Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire’s Green Manufacturing and Innovation Ecosystem.
Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire’s Green Manufacturing and Innovation Ecosystem.
Presenting The Central Edge: Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire’s Green Manufacturing and Innovation Ecosystem.
The City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council and the University of Wolverhampton are working in partnership to deliver a green, economic growth zone running from the city centre of Wolverhampton into rural South Staffordshire.
This once in a generation proposition builds on the success of the UK’s most successful enterprise zone, i54, a hub for advanced manufacturing with key occupiers including JLR and MOOG Aerospace.
Strategically situated with key links to the Green Innovation Corridor, a growing hub for world leading research and development at the University of Wolverhampton involving cutting-edge green computing, construction and engineering technologies and expertise.
Today, there are several hotspots of activities that are successful in their own right – translating research into innovative business ideas. Looking to the future, there is the potential to join up these hotspots to do something bigger, where business growth and new ideas are greater than the sum of their parts.
'Innovation and manufacturing gateway' focused on the science, aerospace, automative, and technology sectors
Strengths:
A sustainable logistics hub focused on advanced industrial and logistics, agri-tech, and advanced manufacturing sectors
Strengths:
A research and development led green innovation hub focused on engineering (including additive manufacturing), sustainable construction and computing (including AI and cyber security)
Strengths:
The Central Edge benefits from an existing business ecosystem which has gone from strength to strength in recent years, anchored at i54 but with wider benefits emanating into Wolverhampton, wider South Staffordshire and further afield.
Beyond i54, within the wider business ecosystem to the north, advanced manufacturing businesses such as Gestamp, Haulotte and SI Group occupy significant space and are central to the region’s growing reputation as a hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainability-led innovation and R&D.
At the heart of this green ecosystem is the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus including the National Brownfield Institute, Centre for Engineering Innovation and Centre of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing. These connect with the University of Wolverhampton Science Park and north to i54.
The Central Edge benefits from strong highway connectivity due to its location at the interchange of the M6 and M54, with wider links to the M6 Toll and Birmingham Box – as well as seeing the West Coast Mainline (WCML) pass through with stations at Wolverhampton and Stafford.
Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire are home to a unique business ecosystem – a place that is innovative, well connected, and underpinned by strong links to universities, with a history of local councils that work with partners to create a supportive business environment.
This ecosystem hosts start-up businesses and grows established firms in a wide range of science, advanced manufacturing and professional services sectors that complement each other.
Following extensive research and in- depth analysis, Central Edge key partners are seeking to create a sustainable economic environment for the future to serve the region and contribute positively to the growth of UK plc.
The Central Edge’s opportunity is strong across all drivers of growth; next steps include employing targeted local, regional, and national ‘tools’ to support growth across three key areas: innovation, people and skills, and the encouragement of private sector investment.
We have formed five ‘foundations’ for future growth:
Presenting The Central Edge: Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire’s Green Manufacturing and Innovation Ecosystem.
For over a decade the City of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire County and South Staffordshire Councils have worked in partnership to promote the region, attract private and public sector investment and bring in Government support.
This collaboration has delivered the internationally renowned i54 technology-based business park on the border of South Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.
Our three authority partners share a vision and ambition to deliver high value jobs in world leading businesses to benefit the area and its people.
This collaboration involves universities, colleges and businesses with the aim of removing barriers for development, providing investor confidence and creating an environment for success.
Find out more about our key partners below.
If you have any questions about The Central Edge, please fill out the form below:
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