There is a healthy look to the Midlands market with its outstanding location for the logistics industry and reviving manufacturing.
However, the key to the performance is the growing confidence of the local government and the impetus for genuine change that will restore the region to its global importance.
This, it should be noted, is coming in a variety of ways notably including advance manufacturing. That fits with the political impetus to control globalisation and roll back the outflow of jobs and investment to the Far East.
The impact of President Trump’s policies on international trade cannot be ignored in a manufacturing region like the Midlands. Indeed it is an opportunity that we hope the government with its new industrial policy will grab.
The main reason is that the country cannot continue losing key technology companies to foreign buyers and watching the profits made by UK operations leak to every corner of the globe. So a balanced policy is in order with the government stepping up to the plate.
Here the point is that the developers are building the capacity in the Midlands for economic growth and the UK has the capability of a strong performance from its manufacturing and technology sector.