ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SEPTEMBER 2019
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As the traditional industrial heartland of the UK, the West Midlands is no stranger
to cutting-edge manufacturing. However, in recent years the region has seen itself
emerge as a global hotbed of innovation around the future of transportation
The West Midlands is the beating heart of
the UK’s manufacturing sector. Indeed,
the stats speak for themselves: an
estimated 12% of the UK’s total advanced
engineering workforce is based in the
West Midlands, making it the largest
concentration of people working in the sector in
the country. Nearly 11,000 manufacturing fi rms
are based in the region, employing around 207,000
people. Around 15,000 students in the region each
year follow courses in technology and engineering
subjects. Of the 55,000 graduates produced by the
region’s universities annually, 30% are qualifi ed in
STEM-related subjects.
All this, then, makes it the ideal location
for pushing the boundaries of manufacturing,
especially when it comes to the future of
transportation. In the 2018 Autumn Statement,
the government announced a £90 million fund
to establish a number of ‘Future Mobility Zones’.
The fi rst £20 million of this was allocated to
the West Midlands as a recognised centre of
excellence in transport innovation.
“The Future Mobility Zone programme is part
of our larger, regional strategy to generate assets
and perform activities that stimulate the positive
and sometimes dramatic change we want to see
for our four million residents, our businesses
and our environment,” says Chris Lane, head
BY CHRIS BECK
of innovation at Transport
for West Midlands. “We see
the Future Mobility Zone as
more than a programme – it’s
the fi tting title for the West
Midlands as the place to come
to develop and demonstrate
new products and services with
the UK’s best.
“Our leading organisations
and research centres work
across a range of sectors:
technology, automotive, rail,
air, electrifi cation, inclusivity,
policy… you name it, we’ve built
the networks, people, assets and
support programs to compete
internationally for business
and deliver real benefi ts for our
people while we’re doing it.”
Part of the Future
Mobility Zone programme
enables companies including
automotive OEMs, supply chain
and infrastructure technology
providers and telecoms and data
science specialists to collect
real-world performance data,
helping them to refi ne their
products and services.
“Transport innovation
is part of the fabric of
our heritage in the West
Midlands,” says David Fisken
(pictured, inset), head of
business attraction at the
West Midlands Growth
Company (WMGC). “From
the bicycle to the steam train,
our talented people have
pioneered transport systems
and technologies that are
fundamental to the way we
travel and interact with the
world around us today.
“Now, as the UK strives
to become a world-leader in
the global future mobility
challenge, our deep-rooted
pool of skilled talent means we
are well-placed to trailblaze the
future generation of transport
solutions once again.”
Here, MM profi les the work
being undertaken across the
region to position the West
Midlands as a leader in the
future of transportation:
David Fisken of
WMGC says that
transport plays
a key role in the
history of the
West Midlands
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