Investors praise “scale and pace of change.”
The growing profile of Birmingham as a place to invest was discussed at an event that brought together leading industry and academic experts from across the globe.
Hosted by inward investment programme Business Birmingham on 13th September, the panel debate involved site selectors – who advise multinational companies about where to locate – and academic experts in global trade. It was a headline event during the European Trade Study Group conference 2013, the world’s largest meeting of international trade economists hosted by the University of Birmingham on 12t-14th September.
George Pretty and Matthijs Weeink, site selectors from the USA and the Netherlands respectively, were joined by Professor Ian Wooton, Professor of Economics at the University of Strathclyde, and Professor Cillian Ryan, Dean of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Birmingham, for the debate.
Taking place at the ICC before 300 international delegates, the discussion focused on the importance of developing infrastructure and skills to attract inward investment. The panellists highlighted how universities were crucial to both developing local talent and raising the profile of a location to the next generation of business leaders.
Birmingham was identified as having a cohesive environment where industry, the public sector and academia all work together to attract inward investment. When discussing infrastructure, it was praised as having the vision to become a leading business hub through schemes such as the redevelopment of Birmingham Airport and transformation of Birmingham New Street station.
The debate was chaired by Andrew Harrison, managing director for the Midlands and East of England at RBS. He said: “It is rare to be able to bring such a select group of international experts together to discuss trends in inward investment and how locations like Birmingham are performing against their global competitors. The panellists were very complimentary about Birmingham, demonstrating that the work underway to showcase the city as an investment destination is paying off.”
The event followed a three-day tour of Birmingham for ten site selectors, organised by Business Birmingham to inform them of the city’s potential for their clients. Partners involved in the visit included law firm Squire Sanders discussing the city’s renowned advanced manufacturing sector; developer St Modwen, which hosted a tour of Longbridge; and Calthorpe Estates presenting a blueprint for the new Edgbaston Medical Quarter.
Site selector and attorney George Pretty participated in the tour of Birmingham and the panel discussion. He added: “Although I have visited Birmingham several times on business, before taking part in the tour last week, I was surprised to see the scale and pace of change playing out across the city. These are exciting times for Birmingham, driven by the passion, commitment and determination of its civic and business leadership. I have no doubt that Birmingham will continue to thrive as a world-class investment destination, affording expanded economic growth for its people. I also appreciated the opportunity to participate on the Foreign Direct Investment panel during the European Trade Study Group conference, linking commercial and academic dialogue regarding economic growth.”
The European Study Trade Group conference was attended by delegates from Europe, the USA, Japan, China, India and beyond. It hosted representatives of international institutions such as the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, BIS, the OECD and leading universities from around the globe.