West Midlands Mayor Andy Street says the region must be ready to win government finance and support in order to kick-start the local economy once the easing of lockdown restrictions begins.
The mayor, who before the pandemic forced a postponement of local elections until next May, told BusinessLive projects such as HS2 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games would also be key to getting the region up and running.
"My whole thinking is we have to be ready when the Government says to the West Midlands 'what do you need and want?'," he told BusinessLive.
"We must be ready to ask and not have a blank cupboard when they say 'What will you do to drive your economic rebound?' It will be a negotiation. We know what we want but I don't know yet whether they will give it to us.
"HS2, the Commonwealth Games and items the West Midlands Combined Authority can expend on infrastructure are critical."
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He was speaking as the West Midlands Combined Authority prepares to publish the first draft of its West Midlands recovery plan.
First announced last month, the authority said it was working with political and business leaders to draw up a strategy to get the regional economy back on its feet as swiftly as possible.
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Mr Street warned that the plan, which is due for its first public airing in the coming days, would be just the start of business leaders' aims and would be adapted as the weeks and months passed post lockdown.
Referring to key economic drivers for the West Midlands going forward, he said: "It is really important that everything is done so export manufacturers can get back to work safely and the market comes back for them.
“Also, if there was more subsidy for us for brownfield remediation and for housebuilding, that would be very important for driving our economy.
"There are all sorts of things and, it might be blindingly obvious to say this, but protecting the businesses that we have is vital. The better job we can do on that front, the greater the strength of the recovery.
"Eleven million people have been paid by furlough which is incredible and means they are there for the upswing."
As politicians and scientists contemplate how and when lockdown restrictions can be eased, business leaders and economists have grappled with its devastating effects and the threat of more months of social distancing, restricted movement and only partial re-opening of companies in sectors such as hospitality.
Various reports over the past few weeks have painted a bleak picture for the West Midlands, with financial services firm KPMG saying the economy here could shrink by 10.1 per cent this year while the Centre for Progressive Policy predicts this will be the hardest hit of all 海角视频 regions.
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Mr Street said these gloomy predictions were due in large part to the West Midlands having some of the strongest manufacturing and business tourism sectors in the country.
Major regional employers such as Cadbury, Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin have adapted their operations to produce vital equipment for frontline healthcare workers and have even announced the return of some factory operations.
While the NEC Group, one of the single largest employers in the entire Midlands, has been hit especially hard through the cancellation of hundreds of concerts, award ceremonies, conferences and other business events at its four venues here.
Mr Street concluded: "There was a piece of research which talked about us being vulnerable which pulled out three reasons - strength in automotive, strength in business tourism and strength in higher education
"All of these are true but it's our job to ensure these consequences don't come through and become a reality. It's our job to stop the downsize happening as badly as it could."