Regional Transport – a supply chain mapping exercise and Brexit exposure check of automotive, aerospace and rail value dependency in the WMCA region

This report presents the findings and key policy recommendations of a combined supply chain mapping exercise and Brexit exposure check of the transport manufacturing sector in the Midlands,funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority. These sectors consisted of automotive, rail and aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, for which 234 firms were surveyed between November 2019 and January 2020. Of these, 25 were exclusively involved in aerospace manufacture; 59 were exclusively involved in automotive manufacture; 3 were exclusively involved in non-auto road vehicles; 32 were exclusively involved in rail manufacture; 27 were mixed manufacturers and; 87 were freight/logistics firms. Key aspects examined in the mapping exercise included: value of automotive businesses in the West Midlands split by vehicle company clients and local authorities; divisions between tiers one and two, and logistics and suppliers, employment mix (UK/EU), major challenges faced by supply chain e.g.transport infrastructure and paperwork; import/export ratios, transport route dependency, and ‘Brexit readiness’