Coventry and Warwickshire has ranked highly in a report comparing cities across Europe and the UK for its business friendliness and economic potential.
The results of the fDi Magazine’s European Cities and Regions of the Future 2016/17 report were revealed at MIPIM – the world’s largest commercial property show which is taking place in France this week.
Coventry and Warwickshire has been voted seventh in the Small European Cities of the Future 2016/17 for business friendliness, ninth for economic potential among Local Enterprise Partnerships of the Future 2016/17 and seventh in the top ten of Local Enterprise Partnerships of the Future 2016/17 for business friendliness.
Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said the results were extremely positive for the area’s medium and long-term economic prosperity.
“The CWLEP prides itself on attracting inward investors to the area and one of the key aspects as well as our fantastic location, high-skilled workforce and state-of-the-art facilities is our business friendliness,” he said.
“This is crucial to helping businesses move here or expand in the area because we are here to ensure their plans go smoothly and meet their timescales.
“This can involve arranging site visits, setting up meetings with planning departments or providing information on available grants.
“Having a reputation as being business friendly is vital in starting talks in the first place which is emphasised by Coventry and Warwickshire’s success at MIPIM when we meet national and international property developers.
“The report has ranked the CWLEP as seventh of the 39 LEPs for business friendliness and ninth for economic potential which puts the area in a strong position when we are competing against other cities and towns in the UK to attract inward investors.”
Cllr Ann Lucas, leader of Coventry City Council and board director at the CWLEP, was presented with the fDi awards on behalf of Coventry and Warwickshire at an awards ceremony in Cannes.
She said: “For Coventry and Warwickshire to be ranked so highly compared to other European and UK cities is a fantastic achievement and I was delighted to receive the award on behalf of our area.
“This underlines the great ambassadors we have working on our behalf to attract businesses whether global giants or SMEs in all sectors and this report will help us to build on our national and international reputation particularly among the automotive, engineering and digital gaming sectors.
“These findings bode well for our future economic prosperity at attracting inward investors which is our major reason for attending MIPIM each year because we want to continue spreading the message about Coventry and Warwickshire being a fantastic place to base businesses.”
The Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership is made up of private sector companies and organisations who fund the area’s presence at the event.
The partners are: Friargate, Jaguar Land Rover, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Barberry, Study Inn, CEG, the Coventry and Warwickshire Development Partnership, HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, University of Warwick, CityFibre, Wasps, Deeley, Downing and Complex Development Projects.