The benefits of relocating your business to Birmingham
There has never been a better time to relocate to Birmingham. It was recently recognised as the most investable city in the UK in a report by PwC and the Urban Land Institute (Emerging Trends in Real Estate, Europe 2015). In fact, in 2015 there will be more investment and development in the city than anywhere else in the UK, outside of London, enabling Birmingham to emerge as a truly global powerhouse. Firms from all over the world are relocating to the Greater Birmingham region, from China, Europe, India and America, creating record numbers of jobs.
As Le marché international des professionals de l’immobilier (MIPIM) gets underway in Cannes, Birmingham has never looked better as an investment prospect for international property investors. At MIPIM, Business Birmingham (the city region’s inward investment programme backed by the European Regional Development Fund) and their partners will highlight the huge opportunities Birmingham presents and showcase the unprecedented scale of investment in the region at the moment, hoping to attract even more.
Investment Opportunities
Foreign investment in Greater Birmingham has been stronger than ever for the past two years. The region secured more foreign investment than any other UK region last year with over 75 new projects creating over 4,800 jobs. Greater Birmingham currently provides a huge range of investment opportunities, many of which will be showcased at MIPIM. Some of these include:
- Southern Gateway scheme – largest regeneration project in the area for decades and major development opportunity
- Snow Hill masterplan – a £200 million redevelopment of the area around Snow Hill station in central Birmingham to create Birmingham’s Canary Wharf
- Arena Central – a 9.2 acre mixed-use development at the heart of Birmingham’s city centre
- Curzon – with the arrival of HS2 the Curzon area will be transformed with opportunities for office, creative industries, housing, leisure and learning
- Icknield Port Loop – a 22-hectare mixed-use development that could see 3,000 new homes and 1,000 new jobs
Case Studies
There are lots of case studies that highlight how Birmingham has recently become such an attractive prospect for businesses. In 2012, Virgin Media demonstrated its confidence in the city’s high-tech and digital sector by locating its centre of excellence in customer service operations there. This multimillion pound investment created a hub of opportunity in the region.
Another well-known example of a Birmingham-based success story is the automotive sector and, particularly, Jaguar Land Rover who currently account for 20 per cent of everything the UK exports to China. Around 30 per cent of people who work in the automotive industry in the UK are based in the West Midlands and the impressive strength of this sector will be responsible for bringing further investment into the area.
MIPIM is an internationally recognised real estate event, held in France between 10 – 13 March.
If you are looking to move your business to Birmingham, you can search for commercial property on NovaLoca here.
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