From Pitch to Prosperity: Why Birmingham’s Transformation Is Just Getting Started
Amazon Prime Video is putting Birmingham in the global spotlight with the release of Built in Birmingham: Brady & The Blues. The documentary follows NFL legend Tom Brady and investor Tom Wagner as they help transform Birmingham City FC and, in the process, shine a light on a city undergoing its own remarkable resurgence.
Birmingham City FC is more than just a football club – it’s a linchpin of the city, a force for tourism, investment, and civic pride. Under Wagner’s leadership, the ambitious Sports Quarter regeneration project is becoming a reality, set to inject millions into the city and reshape its future.
Brady and Wagner’s shared belief goes far beyond football. It’s a statement of confidence in Birmingham’s people, potential, and future.
This isn’t just a club revival; it’s a symbol of a city on the rise.
A city that builds. A region that innovates.
Birmingham is the UK’s second city – a place built on ambition and resilience. Wolverhampton forged an unyielding legacy in steel and metalworking. Coventry became synonymous with the engines it built that powered the global automotive industry.
Over time, these industrial foundations were joined by world-class universities and R&D facilities that attracted brilliant minds and sparked collaboration. As a result, the region’s sectors evolved and diversified. Traditional and advanced manufacturing now stands alongside professional services, advanced robotics, medical innovation, and cutting-edge 5G and cyber security projects that rival the best in the world.
Strategically located at the very heart of the country, the West Midlands offers investors unrivalled access to markets. From here, 90% of the UK population can be reached within four hours. With Birmingham Airport connecting to major global destinations and major infrastructure projects like HS2 transforming national rail links, the region is purpose-built for business agility and growth.
In 2022, Birmingham hosted the Commonwealth Games, putting the West Midlands firmly in the global sporting spotlight. The event unlocked significant funding, boosted infrastructure, and drove a surge in inward investment as companies from around the world sought to be part of the region’s success story.
HORIBA MIRA are a long-standing leader in the global automotive industry, and they chose the West Midlands as the place to write their story and fuel success.
A Heartland for Excellence
Today, the West Midlands is setting the pace for transformation in the UK economy. As Tom Wagner put it, Birmingham is “a city on the rise that’s going through a significant transformation.”
With the UK’s youngest and most diverse population, the West Midlands is fuelling new ideas, growth, and investment across every sector. From advanced manufacturing to digital and creative industries, companies here benefit from a talent pool that is both ambitious and adaptable.
Even for the stars on the pitch, the West Midlands has become a place to live, learn, and thrive.
At the same time, world-class universities and research hubs are powering breakthroughs. The Birmingham Knowledge Quarter has emerged as a nucleus for R&D excellence, while a fast-growing tech ecosystem is attracting international attention. For example, global tech leader Cisco chose Birmingham’s STEAMhouse for its new base of operations, citing the city’s talent, innovation and collaboration as key drivers of its decision.
From the heart of the UK, the West Midlands is shaping industries, accelerating growth, and providing investors the reach and resources they need to succeed, today and for the future.
A Region Built for the Future
Tom Brady and Tom Wagner saw what is turning the heads of investors worldwide – a region ready to score big in the industries of tomorrow.
The West Midlands is home to one of the few UK Investment Zones – areas where government, businesses, and local partners work together to create ideal conditions for investment and innovation.
With streamlined planning, tax incentives, and ready-made ecosystems, it’s the ideal launchpad for businesses to scale and innovate.
The specialist sites within the Investment Zone build on the thriving clusters in Cleantech, Life Sciences, Manufacturing and Digital Technology, providing businesses with the ecosystems, facilities and partnerships needed for innovation and growth.
Birmingham Knowledge Quarter
Set up in WM
Coventry & Warwick Gigapark
Set up in WM
Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor
Set up in WM
Global partnerships are flourishing, and the West Midlands is consistently ranking among the UK’s top regions for foreign direct investment. From major technology firms expanding operations, to groundbreaking innovations born right here in the region. The West Midlands is not just keeping pace with the future, but shaping it.
Wagner’s ambition extends far beyond the football club. He’s a driver of economic development, transforming the very face of the city. His company, Knighthead, will inject billions of pounds into the area as part of the transformative Sports Quarter development.
“It’s very much about Birmingham,” Wagner explained in an interview on Bloomberg Surveillance. “What we believed was a city going through a significant transformation. We felt that the club could play a big part in that.”
At the heart of the regenerated district will be a state-of-the-art 60,000-seat stadium for Birmingham City FC, a sports campus of training facilities, a new academy, and community pitches, all served by a direct Metro tram route.
The West Midlands is not standing still. We are building, evolving, and attracting some of the brightest innovators in the world by creating the ecosystems they need to scale and succeed. Accelerators like STEAMhouse and DIATOMIC give companies the space to grow, meet and collaborate, while facilities like UKBIC give access to top-of-the-range testing facilities and the expertise to take testing to the next level.
Running with the Momentum
Birmingham is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation. From the world-class Paradise development reshaping the city’s business district, to the ambitious Smithfield regeneration and the upcoming HS2 Curzon Street station. These have unlocked major development zones around the city centre and will significantly cut travel times to London. The city is building on its status as a hub for innovation and investment.
The Digbeth regeneration is turning Birmingham’s creative quarter into a vibrant destination for tech, media, and culture, attracting global talent and forward-thinking businesses.
Sport and culture remain powerful catalysts, propelling the West Midlands onto the global stage and driving inward investment. From major international sporting events to homegrown cultural icons, the city is proving itself as a place where big ideas and bold ambitions take flight.
Your Gateway to UK Growth
If you’re looking for a launchpad into the UK, the West Midlands offers access to talent, markets, and the industries of the future.
From world-leading tech clusters to developments around the city that generate investment opportunities, the West Midlands is where ambitious businesses land, scale, and thrive. Explore the region’s most exciting opportunities and see why global investors are choosing Birmingham as their base for UK success.
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Explore investment-ready opportunities across the West Midlands and discover why the world’s boldest investors are backing Birmingham and the West Midlands.
