By Gurdip Thandi
According to data from the Department for Business and Trade, 130 FDI projects landed in the region during 2024/25 鈥 more projects than Northern Ireland and Wales combined.
This represents 9.4 per cent of the UK鈥檚 total FDI wins (1,345) 鈥 the largest share of all UK regions outside the capital.
A total of 5,821 FDI jobs were created by overseas investors in the same period 鈥 more than the South East and South West combined.
This success meant the West Midlands was also the second-highest performing region for job creation, after the North West.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: 鈥淕etting our economy firing on all cylinders is one of my top priorities and these figures show we鈥檙e delivering the good jobs and opportunities our young people deserve.
鈥淭his momentum builds towards the investment summit we are hosting with government later this year where we will showcase our strengths to attract even more global investment and new growth.
鈥淲ith my Regional Growth Plan and support from the government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy, we鈥檙e demonstrating to the world how our talent, ambition and innovative spirit is making the West Midlands one of the best places in the UK to do business.鈥
Neil Rami, Chief Executive at West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), said: 鈥淭hese latest FDI figures reaffirm the West Midlands鈥 standing as the UK鈥檚 strongest regional performer outside the capital.
鈥淭his resilience, in the face of challenging macroeconomic headwinds, underscores the value of our targeted investment strategy, sectoral strengths, and sustained commitment to infrastructure and skills.
鈥淗owever, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the broader national picture. The UK鈥檚 share of European FDI has declined to a record low of 15 per cent, furthermore, the 12 per cent drop in UK project volumes is the steepest since the Covid-19 period.
鈥淕lobal investors are becoming increasingly cautious amid geopolitical uncertainty 鈥 and the effects are compounded by a significant shift in capital flows towards Eastern Europe.
鈥淎s a nation, we must urgently refocus on enhancing our international competitiveness by addressing structural challenges, enabling regulatory certainty, and doubling down on innovation, clean growth, and skills to ensure the UK remains a leading destination for high-value investment in the decade ahead.鈥
Inward investment projects secured into the region in 2024/25 include multinational retailer Harvey Norman, which announced Birmingham as the home of its new store and UK headquarters.
Canadian cybersecurity company, Goldilock, expanded its manufacturing and testing facilities at University of Wolverhampton Science Park and specialist defence manufacturing firm, NMS UK will create 150 jobs at its Leamington Spa production facility.
The WMGC-led West Midlands Global Growth Programme, which provides bespoke support to streamline the UK investment process for international businesses, helped 17 innovation-led, high-growth international companies to create over 300 jobs in the region last year.