The geographical heart of the UK, the central belt of England is home to nearly 11 million people, with a strong advanced manufacturing and engineering base. The West Midlands features a large number of industrial cities, including Birmingham, England’s second city, Coventry and Wolverhampton while the East Midlands has some of the country’s most arable lands and the cities of Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.
The Midlands Productivity Forum is led by the University of Warwick. It is involved in the implementation of research insights, the design of practical business and policy interventions, and in providing input to the development of the Institute’s future research agenda.
Members include stakeholders from policy, community and business leaders from local, national and multinational enterprises.
Midlands Engine
UKRI
Goodfish Group
SuperTech WM
Staffordshire University (formerly EY)
Mechatronic
Midlands Engine
Loughborough University School of Business and Economics
Aston University
University of Warwick
University of Warwick
University of Warwick
Coventry City Council
Trades Union Congress
University of Warwick
Lear
Bosch
West Midlands Combined Authority
Henham Strategy
Warwick Business School
HVS Nuneaton
West Midlands Combined Authority
University of Warwick
Staffordshire University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University
The University of Manchester
Aston University
University of Warwick
Aston University
Birmingham City University
Nachural
University of Warwick
Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Sustainability West Midlands
Wells Associates
Glued Marketing
Midlands Engine
Innovate UK
West Midlands Combined Authority
Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
Make UK
Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
The East and West Midlands is home to 435,000 active businesses, 5.1m jobs and an annual economic output of more than £258bn (2019), it forms a significant part of the national economy. Historically, the Midlands has been known for manufacturing, and still boasts a number of global brands, with the challenge now to build on this heritage by building on opportunities presented by digitalisation and electric vehicles. Exporting and Foreign Direct Investment are important to the region, however success is driven by a few sectors, notably advanced manufacturing, transport equipment, and professional services. , with life sciences contributing to a lesser extent.
There is a complex and convoluted set of institutions across the region. The West Midlands Combined Authority, set up in 2016 with an elected Mayor, is made up of three Local Enterprise Partnerships covering Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. The East Midlands region is a less coherent economic geography with
