK since taking office creating tens of thousands of jobs across the country.
“The West Midlands and our UK regions are powerhouses for investment, so I’m delighted this Summit will play a vital role in helping to attract new opportunities, unlock growth, create jobs and boost investment in every corner of the UK.
“From our major cities to our coastal towns and rural communities, our Plan for Change is unleashing the full potential of the UK’s cities and regions, which is a core objective of our upcoming modern Industrial Strategy. Facilitating investment like this is central to achieving this goal.”
Mayor Parker added: “This summit is not just about putting the West Midlands on the map – it’s about placing regional growth at the heart of the national agenda. That’s how we deliver more jobs, better productivity and inclusive prosperity for people right across this country.”
(left to right) Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Tom Wagner and Shabana Mahmood MP at the Metro Sports Quarter announcement at Birmingham City Football Club.
Neil Rami, chief executive at the West Midlands Growth Company, said: “Confirmation that the UK’s inaugural Regional Investment Summit will take place in the West Midlands is welcome news. It underscores the region as central to government’s ambitions to attract investment, create high-quality jobs and drive long-term national economic growth.
“It presents a unique opportunity for the West Midlands to take centre stage and showcase its strengths to international decision makers.
“As one of the UK’s leading innovation hubs, with exceptional talent, our region is pioneering frontier solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. We continue to punch above our weight in driving foreign direct investment as global businesses place their trust in the region.
“We look forward to working closely with the Office for Investment and the WMCA over the next few months to shape the inaugural Regional Investment Summit and maximise its value to the region. It starts in the West Midlands.”
Further details of the Regional Investment Summit – West Midlands 2025 will be announced in due course.