West Midlands Combined Authority has approved an initial allocation of Investment Zone funding to prepare two major development locations for businesses working in advanced manufacturing and related sectors.
The funding, announced on 6 March 2025, will support Birmingham Knowledge Quarter and Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor. It is intended to address practical barriers to investment through site preparation, land improvements and infrastructure work.
The programme identifies £16 million of support for this early activity. The sites are intended to accommodate businesses involved in advanced manufacturing, cleaner technologies, healthcare innovation and digital industries.
Regional partners expect the two locations to contribute to future employment and investment across the West Midlands. The announcement referred to the potential for more than 23,000 jobs over the longer term, although this is a forecast rather than an achieved result.
The approved funding is intended to make sites more attractive and usable for investors. Individual developments will still be subject to their own design, planning and delivery stages.