The environmental economy of the West Midlands has quietly been flourishing for decades
The environmental economy of the West Midlands has quietly been flourishing for decades, and with a wealth of opportunities opening up a global multi-billion pound industry, the future for the region's 1,600 environmental products and services firms has never looked brighter.
In part this optimism is due to a relatively new initiative now reaching maturity. It will leave West Midland firms in a better position than ever to tackle this rich international market. One year ago the aspirations of farsighted businessmen combined with the goals of the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands to launch EnviroTRADE.
Applying AWM's strategy to maximise business development within the region the environmental economy received a huge boost when it was chosen as a target for AWM's strategic growth mechanism.
EnviroTRADE brings together business leaders with representatives from AWM, the Learning and Skills Council, higher education bodies and the region's Business Links to work towards the best possible future for the sector.
They are trying to bring about the optimum combination of collaboration and competition to spearhead growth in a diverse industry that already has a firm base in the region.
Chairman of AWM, Nick Paul, summed up the potential, saying: "Currently, the West Midlands boasts some 1,600 companies employing 29,000 people who supply or manufacture goods and services for tasks as diverse as land reclamation, air pollution control, energy conservation, cleaner technologies, waste management and treatment of waste water.
"This is a basis for greater involvement in environmental technologies which we, as an agency, are committed to achieving."
To realise this goal much of AWM's energies in the environmental sector have been channelled through EnviroTRADE.
John Turner, chairman of EnviroTRADE and head of environmental law at Wragge & Co, has been working in the field since environmental concerns became a significant business concern in the 1980s.
"There are real opportunities here in the West Midlands," he says. "Nevertheless, one has to recognise that faced with projections for very significant market growth over the next few years the international competition is heating up.
"We are here to help the region continue to do work of a world-class nature in this sector. "The UK as a whole has a great group of environmental companies and the West Midlands in particular has a good cluster."
With EnviroTRADE's help, it is set to get even better. "The group has an exciting range of measures lined up for its second year. "This is the major kick-off for us," says Mr Turner.
"In our first year we helped achieve recognition that the environmental goods and services sector is a leading part of the economy.
"Now we are going to launch a range of projects. "A priority will be to look at waste recycling and minimisation and encourage all forms of it as part of a super-regional recycling economy."
EnviroTRADE also plans a substantial initiative to stimulate growth in the renewable energy fields including the use of wind, crops and hydrogen. It is set to be a busy year for the group. The projects will take place alongside commissioning research, participating in national export programmes and developing support for environmental SMEs through Business Links.
EnviroTRADE also plans trade missions to China, Abu Dhabi, Dublin and Poland. Meanwhile, Advantage West Midlands will continue to secure inward investment for the region.
These are dramatic times for the region's £1 billion environmental industry.
With a host of new appointments at EnviroTRADE itself, Mr Turner is clearly delighted by the progress that has already been achieved.
"Everyone has really got behind this," he adds.
"I think that the time really has come for the industry."
