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The West Midlands received an £800 million boost at the first Regional Investment Summit held in Birmingham . A string of announcements made at the event, co-hosted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, will see hundreds of new jobs in the region. These include Hines and Woodbourne Group announcing a £400 million investment to support the £4 billion Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, part of the West Midlands Investment Zone. READ MORE: Major plans for Birmingham's Digbeth unveiled by Mayor and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight Blackstone is pumping £200 million into the NEC while Freshways dairy is spending £25 million on a new processing facility in West Bromwich, which will create 200 new jobs. The Government also announced that Sterling Pharmaceuticals will receive a share of £30 million of Life Sciences funding, which will help them build a 60,000 sq ft centre in Birmingham, creating 48 jobs and boosting UK production of medicines for the NHS and sales overseas. Atos also announced £10 million for AI centres, cementing the Midlands role as a key hub and creating 50 jobs. The West Midlands Combined Authority also confirmed a £75 million skills package and to train 12,000 people in construction trades and £40 million to deliver 1,000 new social rent homes across the region. At the Summit, Birmingham City FC and Knighthead owner Tom Wagner revealed the new stadium will be created by British designers Heatherwick Studio and Kansas based architects MANICA, with support from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Earlier this year, Knighthead announced plans to invest at least £3 billion in a new Sports Quarter in Birmingham, which will feature the new 62,000-capacity stadium, new sporting facilities as well as entertainment and residential spaces and create 14,000 jobs. Birmingham Airport will also invest £300 million over four years to upgrade baggage, immigration, retail, and airfield infrastructure, boosting growth. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: "The first-ever Regional Investment Summit in the West Midlands has been a huge success. "It's given us the platform to showcase our innovation, talent, and can-do approach – and it's already paying off, with world-class businesses like Knighthead Capital, Freshways and Atos choosing to invest, drive growth and create jobs. "The Government is backing us with new funding and new powers to go further and faster. "I'm determined to make sure everyone shares in the opportunities this brings – building prosperity that reaches every community. The time to invest in the West Midlands is now." Peter Kyle, Business and Trade Secretary said: "The West Midlands is a thriving business hub, and these funding announcements are a major vote of confidence in our economy and demonstrate how our modern Industrial Strategy is helping to secure the investment we need to deliver growth in the West Midlands. "This huge boost to the region shows our Plan for Change is working in encouraging more companies to invest here, creating new jobs and exciting opportunities for local communities in the West Midlands."
