Birmingham (HIC) A

• 90 percent of UK population lies within 4 hours of Birmingham and can access the service by road, rail and airport infrastructure.
• Investment in Birmingham Airport has allowed passenger numbers to rise to 11 million. Provides access to business opportunities. Expansion has allowed direct flights to China, which encourages trade links and international investment.
• Birmingham is ranked the 3rd best shopping city in the UK. Attractions such as the 600 million Bullring development and Grand Central allow access to high-end retail selling fashion brands.
• Social opportunities attract young people, which helps local economy to grow through creation of jobs and further investment - creating a multiplier effect.
• The University Of Birmingham is ranked within the top 100 universities in the world. This gives the city international importance, as research done there contributes to new scientific understanding.
• Birmingham is home to over 35,000 businesses with 300 organisations based outside the UK - which shows the potential for business growth and investment. More than 13 billion is to be invested into the development of infrastructure over the next 10 years.