An international engineering firm is creating more than 100 jobs by expanding in Birmingham - and potentially hundreds more longer term.
US giant Jacobs Engineering Group is to open a new office in Colmore Square amid plans to grow its city workforce from 160 to 300.
The one of the world's largest civil engineering firms, was moving to the city's business district to be near the HS2 headquarters at
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But Jacobs' vice-president Bob Duff said it was a wider-reaching, long-term, expansion which could lead to a 1,000-strong Birmingham office in time.
He told the Post: "When you see the potential for Birmingham, it is massive. We would like to start with 200 to 300 but we hope it will be one of our bigger offices in time - and we have offices with 700 to 1,000 people.
"It is a natural progression for us and we would like to get involved in some of the exciting things that will happen in the region."
The new Jacobs office will open in a matter of months, consolidating operations from two existing Birmingham sites.
The company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is one of the largest engineering businesses in the world, involved in highways, rail, aviation, automotive, utilities, energy and building sectors.
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It employs about 9,000 people in the 海角视频.
Mr Duff said the firm had been under-represented in the Midlands and saw great potential and the New Street expansion, alongside the emergence of smart cities.
He said: "HS2 is a big driver. We are working on the East Coast Main Line, West Coast Main Line, Crossrail and all the major rail upgrades.
"HS2 is a big part of our strategy currently but for us it is more about a relationship model and being close to clients. Birmingham is more than just HS2."
He added: "The difference would be that we need critical mass. We are sub-200 people at the moment and we look to have offices with anything up to 1,000 people because you need a critical mass for a diverse range of services.
"We see a combination of bringing some more of the technology side into the area because if you look at Birmingham and the Midlands, it is famous for things like automotive technology.
"Then when you look at HS2 expanding and things like future cities, Birmingham needs to be at the forefront of that."
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Mr Duff said the firm would be offering top jobs for the city's young people on the back of the move.
The company has more than 830 graduates and apprentices currently training in the 海角视频 and already has strong ties with Aston Business School.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: "Some of the 海角视频's leading universities are located in Birmingham and Jacobs' commitment to training the next generation of engineers in the region will only help to solidify Birmingham's competitiveness on the world-stage. Jacobs' investment will bring jobs to the region and help to accelerate our strong economic growth."
Mark Rogers, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, added: "Jacobs is one of the world's leading engineering and project management firms and its expansion into Birmingham showcases the vast talent pool available in the region.
"Jacobs is taking advantage of the engineering and manufacturing expertise already on offer in the region and helping to create a lasting skills legacy through its training programme."
Jacobs counts Highways England and Network Rail among its customers and works on some of Britain's most strategic projects, including HS1, Blackfriars Station and Heathrow Airport.