A History in Transport, the Future of Mobility

From inventing the world’s first railway line to being Asia and Europe’s largest aerospace economy, the UK’s influence in the evolution of transport is clear.

Now, the UK is building on the past to become the future of mobility. Home to the National Automotive Innovation Centre – the largest automotive research centre in Europe – the United Kingdom is at the forefront of next-generation autonomous and electric vehicles.

With world-leading R&D facilities such as the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and a transport sector workforce of over 780,000 people, the UK will propel transport into the future by focusing on a series of key imperatives:

37% of companies in the UK have committed to a Net Zero date

£67.8bn transport and storage sector

Largest number of aerospace SMEs in Europe

130+ countries import UK manufactured vehicles

£43bn of investment committed to improving UK railways

A jet engine with the outside panel open. People are inspecting various parts of the inner engine.

Scale your business in the UK

The West Midlands Global Growth Programme is a unique, fully funded support package designed to help international CleanTech and Low Carbon businesses enter and scale in the UK.

As the UK’s leading destination for Foreign Direct Investment outside of London, there is no better place to take advantage of the lucrative UK market.

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Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionise transport as we know it – this plan will make sure we have the infrastructure and regulation in place to make it a reality. From flying taxis to emergency service drones, we’re making sure the UK is at the forefront of this dramatic shift in transportation – improving people’s lives and boosting the economy.

Anthony Browne, Former Aviation and Technology Minister

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It’s been nearly 200 years since the birth of the British railways, and with travel patterns having significantly changed over the last few years, it is now more important than ever that they keep up with the changing times.

Working with industry, we will move towards a more modern and financially secure rail network that delivers for passengers for the next 200 years too.

Mark Harper, Former Transport Secretary

Investment Prospectus

Download the Future Mobility Investment Prospectus

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World-leading transport R&D

As the world continues moving towards a greener future, the coming years will see the biggest shift in the transport industry since the invention of the combustion engine. The need for lower-carbon solutions is driving innovation in the industry, generating a need for more efficiency, better planning, electrification and lower congestion. The UK plans to be at the forefront of this shift by providing world-leading research facilities where new technologies can be nurtured and tested.

West Midlands-based MIRA Technology Park is Europe’s largest automotive R&D cluster and provides the UK’s most comprehensive automotive proving ground and 38 major testing laboratories. This world-class facility focuses on developing capabilities in key areas such as autonomous vehicles, electric systems, net zero, defence, security and more.

The UK also hosts Greenpower Park – a trailblazing centre of clean energy and battery manufacturing. With the West Midlands Gigafactory as its anchor tenant, this first-of-its-kind facility will offer unrivalled support in battery research, testing, manufacturing and recycling, which will play a pivotal role in the electrification of the transport industry.

Free support service

We bring together a project team from relevant organisations across the region. This team includes property agents, recruitment consultants, public sector departments and universities. It delivers a comprehensive support package to quickly and easily help you establish and scale your business in the UK.