After a decade of pan-regional partnership, the Midlands Engine has concluded – but our legacy continues.
With government funding coming to an end in March 2025, the Midlands Engine has now ceased operations. But the influence of our work together – across local government, business, academia and communities right across the Midlands – will be felt long into the future.
Since 2015, the Midlands Engine Partnership has played a pivotal role in championing the UK’s second largest regional economy. Together, we’ve united voices across the region to build a compelling, evidence-led case for investment, collaboration and change.
Our shared work has helped shape national policy, align local strategies, and raise the profile of the Midlands at home and abroad.
Thank you to everyone who supported and contributed to this work over the years.
The Midlands Engine website will remain live until May 2026 as a public archive of our insight, analysis and resources. Several key programmes and tools developed under our partnership are continuing through our trusted regional partners:
Updated in May 2025 and now managed by Midlands Innovation, the portfolio remains a vital gateway to a £50bn pipeline of investment opportunities. This work also supports the Invest in UK University R&D campaign, showcasing the region’s research strengths and investable assets.
Read more about the investment programme
Our Growth Story brings together years of Midlands Engine Observatory evidence into a single, interactive narrative for policymakers, investors and other stakeholders. This resource remains online, offering data, maps and insights into the Midlands economy.
Explore the Midlands Growth Story
Visit the Midlands Engine Observatory
Produced in 2021 with input from over 300 stakeholders, this plan set a shared vision for a low-carbon, high-growth Midlands – with the potential to create 196,000 jobs, cut emissions by 36%, and boost productivity by £24bn.
The following initiatives are continuing through the East Midlands Combined County Authority and others:
Our 2024 Energy Security White Paper, shaped by 60 regional partners, offers a roadmap to make the Midlands a leader in clean energy infrastructure and strategy. This work is also now led by EMCCA.
Read the Energy Security White Paper
Our series of cluster roundtables and the reports they helped to produce are now available. We brought together partners from across the cyber and defence, space, aerospace and nuclear clusters to articulate their investment potential across the Spring of 2025.
Visit the resource library to read the reports.
Driven by our green growth vision, these two initiatives continue to make the Midlands a national leader in nature-based investment.
Our 2024 white paper, now carried forward by the Midlands Future Food Alliance, mapped the Midlands’ agri-food economy and its future potential. It remains a foundation for investment, innovation and regional promotion through the Invest in UK University R&D campaign.
Read the Food Security White Paper
To all those who contributed to the Midlands Engine – thank you. Your commitment, collaboration and energy made this partnership possible.
As the structures change, our shared purpose remains. We hope the spirit of pan-regional collaboration – working across political and geographic boundaries – continues to shape the Midlands’ future for the better.
Continuing programme of work
Jun 17 2025
With government funding coming to an end in March 2025, the Midlands Engine has now ceased operations. But the influence of our work together – across local government, business, academia and communities right across the Midlands – will be felt long into the future.
Read more
Continuing programme of work
May 23 2025
Economic Opportunities
May 9 2025
Today, (Friday 9 May 2025) a coalition of 15 Midlands universities launch a bold new initiative that is set to revolutionise how research and innovation are translated into real-world impact across the region.
Read more