More than £2 billion of investment opportunities throughout Derby and Derbyshire are set to be showcased to international investors at the world’s largest property conference.
A combination of public and private sector officials will join members of Marketing Derby’s inward investment team at MIPIM (Le Marché International des Professionnels de L’immobilier), promoting investment opportunities.
MIPIM, which will take place in Cannes from 15 to 18 March, attracts investors from across the world.
As part of the UK Pavilion, at the event, Marketing Derby will be putting forward schemes, which are key to the city and county’s future, to a global audience.
The team will go armed with a recently updated Derby Investment Prospectus, which showcases 16 key investment opportunities across the city, worth £1.2 billion.
A key project being promoted is the University of Derby’s City Hub Masterplan, which focuses on the development of the area around One Friar Gate Square, Ford Street, Bridge Street, Agard Street and Nuns Street, in Derby.
With a new business school representing the first phase, the overall ambition is to create two distinct but linked areas in the city: an Academic Zone, centred around the university’s current Sir Peter Hilton Court site, and an Enterprise Zone, based around the Princess Alice Court halls of residence and Enterprise Centre area.
The event will also see the unveiling of a brand-new Derbyshire Investment Prospectus – the first of its kind for the county – to an international audience.
Produced by Marketing Derby’s Invest in Derbyshire service on behalf of Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Economic Partnership, the new prospectus provides a snapshot of over £1 billion key regeneration opportunities across the county.
In total, 23 projects are featured, spanning the length and breadth of the county.
These range from major sites which will help drive economic prosperity and support a growing population, to smaller projects at the heart of communities.
A suite of brand-new films, which have been produced to help promote Derbyshire as a place to live, work, play and invest, will also be shown.
And representatives will be attending the fDi Awards, after the county and the D2N2 LEP were included in rankings compiled by the Financial Times.
In the fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/23 rankings, Derbyshire was placed fifth within the top 10 Small Regions for FDI Strategy category, which recognises the regions who have devised the strongest strategy for attracting investment.
Meanwhile, the D2N2 LEP was ranked seventh in the LEP Connectivity category table.
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, who is part of the team going over to Cannes, said: “This is the first MIPIM event in three years and we are bringing a small team who can focus on re-engaging the investment community in our up-and-coming pipeline opportunities.
“We are especially excited to be bringing the university’s City Hub to market, as well as the first Derbyshire Investment Prospectus.
“We will be aligned with the UK Government Pavilion where we feel it is important for Derby and Derbyshire to have a profile.”
During MIPIM, an event will take place in the UK Pavilion called Project Assemble: The £2bn Investment Atlas for Derby and Derbyshire, which will cover the latest announcements on up-and-coming investment opportunities in the city and county.
Taking place on Wednesday 16 March, it will feature keynote speaker Paul Simpson, Chief Executive of Derby City Council.
