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State of the Region 2020 Full Report

Executive Summary - Specific Asset SWOT

Strengths*

  • Automotive and Advanced engineering –JLR, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Aurrigo, Geely
  • Visitor and cultural sector –RSC, NEC, Royal Ballet and Symphony Hall, Birmingham Airport
  • BPFS sector and resilience –Large international companies, Deloitte, KPMG, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, PWC, NFU and Deutsche Bank
  • Major Brands -Mondelez, HSBC, National Express and Jaguar, Wesleyan Assurance Society and GowlingWLG, EON, Severn Trent, Balfour Beatty, KEIR 
  • Largest University sector outside London -Aston University; Birmingham City University; Newman University College, University College Birmingham; University of Birmingham, Wolverhampton University, Warwick University and Coventry University
  • Strong construction sector and portfolio of projects -HS2, Metrolink, light rail, university station

Weaknesses

  • High unemployment and youth unemployment
  • Unhealthy communities
  • Weak jobs growth
  • Longer term survival rates of businesses
  • Significantly deprived areas and inequalities
  • Low usage of renewable energy
  • Numbers of residents with low qualifications
  • Higher unemployment
  • Supply chain vulnerability and international markets

Threats*

  • International transport impact on Commonwealth Games, Capital of Culture and tourism assets such as Stratford. 
  • Economic crash globally and impact on FDI
  • Social distancing and drop in consumer demand
  • Large scale unemployment  -Announcements already for JLR, DHL, Rolls Royce, John Lewis
  • Long term scarring effects on young people 
  • Apprenticeship availability due to employer instability
  • Trade deals and investment as a major exporting region, wider negative impacts on international travel, education and tourism
  • Business investment and cash flow disrupted
  • R&D and innovation investment curtailed especially in automotive
  • Digital skills and infrastructure inequalities
  • Reduced take up and usage of public transport

Opportunities

  • HS2 and UK Central
  • Commonwealth Games
  • City of Culture
  • 5G testbed
  • Devolved Adult Education Budget
  • Brownfield Land Programme
  • Housing Programme 
  • Driverless cars testbed
  • Silicon Spa
  • Life Sciences Park
  • Warwick Manufacturing Group and the Manufacturing Technology Centre
  • Local supply chain development

* The companies listed are intended as examples only, representative of the breadth of the business base