Prioritising sector-focused investor development work with foreign-owned companies in order to accelerate and sustain regeneration

Abstract

Attracting new investors and reinvestment into a city region requires a sector-focused approach in targeting employers, yet few investment promotion agencies adopt this approach. This paper demonstrates how MIDAS, Manchester's Investment Development Agency Service, has bucked the trend and adopted key investment strategies that include engaging with foreign-owned companies, employing business development managers who are also industry experts, undertaking investor development strategies and providing aftercare service to new and existing investors. The paper concludes with a look at two successful examples of MIDAS's investor development programme and the value added to the city region.