Region still among leaders for FDI
Invest Coventry and Warwickshire’s local investment strategy stood out due to the strength of its support to businesses in establishing themselves in the area, close collaboration with local partners and unique offer to inward investors.
Coventry & Warwickshire continues to be high among the most attractive destinations for international foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UK.
According to the latest data released by the Department for Business and Trade, the city and county attracted a total of 43 foreign investment projects in the year 2024-25.
Overall the UK saw a fall in project numbers, from 1,555 to 1,375, reflecting a challenging global investment market, but the Coventry & Warwickshire area saw an improved performance around employment with 2,818 new and safeguarded jobs, up from 2717, a 4% rise against a 4% fall for the UK overall. The area also attracted more jobs per project, with 65 per project against a national figure of 58 per project.
The latest data confirms the city and county as a leading UK destination for FDI* (foreign direct investment) and high-tech investment over the last decade. The Coventry and Warwickshire area has seen 28,249 (25,431) jobs created or safeguarded from 490 FDI projects over the last eleven years.
Coventry & Warwickshire accounted for 33% of the 130 FDI projects landed in the West Midlands during the 2024/25 financial year, contributing to a West Midlands figure which comprised 9.4% of the UK’s total FDI wins - the largest share of all UK regions outside London. The Coventry & Warwickshire area accounted for almost half of the jobs (48%) created in the West Midlands, where overall 5,821 were created. The West Midlands was the second highest performing region for job creation, after the North West.
Key sectors for Coventry & Warwickshire included 13 projects for automotive and future mobility, 11 digital creative and software (up from eight last year), eight e-commerce and logistics (four projects last year) and three energy related projects and two tourism projects. Altogether, the area again accounted for over 20% of UK automotive projects.
The release of the data marks another positive landmark for the region. Earlier this year, FDI Intelligence Magazine recognised the strength of the local area, placing Coventry & Warwickshire in the top ten for two categories in its annual FDI European Cities and Regions of the Future Awards 2024. The Coventry & Warwickshire area was placed third for FDI Strategy and ninth for Economic Potential and Business Friendliness. The rankings benchmark European cities and regions according to their economic, financial, and business strengths.
Invest Coventry and Warwickshire’s local investment strategy stood out due to the strength of its support to businesses in establishing themselves in the area, close collaboration with local partners and unique offer to inward investors. Those investors this year included Cox Automotive, LG Electronics, NMS UK Ltd and Virtuous Holdings.
News of the region’s FDI performance follows the government’s recent publication of its Modern Industrial Strategy, where the West Midlands was explicitly mentioned due to its strong concentration of businesses and significant potential across several of the critical sectors identified in the Strategy. These include Advanced Manufacturing, Professional and Business Services, Life Sciences, Financial Services, Digital and Technologies and Clean Energy Industries.
* For further information on the Coventry & Warwickshire offer, and setting up here, visit www.investcw.co.uk or email contact@investcw.co.uk
* Data published by Department for International Trade. The UK Government assesses a company to be foreign owned if it has a 10% or more ownership from overseas.