West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker set to open new 'meet the buyer' event in February

The "Meet the Buyer" event for businesses signed-up to a programme to connect suppliers to key customers in the sectors of Very Light Rail, Light Electric Vehicles, and Micromobility will take place at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) in Dudley on Tuesday, February 4. 

The Supply Chain Transition Programme is being delivered on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Business Growth West Midlands.

Working alongside partners from the Finditin Network and the West Midlands Growth Company, and funded by the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, the Meet the Buyer event is specifically for members of the programme, who are largely from traditional industries, who have embraced diversification in order to expand their customer base and build strong, local supply chains for the future mobility sector, organisers say.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker is the keynote speaker at the event which follows a programme of individual support and expert-run workshops, to prepare SME manufacturers and other suppliers to supply these innovative new sectors.

“Our region is already a global leader in transport innovation, we have the ground-breaking very light rail system partly developed at the BCIMO. We are at the forefront of electric vehicle technology with a new gigafactory on the way. And in 2027 we are hosting the world’s largest transport technology conference the ITS World Congress," he said.

"Now I am calling on our businesses to take this chance to seize these supply chain opportunities, create jobs for the future and join me in my mission to ensure the West Midlands becomes the best place to do business."

Companies will have the opportunity to speak to a range of buyers and key customers, including Watt Electric Vehicle Company, Aurrigo, Midland Metro Alliance, Unipart, and Simworx, about their current and future procurement requirements, and to engage and access light vehicle manufacturing supply chain opportunities with key OEMs.

The event is also a platform for SMEs to network with and meet industry experts, leaders, public and private sector organisations, programme partners and other cohort businesses, to transfer knowledge and ideas for diversification.

Angus Brummitt-Brown from Coventry Very Light Rail, James Black from Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Rowan Crozier, CEO at Birmingham-based Brandauer and Andy Davis from C&W Business Solutions will also be speaking at the event.