UK’s West Midlands unveils £19bn digital platform to lure real estate investors

The West Midlands region of the UK has launched a first-of-its-kind investment platform targeting £19 billion in regeneration opportunities. Officials describe it as a bold new approach to attracting domestic and international capital.

Unveiled on 21 May by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker at the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds, the Site Selection WM platform digitally maps 64 priority development and occupier sites across the region, using live data on planning status, land use, investment type and industry focus.

“Showcasing over 1,000 acres of regeneration opportunities, Site Selection WM effectively captures the enormous scale of West Midlands ambition,” said Parker. “By offering a more innovative and transparent way to explore a range of development sites, it marks a step-change in how the region engages the global investor community.”

The platform was commissioned by the West Midlands Growth Company — the region’s official inward investment promotion agency — in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority and seven local authorities, including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Designed to support developers and occupiers, Site Selection WM integrates data on local demographics, amenities, innovation assets, and connectivity — including HS2 and Metro links. It is intended to serve as the most comprehensive and accessible investment portfolio in the UK.

Highlighted regeneration schemes include the £1.9 billion Smithfield Birmingham development, which will transform 17 hectares in the heart of the city; Arden Cross, a £3.2 billion, 140-hectare masterplan centred around the UK’s first HS2 Interchange Station outside London; and a multi-phase transformation of West Bromwich Town Centre — backed by the largest Towns Deal allocation in the country, a £25 million UK government grant for regeneration and infrastructure.

The platform also features key sites within the West Midlands Investment Zone (WMIZ), which offers capital investment, tax incentives and tailored business support aligned to innovation-led growth. These include the Coventry-Warwick Gigapark, focused on electric vehicles and battery manufacturing; the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, specialising in digital technology and med-tech; and the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor — designed to drive growth in green industries.

“From town-centre revitalisation projects; to forward-thinking, affordable housing-led schemes — bringing forward the right infrastructure is critical to my mission of fostering growth for everyone,” Parker said. “I look forward to speaking to new potential partners with a shared commitment to our region’s future.”

The platform’s launch comes ahead of the West Midlands’ new Local Growth Plan and Spatial Development Strategy — both of which are set to be unveiled next month. The tools are expected to reinforce the region’s push to become the UK’s most investor-ready destination.