Key investment opportunities showcased at major property event

Investment opportunities across Derby and Derbyshire have been showcased to a national audience this week at a major UK real estate event.

A team from Marketing Derby have been in Leeds promoting key schemes to investors at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) 2023.

Over a packed two days, as well as promoting major Derby and Derbyshire schemes, the team held several meetings with key investors, stakeholders and developers, while gaining valuable insight at key events – and even holding their own roundtable on the topic of curating city centres.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, was at the event, leading the investment promotion agency’s investment team, accompanied by Paul Simpson, chief executive of Derby City Council.

He said: “UKREiiF has grown very rapidly to become the location for investment promotion and real estate within the UK.

“Marketing Derby sent a strong team and shoehorned much into our two days.”

UKREiiF, which began on Tuesday and ends today, aims to connect people, places and businesses to accelerate the Levelling Up Agenda, while unlocking sustainable, inclusive and transformational investment across the UK.

It brings together the public sector – with every core UK city and region involved – alongside government, investors, funders, developers, housebuilders and more.

On the opening day, the Derby contingent highlight Derby and Derbyshire’s investment opportunities and pipeline projects – some of which feature in a new Midlands Engine Investment Portfolio, which was launched on Tuesday evening.

The portfolio contains seven key investment opportunities for Derby and Derbyshire.

These are: East Midlands Intermodal Park, Heart of Chesterfield, Heart of the City – Derby, Infinity Park Derby, SmartParc SEGRO Derby, South Derby Growth Zone including Sinifn Moor and the University of Derby’s City Hub Master Plan.

Speaking at the launch, Sir John Peace, chairman of the Midlands Engine, said: “The Investment Portfolio is a front door to a range of exciting investment opportunities available in the region, highlighting exciting projects such as the University of Derby’s City Hub Master Plan.”

The Midlands Engine event also lifted the lid on a new report called Exploring the Investment Potential of Midlands Clusters.

It looks at the potential role of ‘economic clusters’ in the local economy, with Derby highlighted as a notable cluster for aerospace and rail.

The investment team also supported a number of other events, which took place during UKREiiF, including a panel session organised by D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, which showcased the potential of devolution in the East Midlands to investors.

Called ‘Shaping Devolution – a £1 billion East Midlands Opportunity’, it saw the panel share their insights on the benefits and opportunities devolution will bring to the region.

And during UKREiiF, Derby held its own bespoke roundtable event with a group of Bondholders from the property and investment sectors on the topic of curating city centres, looking specifically at how to shape the living, working and visiting experience of Derby.

A full write-up of this discussion will appear in the autumn edition of Innovate Magazine.

Mr Forkin said: “Our first day was very much taken up with re-establishing contact with investors, stakeholders and Bondholders with an existing interest in Derby.

“The second day we held our bespoke event – an interesting roundtable looking at how we might curate city experiences in order to engineer greater footfall.

“We also supported D2N2’s panel debate, which focused on the advantages of a combined authority, which will see a regional mayor in place by this time next year.”

Some of the city projects showcased by Marketing Derby at UKREiiF will also be featured in its forthcoming Derby Property Summit – which this year will look at the collective curation of cities.

The Derby Property Summit is due to take place at Reach Events, on Pride Park, on Wednesday 12 July. More details about the event can be found here https://www.marketingderby.co.uk/events/ .