Thanks to former colleague, William McGrath, Chief Executive of AGA Rangemaster, I was able to bring with me to this meeting at Portcullis House a copy of Patent No. 380, granted to Abraham Darby in 1707, during the reign of Queen Anne.

This historic and extraordinary document, housed at AGA Rangemaster, still making AGAs in Abraham Darby's original foundry at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, effectively launched the industrial revolution. The 1707 Patent states,(in fulsome legal language, amply demonstrating that profession's ability to use many complex words in varying combinations was already, even as early as the 18th century, well- practiced),

We're thrilled to have some of our best-known Midlands brands exhibiting - Jaguar Land Rover, AGA Rangemaster, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Brintons Carpets, Glenn Howells Architects, Acme Whistles, Deakin & Francis and Emma Bridgewater, together with some big national and international names including JCDecaux, the outdoor advertising business.

Obsessionistas, a site dedicated to those passionate about collecting will provide a digital display covering around 20 design archives highlighting our authenticity as the home of design.

....Not from any lack of talent or interest amongst our young people, would be my observation.

It is emerging talent like this as well as our established brands that IDEA Birmingham is aiming to showcase at the forthcoming Birmingham Design EXPO 15th-22nd June, at the Mailbox Birmingham.

Speaking to over 2000 people - those just graduated, their families and friends assembled in the ICC Birmingham, Ian said, "IDEA Birmingham is about bringing creativity and industry together. It made this region what it is today and it is what we need to embrace further as a region, and it is what this country needs to embrace."

Today IDEA Birmingham launches Birmingham's first Design EXPO in over 100 years, running from 15th-22nd June at the Birmingham Mailbox, and the 2012 Design Awards, at www.ideabirmingham.co.uk.

"With economic growth stalling, the public deficit at 7.9% of GDP and debt at 84% of GDP and growing the UK needs a design strategy that is active and ambitious, setting a clear direction of travel; developing our competitive advantage both across all areas of government and in terms of all of its interactions with the public and wider economy."

Music to my ears was Dr Bradshaw's emphasis on the need to break the link, either explicitly or implicitly equating design with just the so-called 'creative industries'.

Meeting him in the jewellery quarter I am instantly impressed by his distinctive yet effortless taste, the abundance of striking artworks hanging on his head office walls, the immaculate condition of the manufacturing facilities and offices, and the imagination and attention to detail put into their jewellery displays - a glittering range of exhibits greeting you on entering their showroom. Last year they invested £100k or ½% of turnover in this facility and they're currently undertaking a similar commitment to their trade counter in London.

The focus on high value added goods and services together with brand differentiation are ways that we can build additional market share both at home and abroad. It is up to us now to build on the 'Chancellor's Plan A Plus' to deliver for our region.

It's plain we need to coordinate more of our efforts across the public and private sectors. Only by pulling together to drive synergies through the skills and knowledge transfer desperately required will we create the opportunities for entrepreneurial regeneration of our economy. Birmingham City University realises the lead role that the higher education sector needs to take here and we are ready to play our part.

In welcoming Will Hutton, Chairman of the Big Innovation Centre, who was joined by no less than five of his colleagues for the event, Vic Cocker, Deputy Chairman of Birmingham City University emphasised the need for new solutions to tackle the growth challenge.

Will Hutton stressed that the UK was facing the worst recession since the 19th century - worse than the 1930s.

The knowledge economy had driven the recoveries of the '80s and '90s and it would drive this one too. SMEs in the knowledge economy had been drivers of job creation and one key challenge was providing the means to help them to grow faster and scale up. The answer was in the Innovation eco-system.

"Traditional sources of growth have dried up. With the West Midlands' over-dependency on the public sector there is a need to boot strap up and act fast," he said.

"It's a culture and by both understanding your product and making it, you come to love it. That's part of the magic."

...A magic that comes to life as I climb the winding stairwell, covered in glorious crackle-glaze tiles of lemon quince, to join Simon in the company showroom at their Victorian head office in Barr Street, Aston.

Not many businesses can have had much more media coverage, especially in relation to their size. But then with an extrovert like Simon Topman at the helm it's hardly surprising.

Through October (6th-28th), the Birmingham School of Art's gothic splendour hosts a new exhibition, Perspectives, displaying images created by emerging and established photographers from Birmingham City University working with Chris Steele-Perkins, Magnum Photos, and representing one of the City's latest celebrations of an art form dating back to its official birth in 1839.

This magnificent building seems an apt host for photographic reflections on life today in the City's Colmore business quarter, given its own role in Birmingham's rich heritage.

I find myself at the launch reception of Perspectives, where I bump into Pete James, Head of Photographs at the Birmingham Central Library who regales me about Birmingham's photographic roots stretching back to the birth of this art form which I find stunning, both in being previously completely unaware of it and in its importance to our city.

One telling comment on the internet, referring to Steve Jobs read, "10 years ago we had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash - Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash."

Steve Jobs' words, delivered during his Commencement Speech to graduates of Stanford University in 2005 have been widely quoted over the past few days.

They are remarkable for their clarity, insight and content.

So when Amanda Sourry, Chairman, Unilever, UK & Ireland, elegantly attired in an understated black dress, delivered her visiting lecture representing 'Britain's Most Admired Company, 2010' in Birmingham last week (22/09/11)and pronounced that the 'UK was facing its biggest fall in disposable income in 35 years,' she certainly made an impression.

The survey of Britain's Most Admired Companies, run by Professor Mike Brown, Birmingham City Business School, since the early '90s, reflects the sum of nine elements assessed by senior executives and city analysts that go to making up corporate reputation including the quality of management, products and services, marketing, community and environmental responsibility, financial soundness including efficient use of assets and prospects for longterm value as well as ability to attract top people and to innovate.

"Interestingly, the first building erected in Britain solely for the exhibition of manufactured goods was constructed in Birmingham in 1849 for the annual meeting of the British Association.

"A great success, it's generally considered to have been the prototype for the 1851 Great Exhibition," he adds.

All this, during a two hour stint set up by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group, hosted by the Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, to hear directly from 15 business representatives based in the Jewellery Quarter and beyond on how the government can best deliver on the elusive growth agenda.

Chris White, Conservative MP for Leamington Spa, co-chairs the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group with Barry Sheerman, Labour MP for Huddersfield.

Warming to his theme he adds, "Manufacturing still accounts for 12% of GDP compared to 9% for financial services. In the West Midlands over 11% of people are employed in this sector with 2.6m working in manufacturing nationally.