Discussing Growth Strategies at the West Midlands Economics Forum

Dr David Jarvis delivered a keynote presentation at the West Midlands Economic Forum (WMEF) held at Coventry University on 20th June. WMEF is a discussion forum that aims to bring together experts on the regional economy to improve understanding of the West Midlands regional economy in a global context. This latest event was designed to stimulate discussions about the global competitiveness of the wider Midlands economy, exploring the economic logic of a ‘Midlands’ proposition, within the context of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as strategic delivery bodies for fostering and sustaining regional growth.

David’s talk highlighted the importance of both the East and West Midlands for the UK economy. The main focus of the talk, which draws on research currently being conducted in SURGE about the activities of LEPs, was to highlight that similar themes (based around business, people and place) were used across the LEP Strategic Economic Growth Plans. The existence of such similarities might indicate a logic for a more joined-up approach in the Midlands to foster growth across the region.