The Midlands Innovation group of universities (Aston, Birmingham, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick) hosted the second Higher Education Technicians Summit (HETS 2017), the largest event held specifically for UK and Ireland higher education technical staff, at the University of Warwick on 31 May 2017 in partnership with the Science Council.

At the start of April 2017, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) launched its Productivity and Skills Commission, aiming to tackle the issues surrounding unemployment, job skills and increasing the region's productivity. The Commission's Academic Lead is Nigel Driffield, Professor of International Business at Warwick Business School and Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Regional Engagement at the University of Warwick.

If you're eligible, make sure you have your say on the new West Midlands Mayor on Thursday 4th May. There's still time to make up your mind on the candidates, and read up on their performances in the series of debates held by West Mids Elects in the run up to the election.

Last Friday, Warwick hosted a successful workshop to feed into the Government’s Industrial Strategy with stakeholders from across the West Midlands, including academics from Warwick and the University of Birmingham, and representatives from the Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Solihull and Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

4th May 2017 will see the election of the first West Midlands mayor, arguably the most important vote for the region since Brexit. But despite the huge impact this result promises to have on the area, public awareness and understanding of the mayor’s role remains low. Warwick has teamed up with West Mids Elects to back four public debates and generate vital support for the election.

The University of Warwick will help drive the delivery of a HealthTech Campus at Arden Cross. The Campus will form part of a wider Innovation District at the heart of the £3.2bn regeneration opportunity, facilitated by the HS2 Interchange station in Solihull.