West Yorkshire set to benefit from major investment decisions at UKREiiF conference

21 May 2024

Over 12,000 business and political leaders will flock to Leeds today for the major international investor conference UKREiiF.

Opening the three-day event at the Royal Armouries Museum, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin will welcome delegates to the region “where opportunity lives”, leading a high-profile exhibition showcasing everything the region has to offer.

Hosting the event for the third consecutive year, all eyes will be on Leeds and the wider region, where major investment decisions around housing, regeneration and net zero are expected to be announced.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: 

“With booming cities, bustling towns and beautiful countryside, businesses are flocking to West Yorkshire for our work-life balance, and staying for the promise of greater public investment in transport and skills.

“Alongside our local authority partners, we’ll be showcasing the very best our region has to offer, attracting inward investment and driving economic growth and regeneration.

“The decisions and partnerships we make over the next three days will have a real, tangible impact on the lives of everyone in the region, as we work to build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”

At the bright and bold “West Yorkshire Pavilion”, delegates will be invited to a series of panel discussions with private sector firms, looking at themes including harnessing AI, acting on net zero, using culture for regeneration, building a regional tram system, and delivering the West Yorkshire Investment Zone, which aims to create more than 2,500 new jobs and £220 million of investment.

An interactive touchscreen will guide investors through over 30 investible propositions in the region. Together, these sites could accommodate up to half a million jobs across 8 million square metres of commercial land, in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

Delegates will also hear from Mayors, Ministers and Opposition figures about their plans to boost business and unlock economic growth across the whole country.

The exhibition will culminate in a conversation between Mayor Brabin and the newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, who will speak together publicly for the first time about their collective ambitions for Yorkshire.

Mandy Ridyard, Business Advisor to the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: 

“I’m thrilled to welcome UKREiiF back to Leeds and over 12,000 decision-makers to West Yorkshire – the region where opportunity lives.

“The challenges we face demand collaborative solutions, and devolution is empowering us to work in bold and innovative ways with the private sector, to grow our economy and attract business.

“With amazing sector strengths and a supportive ecosystem of public private partnerships, West Yorkshire is the best place in the country to start and grow a business. Only together can we build a region that works for all.”