The Humber region’s powerful investment proposition and growing momentum was highlighted at the UK’s largest property and infrastructure event, with collaboration and unified leadership emerging as key themes.
Humber Freeport joined representatives from across the region at UKREiiF in Leeds, the three-day event aimed at unlocking investment and driving regeneration across the UK.
With more than 16,000 delegates spanning property, planning, investment and infrastructure sectors, Humber Freeport participated in panel discussions to highlight the region’s compelling investment story.
Central to discussions was the Humber’s distinctive proposition as a world-leading hub for green energy and advanced manufacturing, alongside its significant potential to attract large-scale investment through collaborative partnerships.
Key representatives at UKREiiF included Humber Freeport CEO Simon Green, both newly elected Mayors for the region – Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell MBE and Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns – and senior leadership from the Department for Business and Trade.
The Humber maintained a strong presence throughout the conference, with representation from all four local authorities, and private sector partners including Wykeland Group, Sewell Group, Associated British Ports, Able UK, and the University of Lincoln.
Simon Green, CEO of Humber Freeport, spoke on multiple panels throughout UKREiiF, including one focused on unlocking the Freeport’s potential through strategic partnerships.
He said: “Collaboration has been the consistent theme in everything we’ve achieved over the last two to three years. So far, we’ve helped secure over £1 billion of investment, with companies like Siemens already on site and creating jobs. We expect over 750 jobs to be generated from our early projects alone.”
“The Humber offers a competitive advantage within key sectors, particularly in green energy. With 600 hectares of development-ready land across our sites, we’re ideally
positioned to drive sustainable economic growth while supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
Discussions highlighted significant investment opportunities across the Freeport’s sites, including the Able Humber Port, which offers nearly 200 hectares of land suited to energy developments and advanced manufacturing.
Dominic Gibbons, Managing Director at Wykeland Group and a partner of Humber Freeport, emphasised the gathering momentum across the Freeport’s sites.
He said: “This is the fourth year of UKREiiF, and it feels like the Freeport is really starting to gather momentum across all of the sites. If all of our land – around 600 hectares in total – is developed, it’s a huge opportunity to generate business rates that stay in the region.
“That’s what the collaborative nature of the Freeport is all about – securing those returns, creating new jobs and bringing fresh investment into the area.”
Marcus Walker, Development Director at Able UK, highlighted their ambitions for the UK’s first offshore wind cluster port, which has the potential to create 7,000 jobs.
He said: “There’s already huge interest in our tax site from sectors like sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen, solar and other manufacturing industries. That’s become we’re surrounded by what you might call an embarrassment of riches – significant refinery capacity and strategic assets.
“We have the land, the infrastructure, and the ambition to create many high-quality jobs for the region.”
Amy Lambert, Head of Freeports and Investment Zones for the Department of Business and Trade, acknowledged the Humber region’s unique position of national and international significance during panel discussions, reinforcing the government’s recognition of the area’s strategic importance.
Humber Freeport was joined at UKREiiF by Harry Hopkin, a Consultant at Sewell Advisory, who attended as this year’s “Prop Star”.
Harry, who is making his mark on some of the region’s most strategically significant projects, said: “The ports are a huge factor. It’s important that we bring investors and government representatives to the ports to show what we’ve got to offer, and the many opportunities within the Humber estuary.
“You look at the investment from the likes of Siemens – people are beginning to see that the Humber is a place to invest. Siemens has been bringing people, skill and a workforce to the area, which puts us in good stead to become the place to go to for training and jobs.”
In addition to land development, the Freeport highlighted its core propositions, including customs sites offering tax advantages, a £25 million seed capital fund (of which approximately £14 million has already been allocated to projects within Greater
Lincolnshire) and retained business rates that can be reinvested back into economic development projects through to 2046.
Simon Green also shared the Freeport’s focus on driving innovation through its innovation group, in partnership with the University of Lincoln and the University of Hull, which is working with partners like the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in Sheffield to bring back insights and best practices to the region.
“Our ambition is that the Humber becomes as synonymous with innovation and advanced thinking as it is with the physical products its manufactures. That’s what will sustain long-term success beyond just tax incentives or customs benefits,” he concluded.
