UK Cities & Partners (UKCAP) will land at EXPO REAL with a £100bn pipeline spanning housing, life sciences, logistics and next-gen offices—backed by policy signals designed to attract long-term institutional capital.
At a pre-EXPO roundtable on “Co-ordinating UKCAP’s messaging, investor engagement and collective strategy,” EXPO REAL Exhibition Director Claudia Boymanns urged UK delegates to lean into the breadth of demand set to converge on Messe München. With 40,000+ delegates and 1,750 exhibitors across the full real estate lifecycle, this year’s fair introduces a dedicated flexible housing programme. “The key is housing,” Boymanns said. “If we don’t accommodate migrants, students and seniors, we don’t have growth.”
Why the UK now
Policy clarity for capital. According to Gus Wiseman, Head of Investor Relations at the UK Office for Investment, the market is doubling down on an institutionally owned build-to-rent model and a pro-growth stance on student housing—with no rent caps and no limits on university scale or international students. For global investors, student housing remains a scalable gateway sector; domestically, the government is working to grow a cohort of UK pension funds investing in real assets and infrastructure.
Macroeconomic resilience. Despite questions on tax and inflation, the UK continues to rank as Europe’s largest market for commercial and residential transactions. Forecast GDP growth of 1.2–1.4% over 2025–26 underpins a cautiously improving outlook, while advisers report renewed appetite from leveraged capital seeking efficient interest deductibility and robust structuring routes.
City and regional opportunities
Newcastle
- 14,000 new homes in the pipeline
- Two universities advancing ~1,000 student beds
- Sports-led regeneration anchored by Newcastle United F.C.
Manchester
- Ambition for tens of thousands of new homes over the next decade
- Expanded student accommodation and BTR delivery
- Regeneration momentum tied to Manchester United F.C.
Central South (Hampshire & surrounds)
- 30,000 new homes under way
- A 3,500-home garden community near Basingstoke
Life sciences super-clusters
- Manchester, Hertfordshire and Liverpool shaping R&D-led growth, with Liverpool’s offer closely integrated with NHS and university estates.
- Oxford–Cambridge corridor coordination continues via the Supercluster Board. “The UK has world-leading science and universities in the global top five—collaboration makes the investment story easy,” said Matthew Allen, Executive Director, Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board.
City of London: next-gen office demand
The Square Mile remains a magnet for global capital, with up to 1.5m sqm of Grade A space required over the next 15 years. Pre-lets are being secured shortly after planning consent, reflecting occupiers’ flight to quality, performance and amenity. With core sites at a premium, Peter Wilson, Assistant Director (Development Management) at the City of London Corporation, underscored the importance of regional housing and infrastructure pipelines that support the City’s talent base and long-run growth.
Investor sentiment
“There’s a strong message of reassurance,” said Wiseman. James Ryan of Drees & Sommer added: “The UK has a positive, stable story—with deep affinity among European investors.” Darren Jordan of Moore Kingston Smith reports borrowed money returning, while Mark Callender of Bidwells notes the UK’s enduring liquidity leadership in Europe’s real estate markets.
