The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has reported that the county’s first visit to MIPIM International, the property and investment conference held annually in Cannes each March, has been a huge success.
The MIPIM expo attracted over 20,000 delegates over four days (March 14 – 18), including potential investors, developers, property agents and policy makers drawn from across the globe.
The LEP-led Lancashire delegation, which officially partnered with the Manchester MIPIM trade mission, included Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, and David Taylor, Deputy Chair of the LEP and Chair of The University of Central Lancashire Board.
They took the opportunity to use MIPIM expo to promote a wide range of new and dynamic economic opportunities across the county.
This included 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.
Another key part of the Lancashire inward investment offer was the economic potential offered by central Lancashire, underpinned by the £434m City Deal programme which is driving new investment and development opportunities in and around Preston and South Ribble.
A further asset which was very well received was the new Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at Samlesbury, which was recently announced in the government’s £70m Growth Deal 3 funding announcement for Lancashire.
Lancashire’s world class sectoral strengths in industries such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing and energy also featured in the county’s pitch to investors and developers, as was the county’s unrivalled quality of life offer.
But as well as highlighting many of Lancashire’s specific strengths and unique selling points, by aligning themselves to the Manchester consortium the county’s representatives were able to capitalise on Lancashire’s proximity to the major northern urban hubs, and tap into the growing global brand recognition of the Northern Powerhouse initiative.
Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, said
“This year is the first time there has been an official Lancashire delegation at the MIPIM global property expo, and there was incredible enthusiasm towards the county being involved from both the public and private sector, and the international investment community.
“Partnering with Manchester in our first year was exactly the right approach as it gave us access to a comprehensive range of potential partners and development opportunities.
“This included a very productive meeting with Tony Danaher, Chief Executive of the Department of International Trade’s Capital Investment Organisation, who expressed particular interest in the EZ cluster, the AMRC, and Lancashire’s continuing positon as one of the world’s largest aerospace clusters.”
“We also got the chance to get to meet and connect with many of the Lancashire businesses who attended the event, and further engage with international investors and developers who were very interested in hearing about the Lancashire offer, and how we fitted into the Northern Powerhouse concept.”
“Overall, our MIPIM international debut has been very successful, and we will build on the momentum and interest generated to continue to promote the county as an ambitious inward investment destination, at the very heart of a thriving Northern Powerhouse, nationally and globally.”
