West Yorkshire leaders fly the flag for investment in the region
Mayor of West Yorkshire and LEP chair attend Global Investment Summit.
All news and blogs
Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, and Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and NP11 group of Northern LEPs, will this week attend the Global Investment Summit in London to fly flag for investment in the region.
Hosted by the Prime Minister and supported by members of the Royal Family, the Global Investment Summit will bring together more than 180 of the world's most prominent decision makers, business leaders and investors.
It will showcase British innovation, promote the UK as the best destination for foreign investment and demonstrate commitment to green industries of the future ahead of COP26 UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow at the end of the month.
The Mayor and Sir Roger will meet with major investors from the US, India, and Switzerland, making the strongest possible case for investment in the City Region.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: "The Global Investment Summit is our chance to show the world what we already know - that our region is a brilliant to live, work and invest
"We are one of the UK's most vibrant and diverse regions, with a young, fast-growing population and the talent, drive and strength to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the world today.
"As Mayor, I have made bold and ambitious pledges on skills, inclusivity, support for business and tackling the climate emergency. Achieving these goals will help our region become an even greater magnet for investment, bringing new jobs and opportunities."
Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and NP11 group of Northern LEPs, said: "I've been part of Leeds City Region's incredible journey for over four decades and seen its growing positivity and optimism. Our region has a thriving business ecosystem with a diverse workforce, with the talent, expertise and partnerships that can ensure success for inward investors.
"We are already seen by many businesses looking to establish or grow their presence as the preferred UK location for inward investment, which I believe is only going to grow as we find new, innovative ways of working and develop new global opportunities and trading relationships."
Leeds City Region is one of the most attractive locations for UK inward investment and one of the best places to live in the country.
The region is home to over 2.3 million people, with a workforce of 1.1 million people and over 90,000 businesses.
At close to £70 billion, its regional economy is the largest in the Northern Powerhouse and the largest outside of London and the South East, with significant strengths in healthcare and life sciences; digital, creative and media; business professional ad financial services; and advanced manufacturing.
Despite the economic challenges of the past 18 months, a number of high-profile businesses and organisations have chosen to set up, or scale up, in the region including:
The new UK Infrastructure Bank, Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority, which are setting up bases in Leeds
Smart-sensor firm Utterberry chose Leeds City Region as the location from which to develop and deploy its world-renowned technology and create 800 jobs in Leeds
Global IT Solution's provider Mphasis opened their first Leeds Office in January 2021 as part of a commitment to invest £25m in the UK, creating 1000+ roles
Fast-growing digital agency dxw, which opened a satellite office in Leeds during the summer of 2018 with support from the LEP and relocated its national HQ to its Leeds base.
Following Channel 4's decision to establish its national headquarters in Leeds, we have also seen a significant growth in independent producers setting up or expanding in the region.
The presence of Channel 4 has accelerated activity and acted as the 'Spark' for expansion and investment across the City Region. We estimate that the impact of Channel 4 will be £1 billion over the next ten years, creating 1,200 highly-paid jobs.