Birmingham Could Become Centre for 'Industries of Tommorrow'

By Ben Aulakh

Birmingham could become the “world centre of some of the industries of tomorrow,” according to the Chancellor George Osborne.

Mr Osborne said, on a recent visit to the city to promote the creation of new ‘enterprise zones’, that it had the potential to become a world centre for the computing, computer gaming and software industries.

There are seven sites across Birmingham and Solihull that have been chosen to host the new zones, which will offer businesses generous tax breaks, relaxed planning laws and access to superfast broadband.

Mr Osborne said, “We are trying to make Birmingham the world centre of some of the industries of tomorrow.

“We are trying to attract creative industries, television, computing, computer gaming, and the computer software industries, were also trying to attract business service industries.”

“These companies will be employing thousands of people and these will be good jobs that they will be employed in.”

The Chancellor is hoping that all of the new zones could create more than 40, 00 new jobs in one of the most deprived counties in the country.

Mr Osborne also said that the proposed high speed rail link between London and the city, as well as the redevelopment of New Street Station would be two key transport projects that would benefit any firm who re-located to one of the new zones.