Northern mayors and business leaders lined up for landmark investment summit

The Great North Investment Summit is happening a day before the UKREiiF event in Leeds next month

Northern mayors, business leaders and senior Ministers have been lined up to lead an event designed to bring more jobs and prosperity to the region. The Great North Investment Summit – which has been inspired by the spirit and success of the Great North Run – will take place in Leeds next month.

The initiative will come a day before the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) event, a leading real estate conference that brings investors from around the UK to the North of England. The investment summit has been organised by Northern mayors led by the North East’s Kim McGuinness, in collaboration with the Government’s Department for Business and Trade and the Office for Investment.

It is hoped that the event could attract investors to a number of Northern development schemes, unlocking billions for the local economy. Details for the summit have now been announced, with seven Northern mayors including Ms McGuinness, Tracy Brabin from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham listed to speak.

Also on the schedule are the leaders of the CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce, and senior figures from big businesses including Siemens, Aviva and NatWest. Tom Riordan, the Government’s Northern Growth Envoy, Prof Juergen Maier, chair of Great British Energy and Oliver Holbourn, CEO of the National Wealth Fund are also speaking.

Ms McGuinness said: “We are seizing control of the North’s economic destiny, ending the days where our regions are overlooked. By establishing the Great North Investment Summit, we are creating the first ever forum dedicated to promoting the North of England collectively, demonstrating our unrivalled investment potential, and telling our story on the global stage with passion and pride.”

Events at the summit include discussions on the North’s record on innovation, how identity fuels Northern growth and the Government’s Northern growth strategy. The event will take place in Leeds on May 18, a day ahead of the UKREiiF, an event that attracts investors from around the world.

It will feature “pipeline-ready investment opportunities” in the North’s growth sectors, with organisers saying that it has the potential to add more than £100bn to the UK economy. The event comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves has identified the North as one of the main areas where the Government hopes it can boost economic growth.

As well as backing plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail the Government last month £2.3bn for “city investment funds” in the North and the West Midlands to accelerate schemes that will bring economic growth.