The UK’s premier economic development event, the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) is taking place this year from 21-23 May in Leeds.
UKREiiF aims to connect people, places and businesses to drive sustainable and inclusive investment – regenerating towns, cities and driving development – which in turn have a positive impact on communities, economic growth and prosperity.
Representatives from D2N2 LEP will be attending UKREiiF and we are leading an interactive panel discussion on 22 May ‘Focus on the East Midlands: our Time is NOW’.
During our panel session, delegates will hear directly from the new East Midlands Mayor* and senior leaders from D2N2 LEP, East Midlands Freeport and the East Midlands Development Company, who will outline investment and development opportunities in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and explain how devolution is set to transform the East Midlands region.
With access to up to £4 billion funding to invest in skills, transport, homes and regeneration and decarbonisation, the East Midlands devolution deal represents a once in a generation opportunity for our new East Midlands Mayor to use their new powers and new funding to drive growth and prosperity across the region. Our panellists will discuss major infrastructure investment propositions coming on stream in our region such as the East Midlands Investment Zone, the STEP Fusion programme and the East Midlands Hydrogen cluster.
Our panellists are:
The newly elected East Midlands Mayor*
Elizabeth Fagan CBE, Chair D2N2 LEP
Nora Senior CBE, Chair, East Midlands Freeport
Sir Chris Haworth, Chair, East Midlands Development Company
*The East Midlands Mayor will be elected on Thursday 2 May and will confirm attendance following the election
Our panel will be chaired by independent broadcaster Geeta Pendse
D2N2 LEP Chair, Elizabeth Fagan CBE, said:
“During the panel, I’m looking forward to discussing the wealth of investable propositions we have in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, such as the East Midlands Investment Zone, that will focus on advanced manufacturing and green industries. The Investment Zone will complement our region’s low carbon prowess in nuclear and hydrogen, in particular the STEP Fusion programme in North Nottinghamshire and our East Midlands Hydrogen Consortium, our unique inland hydrogen collaboration cluster. The East Midlands is on the cusp of a very exciting future and it’s vital that we seize the momentum that devolution brings to transform our region.”
East Midlands Freeport Chair, Nora Senior CBE, said:
“We have been presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attract and drive investment, innovation, and green growth across the region with two landmark destinations offered by East Midlands Freeport and the new combined authority’s investment zones. This panel will be an excellent showcase for all that the East Midlands has to offer investors who are keen to harness the skills, expertise and manufacturing heritage we have on offer here in the heart of the country.”
The Chair of East Midlands Development Company , Sir Chris Haworth said:
“This is a momentous year for the East Midlands. We are looking forward to working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority and Mayor. There are some hugely exciting opportunities in the region which is at the centre of an energy revolution with the emergence of STEP nuclear fusion. Later this year, the closure of Ratcliffe Power Station, which is the last coal fired power station in the UK, marks a significant moment in history and provides a key location for economic growth adjacent to East Midlands Parkway Station.”
Our panel details
Join our interactive panel session at UKREiiF to discuss how Team East Midlands is working together to unlock our £4bn investment opportunity and create a brighter future for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The panel is free to attend for delegates attending UKREiiF.
Focus on the East Midlands: Our Time is NOW
Panel discussion at UKREiiF
DATE: Wednesday 22 May 2024
TIME: 14.15 – 15.15
LOCATION: Newsroom Stage, Royal Armouries, Leeds
Book your place (in order to attend this event you need to have a UKREiiF delegate pass)
East Midlands Devolution
Following the East Midlands devolution deal, agreed with Government ministers in 2022, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham will benefit from more control and more funding and now have a new combined authority covering their region – the East Midlands Combined County Authority that came into being at the end of February 2024.
The deal will improve the region’s economy and improve livelihoods for the region’s 2.2m residents. It will give the East Midlands the national voice it deserves, to champion major infrastructure and turn round historic under-investment in the East Midlands to benefit the regional economy, through a newly elected Mayor.
D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) covers the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire region, convening the businesses, universities, colleges and local authorities in our region to drive low carbon, economic growth and productivity, skills & careers, inclusion and delivery excellence. The D2N2 LEP team and functions will transition into the East Midlands Combined County Authority during 2024.
East Midlands Freeport offers strategic development land at three sites – East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster, East Midlands Intermodal Park and the Ratcliffe on Soar Power Station redevelopment site.
As the only inland UK Freeport with an airport at its heart, it offers a unique opportunity to:
- Attract international investment to create tens of thousands of jobs
- Reinvest hundreds of millions of pounds across the East Midlands Freeport zone
- Create targeted innovation programmes in partnership with region’s universities
Its air, road and rail connections are unrivalled – with fast and efficient links to 70% of the world’s major cities, 91% of the UK population within a four-hour drive and access to 18 major freight rail lines, East Midlands Freeport is the place to locate.
East Midlands Development Company was established by a number of local authorities to pave the way for a possible statutory development corporation. The initiative is geared towards considering the future of big sites such as Ratcliffe Power Station working in partnership with the site owners and the wider community including the East Midlands Freeport.
For media enquiries, contact:
Nicola Swaney
Head of External Affairs, D2N2 LEP
Nicola.Swaney@d2n2lep.org
