Lancashire to showcase at MIPIM UK
Lancashire has revealed details of its first ever presence at the UK’s biggest and most influential property investment conference, MIPIM UK, which opens at London’s Olympia on October 19th.
The county-wide consortium, led by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with partners including Lancashire County Council, the Eric Wright Group, Carillion PLC, Marketing Lancashire and nine local authorities, will be collectively exhibiting for the first time under the "We Are Lancashire, the place for growth" identity.
At the heart of Lancashire’s pitch will be a new, integrated approach to marketing the county’s four Enterprise Zone (EZ) sites as one dynamic, world-class and overarching investment destination – the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster. The cluster includes Samlesbury, Warton, Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse EZ sites, which combine to provide a world class offer to investors and occupiers in the advanced manufacturing, energy and engineering sectors. The cluster has the potential to generate 10,000 new high value jobs and ensure Lancashire builds on its position as one of the UK's leading centres of excellence in advanced manufacturing and energy.
The We Are Lancashire delegation will also be showcasing the county’s other considerable economic assets, capital investment programmes and development opportunities which are underpinned by the LEP's £1 billion growth strategy with nearly 50 major investments across Lancashire, including new innovation hubs such as UCLan's Engineering and Innovation Centre and Lancaster University's Health Innovation Centre; and complemented by major business and housing growth, skills, and strategic infrastructure programmes through successfully competing to secure ambitious City Deal and Growth Deals which are capable of delivering over 20,000 new homes and many more new jobs.
Edwin Booth, Chair of the Lancashire LEP said: “Lancashire taking a unified message to MIPIM UK is another huge step towards the county working more closely together to promote its combined strengths to both domestic and international markets. It also reflects our growing confidence, ambition and appetite to compete on a global scale for more high skilled, high value jobs and major investments which will help us secure both rapid and sustainable economic growth for the whole of the county. Lancashire is ready to play its full part in powering the success of the North of England and the wider UK in what are extremely challenging but very exciting times.
“Our four Enterprise Zone sites being marketed as a world-class cluster is another bold move, and it reinforces the fact that Lancashire is working hard as one economic force to unlock more UK and international investment. Within our EZ cluster framework we will also be leveraging our position as the world’s fourth largest aerospace market and one of the UK’s biggest advanced manufacturing hubs further maximising the integral role Lancashire will play in plans to re-establish the North of England as a global powerhouse.”
Lancashire’s Regeneration Property Partnership (LRPP) is one of the LEP's partners at the event which is designed to drive the redevelopment of brownfield sites and surplus property in the county. Senior executives from Eric Wright Construction and Carillion, who lead the LRPP, will also be attending MIPIM UK as part of the We Are Lancashire delegation.
Jeremy Hartley, Managing Director at Eric Wright Group said: “The Lancashire Regeneration Property Partnership, working side by side with local authorities and policy makers, shows potential investors at MIPIM UK that the county is serious about freeing up land for developers to drive growth and regeneration.”
Rob Holt, Carillion’s Community Services Managing Director, said: “Lancashire is already delivering huge infrastructure and regeneration projects across the county through programmes like the Growth Deal and City Deal. However, we can’t assume investors and developers fully understand the opportunities these and other initiatives offer, which is why face-to-face engagement with key decision makers through events like MIPIM UK is crucial.
Coordinating the united Lancashire MIPIM UK presence has been Marketing Lancashire’s Chief Executive Ruth Connor. She said: “On behalf of the LEP we are taking a clear, confident and evidence based inward investment message to MIPIM UK, and one that Lancashire will continue to promote regionally, nationally and internationally going forward.
From 2.30 -3.45pm, on Wednesday October 19, a Powerhouse Progress Lancashire panel event will be held in the Business Lounge in the Mezzanine Area. The panel discussion will focus on highlighting the considerable opportunities in Lancashire to invest and develop whilst showcasing the gathering pace, confidence and vision for Lancashire, including initiatives of truly Northern Powerhouse significance such as the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal and the Lancashire EZ Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster. Frank McKenna, Chief Executive at Downtown in Business will interview Lancashire Enterprise Partnership board member and Chair of UCLan David Taylor and will be joined for the panel discussion by Karen Hirst, Director, Maple Grove Developments, Guy Gilfillan, Director, Colliers International and Martin Kelly Director of Economic Development at Lancashire County Council.