Midlands Engine partnership reviews 2023 and looks ahead to 2024 in first in-person Quarterly Economic Briefing

There are opportunities out there in 2024 – the question is how do we grasp them.’
Sir John Peace

On December 13^th the Partnership came together to reflect on Midlands Engine Observatory’s fourth annual State of the Region report, a data-driven review of the Midlands’ economic performance in 2023. Over 70 delegates from Midlands Engine Partners gathered at the Exchange in Birmingham for the final Quarterly Economic Briefing of 2023.

Convened by Satnam Rana-Grindley, the event featured a keynote speech from economist and journalist Duncan Weldon, author of ‘200 Years of Muddling Through: A History of the British Economy from Boom to Bust and Back Again’, who painted a picture of the broad economic outlook and the trends that will impact the region.

Duncan Weldon

Midlands Engine Chairman Sir John Peace and Professor Aleks Subic of Aston University then shone a spotlight on opportunities for growth in the Midlands in their very interesting discussion.

The final session of the day was marked by roundtable discussion with an all-female panel consisting of: Sarah Windrum, Future Mobility Cluster Lead at HORIBA MIRA; Irene Graham OBE, CEO of the Scale-Up Institute, and Rebecca Riley, Business Development Director at City-REDI and an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham.

Sarah Windrum

Partners welcomed the chance to ask questions, network, and create new connections.

Partner Ileana Lupsa commented: “Interesting discussions […] about the region’s strengths and challenges and how we can support the growth and innovation across the sectors”.

Ninder Johal, organiser of the Midlands Economic Summit, reflected: “Great to hear the thoughts and insights of Professor Aleks Subic on how to create an innovation eco system. and wonderful to meet the movers and shakers of the region”.

The QEB was attended by representatives from across the Midlands.

Sir John Peace said: ‘Thank you to all who attended our final Quarterly Economic Briefing of 2023. It’s the first time we’ve held such an event in person, and the success of the afternoon is a hugely positive note on which to end the year. Hopefully our discussions were a reminder of how far our region has come in the past few years, despite challenges, and can provide plenty of fuel for optimism for 2024’.