The Coventry and Warwickshire Economic Strategy represents the well-established partnership the two local authority areas have whilst looking to see how we can continue our collective success in our shared economy. Coventry and Warwickshire represent over 500,000 jobs and is worth over £30bn to GVA.  By leveraging local strengths and addressing key challenges, the strategy aims to create a vibrant, resilient, and competitive economy that benefits Warwickshire and Coventry. 

The strategy has been structured around five key themes which are sub-regionally relevant and appropriate. They are also strongly inter-related which only strengthens the economic area.

The strategy is focused on:  

Progression and economic change: We recognise that our economies need to be agile and flexible.  We want to continue supporting and investing in the process of industrial restructuring across Coventry and Warwickshire notably electrification at the core of automotive and aerospace and also across more general processes of industrial change driven by autonomy and automation, AI, etc.  

Creativity and innovation: We want to develop existing strengths in Coventry and Warwickshire to encourage creativity and innovation across the board.  

The scale-up journey: We want to continue to support creative entrepreneurs and start-up businesses to unlock their growth potential through intervention priorities and focussing on the systematic barriers to scaling-up. 

International profile: We want to create Coventry and Warwickshire’s ‘place in the world’, continuing its UK success as a leading inward investment destination; on a per capita basis and creating global growth opportunities and focusing on the international profile by promoting and growing the area’s visitor economy offer to international leisure and business tourists. 

Strategic infrastructure and major projects: We will continue to focus on sustainable economic growth. Some of this is already underway – but progress needs to be sustained and accelerated. In other cases, there is research to be done, business cases to develop, and funding to be secured with priorities agreed in line with the Economic Strategy. 

To help Coventry and Warwickshire achieve these objectives, a new Business Forum will be set up with business representatives and stakeholders who have an interest in our shared economies and a passion to build on its success.