Accenture has become the latest in a succession of consulting firms to launch a new office in Birmingham. The news comes as the technology and advisory giant moves to create 1,500 new jobs outside London and the South East over the next two years.
There is already a strong pipeline of work for Accenture across the West Midlands: the business is currently working on Birmingham’s Net Zero City Sprint (NZCS), which aims to create a coalition across public and private sectors to move the city towards meeting its net zero targets.
This has seen Accenture develop sturdy relations with the University of Birmingham and Aston University. Meanwhile, the last two years have also seen the firm expand in the Midlands following a number of acquisitions, with purchases including retail technology and supply chain consultancy REPL Group, SAP partner Edenhouse and customer experience specialists Spark44.
The consultancy’s new hub in Birmingham’s Norfolk House will bring together and expand these capabilities, working to serve clients both locally in the West Midlands and across the UK. In particular, the office will focus on driving innovation in the financial services and digital manufacturing sectors – adding key lines of expertise to Accenture’s existing operations across the UK, with hubs in Scotland, the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the South East.
Paul Stanley, Midlands Lead for Accenture, commented, “We are committed to contributing to regional prosperity around the UK. Building on the Midlands’ manufacturing heritage, financial services strength, world-class education and connectivity to the rest of the UK, our Midlands hub will bring even stronger connections between our local people, clients and the wider community as well as being a focal point for our innovation expertise.”
Accenture’s new office will be yet another milestone investment for the West Midlands, delivering hundreds of high-value new jobs to meet rising local demand for technology and financial services expertise. The region’s emerging capabilities in fields including industry 4.0, fintech and low carbon technologies, while the West Midlands’ digital employment base totals 76,000 people. This has attracted a growing number of professional services firms to its largest cities in recent years, while others have ramped up their team with extensive hiring campaigns.
Speaking on the news, Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added, “Accenture’s new Midlands hub reinforces Birmingham’s reputation as a high-value and full-service professional services cluster, driven by a diverse range of FTSE listed companies and a booming headquarter economy. Such a considerable investment from the consultancy firm also signifies the breadth of quality talent in the region. I’m delighted Accenture have chosen Birmingham for this substantial investment and look forward to supporting their growth journey in the region, which includes the creation and fulfilment of new, local jobs in professional services.”
