£1 billion boost to local economy from energy investment opportunities.
The Black Country LEP has been highlighting investment opportunities through its ground breaking development High Value Manufacturing City at MIPIM 2017 which takes place in Cannes from 14 – 17 March.
The HVM City programme will add over £1 billion to the local economy, bring forward over 150 hectares of land for advanced manufacturing and create over 73,000 jobs. Delegates at MIPIM will highlight two key investment programmes the West Midlands Combined Authority Energy Capital programme and HVM City Platform.
Launched for the Black Country in February 2017, the WMCA Energy Capital programme aims to unite stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, creating a single voice for the West Midlands on energy, and positioning the region as the UK’s energy capital. The Black Country delegation will highlight the investment opportunities for energy companies and businesses in order to build the energy capital needed to sustainably power HVM City.
Tom Westley, Board Member Black Country LEP said: “Energy Capital is a uniquely powerful geographical partnership, designed to ensure the West Midlands delivers low cost, clean power to local industry and becomes the most attractive place in the world to make energy systems investments and the easiest place to grow innovative energy systems companies.
“Energy solutions are the key to economic growth for our area and through bringing key stakeholders together, these solutions will be attractive to businesses looking to invest in the Black Country.”
To support the development of the Black Country as a world class destination for High Value Manufacturers, the Black Country LEP team have commissioned BiP Solutions to complete the innovative interactive HVM City Platform, the only one of its kind in the UK. The HVM City Platform, which will be directly aligned with the HS2 Procurement Portal, will enable inward investment opportunities, drive supply chain development and integration and support major contract delivery through the development of virtual models. The full portal covering all investment and supply chain opportunities across the Black Country will be complete at the end of March 2017.
Tom Westley, Board Member Black Country LEP added: “The HVM City tool will give investors a sense of all the opportunities across the Black Country, quickly and easily. At MIPIM we will be letting investors know about the sites that are ready now across our area and how we can work collectively to ensure that the Black Country squeezes every available drop of value for its businesses, its investors, and its people.”
The Black Country is part of a Midlands-wide delegation – featuring ten Local Enterprise Partnership areas and 49 private and public sector partners – exhibiting together for the first time at the global property and real estate show.
