Tag Archives: Cluster Development

When It Comes To Cyber The Midlands Defence Blueprint Is Polite Fiction

The Midlands Defence & Security Blueprint presents itself as decisive and strategic, but in reality it repeats the same structural failures that undermined Midlands Engine. Cyber remains subordinated, underfunded, and ownerless, while coordination is mistaken for delivery. Written from the perspective of a practitioner who has built cyber capability on the ground, this article argues that resilience will not come from another blueprint, but from funded authority, real centres, and delivery.

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Restructuring the West Midlands Growth Company: Reform or Rebrand?

The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is being restructured into a new Economic Development Vehicle (EDV) by 2026 to focus on investment and strategic delivery. While WMGC claims credit for attracting big business, many local startups, mine included, received no meaningful support. The restructuring is a chance to fix that, but only if the new EDV backs early-stage innovators with funding access, partnerships, and scale-up support. Otherwise, it’s just a rebrand, not reform.

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Cyber as a Cluster: A Critical Review of the Midlands Engine Cyber & Defence Report (April 2025)

Cyber in the West Midlands is no longer just a business activity, it’s a cluster. With the right action, it can become a strategic economic engine. This review critiques the Midlands Engine Cyber & Defence Report (April 2025) and sets out a ten-point plan to make that transformation real. The opportunity is clear. The data is in. Now we must deliver.

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