Midlands Engine offer showcased at InnoTrans 2018

The burgeoning rail sector in Coventry & Warwickshire is in the global spotlight this week at InnoTrans2018, the world’s leading trade fair for rail and mass transit technology.

The twelfth bi-annual InnoTrans is taking place in Berlin and the Midlands Engine and Northern Powerhouse are exhibiting jointly to promote UK rail investment opportunities - and specifically the North and Midlands as the best location to set up in the country.

Many high-level delegates will be in attendance. In 2016 the event saw 2,955 exhibitors from 60 countries. These attracted 137,391 trade visitors from 119 countries, with exhibitions from the five trade fair segments; Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction.

The InnoTrans Convention, the event’s top-level supporting programme, complements the trade fair.

The Midlands Engine and Northern Powerhouse team is looking to meet potential overseas investors who want to find out more about opportunities in the UK rail industry, which is the most buoyant and fastest growing in Europe. Given their location and strong rail cluster, the Midlands and North is a talent-rich area with thousands of graduates from a range of universities, rail test facilities and engineering centres of excellence.

The area is a core part of the UK’s £7bn rail manufacturing industry. The regions are at the heart of new UK rail projects including the £55bn HS2 rail network, mainline electrification, station redevelopments and extensions to light railway networks, along with the expansion of rail freight infrastructure.

Overall the UK is investing more than £200 billion in rail projects across the country in the coming years. This makes the UK an attractive place to locate for overseas companies active in rail - and the Coventry & Warwickshire region is as attractive as any.

Warwickshire County Council, on behalf of Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership area, has been co-ordinating the Midlands Engine activities for their presence as InnoTrans2018.

"Warwickshire and Coventry has a diverse and buoyant rail supply chain, including companies also active in auto and aero sectors,"said Warwickshire County Council head of Transport and Economy Mark Ryder. "The region also some key R&D assets such as the Quinton Rail Technology Centre and the Light Rail Team at Warwick Manufacturing Group.

"The UK Government is investing heavily in new rail and mass transit systems and the Midlands has the skills and development sites to attract new rail supply chain companies looking to establish as base in the UK."

For further information on Innotrans, please visit: https://www.innotrans.de/en

More information on Midlands Engine can be found at www.midlandsenginerail.co.uk)

The Midlands Engine stand is located in City Cube A, RIA UK Pavilion, stand 218E.