Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, looks ahead to representing our region at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), which will be held next week in Leeds.

“I am grateful to the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, who put their faith in me to champion our region – this is exactly what I’ll be doing at UKREiiF. This conference is a huge opportunity to speak directly with investors and businesses about our region, its incredible potential and the many investment opportunities we have on offer.

“We’re home to world-class manufacturers, unique tourist destinations and some of the most exciting investment prospects in the world. But our people are the most important piece of the puzzle – we have a skilled and dedicated workforce, and I hope that by championing our region at UKREiiF this will deliver real opportunities that everyone can take advantage of.

“I’ll be taking part in a panel session to tell people exactly why they should invest in our region – and why it should be now. I’ll be explaining the role we can play in the future of energy at the East Midlands Hydrogen reception and I’ll be launching our investment prospectus to highlight our key investment opportunities.

“At UKREiiF I will be part of an amazing team, with representatives from the public sector, business world and our universities. By working together as a united front, we will maximise the investment opportunities across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

“Delivering more investment in our region will create new opportunities for our people – we will grow our economy and make this region the best place to live, to work and to learn.”