Swedish investment fuels innovation in the West Midlands

In 2024-25, the West Midlands once again proved its strength as the UK's top performing region outside the capital for Foreign Direct Investment, with over 130 businesses from around the world choosing the West Midlands as the location to launch, expand and thrive. Swedish businesses are playing a pivotal role in shaping the region’s future. Innovation, collaboration, and cultural synergy are driving a wave of activity that’s transforming Birmingham and its surrounding areas into a hub for technology, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.

Long standing chamber member, Fieldfisher is at the heart of this momentum. The firm’s upcoming move to Two Chamberlain Square, part of the transformative Paradise development, reflects its long-term commitment to the region. With plans to double its local workforce, Fieldfisher is positioning itself to support the growing demand for legal expertise in high-growth sectors.

This commitment is already bearing fruit. Fieldfisher’s Birmingham corporate team recently advised Swedish industrial group Vestum on its acquisition of Nortech Management Holdings, a UK leader in energy and water distribution technology. The deal showcases the opportunity that the Midlands market presents to Swedish Businesses and Fieldfisher’s strength in guiding clients through complex, cross-border transactions in the technology and systems management sectors.

Swedish investment in the Midlands is not new, but it is accelerating. Working with businesses to establish a footprint in the region Fieldfisher has built enduring partnerships with Nordic giants like Skanska, Boliden, and Swedish Match.

Across the three cities and seven local authorities that make up the West Midlands, ten universities, cutting-edge R&D centres, and specialist innovation hubs power the region’s success. This is where global companies collaborate with leading academics, spin out breakthrough technologies, and tap into talent clusters that keep them competitive and future ready. These strengths make it an ideal testing ground for Swedish companies scaling their UK operations and for established Swedish business to expand their operations.  Atlas Copco, for example, employs over 3,000 people across the UK and is pioneering smart manufacturing from its Innovation Centre in Wolverhampton, using 5G-enabled robotics to revolutionise production.

Sustainability is another key area of collaboration. LKAB is working with Midlands-based firms to transform fossil-free steel into viable construction products, while Duni has invested in Worcester’s BioPak to advance biodegradable packaging. New Chamber member ABB has developed multiple facilities in the region. 

Even outside traditional sectors, Swedish investment is making an impact, as we've seen with the recent collaboration of 13 Swedish families investing in Burton Albion Football Club, reflecting a commitment to community integration.

To celebrate and deepen these ties, I am very much looking forward to chairing our third Midlands Footprint on 14 October, in partnership with Fieldfisher and Mazars. The event will take place in what will be Fieldfisher’s new Birmingham office, bringing together Swedish and UK business leaders to explore opportunities for collaboration and growth.  

With bilateral trade reaching £33.4 billion and the West Midlands contributing £444 million in exports to Sweden, the relationship is thriving. As both regions lead in sustainability and innovation, the future of Swedish British collaboration in the Midlands looks exceptionally bright.

Sue Simpson, 
Midlands Chapter Chair