Credit Crunch Debates to Bring Businesses Together

Conservative MEP Malcolm Harbour will address the European response to the credit crunch at the latest in a series of breakfast briefings hosted by the University of Birmingham's Business School. The series of debates, which are aimed a business leaders across the West Midlands. Each monthly event will tackle a different aspect of the 'credit crunch' to provide practical ideas and solutions for the West Midlands' economy. Each session will tackle key question like: are there alternatives to what is currently on offer, or is a pragmatic, piecemeal approach by individual companies the best way forward? More optimistically, can the West Midlands draw on present and past policies of other comparable regions and countries to deal with the unprecedented economic and financial challenges we now face? The debates, which take place on the last Friday of the month are organised by the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre of the Birmingham Business School, the West Midlands Economic Forum and the West Midlands Business Council. Professor Robert Cressy from the Birmingham Business School comments: "As economic conditions become more challenging, we need to ask what government policy options to reduce the effects on the West Midlands region are available? Through these debates we want to bring together representatives from a wide range of industries to understand the problems and to look for solutions. The credit crunch may be a global problem, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't look for solutions that work for the West Midlands." For further , Ben Hill, Press Officer, University of Birmingham, Tel 0121 414 5134, mob 07789 921163 Details of Planned Sessions Friday, February 27th 1.