The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced its presence at MIPIM International, the property and investment conference held annually in Cannes, France. It is anticipated that that around 23,000 delegates will attend the four-day event which starts on March 14th, including potential investors, developers, property agents and policy makers drawn from across the globe.
The LEP, which exhibited at MIPIM UK in London last autumn under the We Are Lancashire – the place for growth banner for the first time, has decided that for the MIPIM expo in France it will be part of the Manchester at MIPIM Partnership, based at the new Manchester Pavilion.
A group of senior Lancashire representatives, including Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire and David Taylor, Deputy Chair of the LEP and Chair of The University of Central Lancashire Board will attend MIPIM.
They will be promoting a wide range of new economic opportunities across the county including Lancashire’s new Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster which includes the county’s four Enterprise Zone sites at Samlesbury, Warton, Blackpool Airport and Hillhouse in Wyre. Combined these sites provide a world-class offer to investors and occupiers within the advanced manufacturing, energy and engineering sectors with the potential to generate 10,000 new high value jobs.
MIPIM attendees can also find out more about the county’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) which was recently announced in the government’s £70m Growth Deal 3 funding announcement for Lancashire.
The AMRC, which will be based at the Aerospace Enterprise Zone at Samlesbury, will see the LEP and its partners working closely with Sheffield University to create a centre of R&D excellence to help drive world class productivity and innovation gains through key SME supply chains.
Another key development is a new inward investment focus on Central Lancashire underpinned by the £434m City Deal programme, which is driving new investment and development opportunities in and around Preston and South Ribble. The Central Lancashire investment offer will include details of Preston’s new Harris Quarter cinema and leisure scheme, the potential for the re-development of an ‘HS2 ready’ Preston train station, the £200m UCLan masterplan, the regeneration of Winckley Square, and a number of other high quality and premium residential and commercial property opportunities across the central Lancashire region.
Lancashire’s world class sectoral strengths in industries such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing and energy will also be a major part of the county’s pitch to investors and developers, as will the county’s unrivalled quality of life offer which was highlighted in the recent Channel 4 tv programme that declared Lancashire was not only home to the best place in the UK to live (South Ribble), but was also home to two other of the UK’s top ten most desirable and liveable destinations, the Ribble Valley and Lancaster.
Simultaneously, by aligning themselves to Manchester’s 250 plus delegation, the Lancashire team will be highlighting the county’s proximity to the major northern urban hubs of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, capitalising on the brand recognition of these cities at the heart of the increasingly visible and global Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Edwin Booth, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership said:
“When Lancashire attended MIPIM UK in London last year it was the first time the county had presented itself as a united region with a clear and compelling offer. The reaction from major investors, developers, funders and policy makers was extremely positive, especially with regards to Lancashire’s Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster of Enterprise Zone sites and our £434 m transformational City Deal for Central Lancashire. As a result of this we decided to explore the opportunities offered by MIPIM in Cannes.
“What became clear is that the promotion of the Northern Powerhouse globally is starting to gain some real traction, and that a thriving and confident Lancashire at the heart of the Powerhouse is a very strong message to take to market.
“In order to maximise Lancashire’s key role within the Powerhouse and to benefit from the growing international awareness of this initiative, we decided it would be strategically advantageous to partner with our neighbour, Manchester, as the city remains one of the strongest ‘attack brands’ within the Northern Powerhouse’s pitch to global investors.
“Whilst we will be showcasing the assets and investment potential Lancashire has to offer, and will use MIPIM in Cannes to build on the successful ‘We Are Lancashire’ positioning which we launched at the London event, the LEP will also be highlighting that Lancashire is central to the Powerhouse initiative both geographically and economically.
“Lancashire’s position as the UK’s leading region for AEM and Aerospace activity also complements Manchester’s own economic strengths and sector specialisms, and we look forward to working with Manchester to promote the North West and the whole of the North of England as a credible investment destination.”
Sir Howard Bernstein, the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council who this year will lead his 18thManchester at MIPIM delegation said:
“Building strong partnerships has always been core to Manchester’s approach, and this is never more clearly the case than in our work at MIPIM. Last year our commitment to cooperative working made Manchester’s delegation the second largest of 550 international cities in attendance.
“Now, as Manchester at MIPIM prepares for its most high-profile year yet as part of an ever-stronger Northern Powerhouse, it’s a great pleasure to be working with our neighbours in Lancashire. We look forward to promoting our mutual and complementary strengths on this important international stage.
“Central to the ethos of the Northern Powerhouse is the concept that northern regions working together can be stronger than the sum of their parts. At MIPIM this year, Manchester and Lancashire can take new strides in proving this.”
MIPIM takes place March 14-17 at the Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France.
For more information visit www.mipim.com
