Our new report with City-REDI ‘BBC in the West Midlands’ is out today, forecasting that the BBC will contribute an additional £282 million in gross value added (GVA) to the West Midlands region by 2031.

Our research outlines a growth blueprint that builds on the BBC’s increased investment in West Midlands' creative economy, estimating that the BBC’s renewed commitment:

• Is anticipated to create 910 additional full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs directly supported by the BBC

• With further investment could lead to the creation of 224 new firms, supporting 7,603 FTE jobs.

• By 2031, could grow creative sector employment in the West Midlands by 18%, with potential for job opportunities to double by 2040

Investment includes the decision to move the BBC's regional headquarters to a new state-of-the-art broadcast centre at The Tea Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.

Primetime TV shows Silent Witness and MasterChef have also gone into pre-production from new bases in Digbeth, while BBC Asian Network will be consolidated in the area by April 2025.

BBC Studios Drama Productions, which produces titles including Silent Witness, Shakespeare and Hathaway, Father Brown and Sister Boniface, is also setting up a regional hub and post-production facility in Digbeth.

The report also recommends a well-resourced, coordinated approach to boost entrepreneurial zeal and confidence in the region, supported by well-targeted public policy.

Read more from the BBC here.