Hundreds of manufacturing businesses across the West Midlands are set to benefit from expert support and funding as the region moves to capitalise on a new wave of economic opportunities. The initiative, driven in part by the flagship West Midlands Investment Zone, aims to modernise production, upskill the workforce, and secure thousands of high-quality jobs.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) already operating in the region can now apply to join the WM Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition programme through the Business Growth West Midlands website. Backed by £12.5 million in government funding secured by Mayor Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the programme is designed to help businesses pivot into high-growth, technology-driven advanced manufacturing markets. These include sectors identified in the region’s Growth Plan and the government’s Industrial Strategy, such as advanced engineering, electric vehicles and battery technology, clean tech and energy, health and medical technology, aerospace, and digital technologies.
“The West Midlands has manufacturing in its DNA, but technology is transforming what we make and how we make it,” said Mayor Richard Parker. “It’s essential to modernise production, upskill our workforce, and support business leaders with the training, funding, and guidance they need to be at the cutting edge of 21st-century industries. Opportunities are coming in this new era for manufacturing. We’re making sure businesses and local people are ready to seize the moment to protect and create more high-quality jobs. This is a chance to reclaim our status as the workshop of the world.”
An additional £2.5 million of Investment Zone funding will be directed towards skills training and apprenticeships to ensure local residents can take advantage of emerging opportunities. The Supply Chain Transition programme will offer businesses fully funded practical advice, access to a £6 million research and development grant fund, and advanced management training for senior leaders.
The first year of the programme will be delivered by Supply Smarter West Midlands, a consortium led by C&W Business Solutions, Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), WMG at the University of Warwick, and the West Midlands Combined Universities Partnership (WMCU), which includes Birmingham City University, Coventry University, and the University of Wolverhampton. The partners bring extensive expertise in advanced manufacturing research, innovation, and training.
Craig Humphrey, CEO of CW Growth Hub Group, which includes C&W Business Solutions, said: “The Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium combines the region’s world-class research and development facilities with highly experienced sector specialists. This programme will help SMEs build resilience, strengthen sustainable supply chains, win new customers, and develop cutting-edge innovations in emerging sectors, including decarbonisation solutions.”
Long-established Birmingham-based precision engineering firm Brandauer will benefit from the programme. CEO Rowan Crozier said: “Key to our ten-year plan is pushing the boundaries of innovation. Funding that supports tailored R&D activities will help us accelerate our move into power storage and advanced battery technology. The UK has a massive opportunity in new mobility solutions, and Birmingham and the West Midlands should lead the charge.”
The West Midlands Investment Zone, led by the Mayor and WMCA, spans the entire region with three core sites: Coventry-Warwick Gigapark at Coventry Airport, Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, and Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor. These hubs provide a range of incentives, from tax breaks to direct funding, attracting major new employers, creating 30,000 jobs, and driving over £5.5 billion of investment. Around £1.5 billion of business rates collected over the Investment Zone’s 25-year lifespan will be retained and reinvested locally rather than returned to central government coffers.
With this £15 million transformation fund, West Midlands manufacturing businesses are positioned to take advantage of new technologies, expand into high-growth markets, and secure the region’s future as a leading hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation.
