Councils from Greater Lincolnshire will be represented at the annual real estate investor forum UKREiiF next month, alongside representatives from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP) and Team Lincolnshire — a public and private sector group of Lincolnshire ambassadors.
The Greater Lincolnshire contingent will also be providing two speaker sessions at the event within the Midlands Engine Partnership Pavilion, led by nationally recognised sector specialists; Lincolnshire: Feeding the UK and Energy in the UK: How Lincolnshire is at the Forefront of the Low Carbon Energy Sector.
With over £1bn of investment opportunities in the region, Greater Lincolnshire will be showcased by the collaborative inward investment team, who will be promoting the county’s strengths as the place to live, learn and work, with an emphasis on the quality of life.
Investment opportunities across the region include the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone, Humber Freeport, offshore renewables hub, hotel sites ready for development, land earmarked for housing, multiple business centres and commercial space and more.
UKREiiF runs from 21st to 23rd May, and now in its third year, it’s set to attract more than 10,000 delegates from the property industry, with more than 250 UK local authorities in attendance and 70 guest speakers over the three-day event.
Councillor Colin Davie, Executive Portfolio Holder for Environment and Economy at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We have ambitious plans for Greater Lincolnshire and using the national platform UKREiiF provides, will be targeting investors, developers and organisations that can help drive forward our five core sector propositions. These are low carbon energy, agri-food, advanced engineering and manufacturing, defence & security and our visitor economy.
“As we have 25% of England’s grade 1 arable land and 11% of its food production, with leading industry clusters across the food value chain, from agriculture to food manufacturing, this will of course continue to be a focus for a lot of our conversations.”
Lincolnshire excels in food processing and agri-tech and was chosen as one of the Government’s manufacturing zones. This followed growth deal grants of £18m, including £5.1m for South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and £2.4m for University of Lincoln’s Centre of Excellence in Agri-food and Technology at Holbeach.
Andy Gutherson, Executive Director of Place at Lincolnshire County Council added: “We’re well- positioned in Greater Lincolnshire because as well as having established industries, we are also at the forefront of emerging opportunities for investment in the UK. In low carbon energy, we are already creating profitable opportunities and industrial businesses aligned with national sustainability goals.
“We are also home to the UK’s most ambitious industrial decarbonisation project, a dynamic circular economy cluster, and the country’s leading offshore renewables hub.”
Ruth Carver, Chief Executive at Greater Lincolnshire LEP said: “By attending UKREiiF as a collective, we are showcasing what Greater Lincolnshire can offer to an audience of key players, developers and decision makers within the property and investment industry.
“Our team will be more than happy to talk about the devolution opportunities and recent developments in Greater Lincolnshire either now or in the future.”
In addition, Team Lincolnshire, professional services firm Knights and contractor Lindum will be co-hosting a fringe event for Team Lincolnshire ambassadors and guests on 22nd May, with over 100 attendees expected. Those interested in attending can email teamlincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk
The Greater Lincolnshire Pavilion is within the Pavilion Zone at the event with refreshments from Lincoln-based operator Stokes Tea & Coffee.
