North east mayor aims to sell £14bn of investment opportunities in region

At the country's premier property event today, the North East has debuted investment options valued at £14bn. The North East Investment Prospectus was unveiled by North East Mayor Kim

McGuinness at the UKREiiF conference in Leeds. The prospectus presents a collection of investment possibilities poised to deliver thousands of new jobs in key sectors such as offshore

energy, advanced manufacturing, creative industries, life sciences, digital, defence and space. The prospectus contains 23 sites spanning industrial, commercial, and residential development

aggregating over 18m square feet reflected in the prospectus. In collaboration with the North East Combined Authority and consultancy firm Arup, the region's seven councils have

pinpointed these sites in preparation for the opening of the North East Pavilion at UKREiiF. Highlighted within the prospectus is the North East Investment Zone, through which the combined

authority will channel £160m to stimulate private sector investments and generate 4,000 jobs over the next ten years. This strategic blueprint has already received endorsements from several

industry leaders, who are attending the UKREiiF alongside the mayor and council chiefs, reports Chronicle Live. Speaking about the effort, Ms McGuinness shared: "We've brought

North East England together for the first time at UKREiiF to profile the new energy in our region and the unique offer we can make to investors. "We have created a £4.4bn portfolio of

prime development opportunities in our first Investment Prospectus building on our world-class credentials in advanced manufacturing, life sciences, the creative industries and clean energy.

"That is just the heart of £14bn of opportunity that runs through our fast-growing cities and exploits our unique location with three major ports on the North Sea coast. "As the

first North East mayor I am excited to be driving investment on a scale never seen before to create growth, jobs and opportunities. We are building new infrastructure, growing skills and

working closely with our Local Authorities to unlock our huge potential in these sites." John McCabe, chief executive of North East Chamber of Commerce and chair of the North East

Combined Authority Business and Economy board, expressed: "I believe the North East Investment Prospectus will unlock new opportunities, attract significant funding and help ensure

prosperity reaches all corners of our region. "We will work closely with business to create the conditions for investment – supporting innovation clusters, boosting trade and ensuring

local firms are connected into key regional infrastructure and regeneration projects. "This is about ensuring economic growth translates into real opportunities for individuals,

families and communities. It is a plan to invest in skills, infrastructure and innovation so the North East is not only competitive but enjoys sustainable growth." For the first time,

the North East Mayor and all seven local authorities have united at UKREiiF to promote investment opportunities with a cohesive approach. The region is represented by a delegation of 100

from both private and public sector organisations. The investment prospectus features schemes such as the Baltic quarter in Gateshead, Riverside Sunderland, the Durham Innovation District

and the Health Innovation Neighbourhood in Newcastle. Yesterday, Ms McGuinness joined other mayors from across the North in launching the Great North initiative, which seeks to utilise the

spirit of the Great North Run to stimulate economic enhancements throughout the region.