The East Midlands has taken centre stage on the opening day of UKREiiF 2026, launching a confident and compelling case for growth built on collaboration, ambition, and delivery.
The day opened with our flagship session. Mayor Claire Ward set out her vision of a clear, investable proposition at the heart of the UK, and highlighted how partners across the region are aligning economic strengths, infrastructure investment and innovation assets to make this a reality.
With plans to deliver 100,000 new homes, support 60,000 more people into work, and add £13 billion to the local economy by 2035, the region is positioned for partnerships that drive long‑term value.
Bringing together public and private sector leadership, including council leaders from Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire County, Derby City and Derbyshire County, the launch underlined a shared commitment to long-term growth that delivers real benefits for communities as well as investors.
Building on this momentum, attention turned to one of the region’s most significant opportunities: the Trent Arc.
This is the greatest transformational opportunity in the East Midlands, creating the potential for:
It integrates some of the UK’s most significant growth opportunities, including the East Midlands Freeport and the Infinity Park Investment Zone site.
This session highlighted the scale and potential of the Nottingham-Derby corridor, setting out how coordinated investment can unlock new homes, major employment sites, commercial space and innovation-led growth. With strong market fundamentals and strategic connectivity, the corridor is positioned as a national growth opportunity capable of delivering substantial economic value.
Housing-led regeneration was a central theme of the afternoon. Marketing Derby and Derby City Council led a session which explored Derby’s ambition to deliver 4,500 new homes across key city centre sites, showcasing how high-quality housing can act as a catalyst for wider regeneration. Public and private sector partners, including Nadine Peatfield, Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands and Derby City Council Leader, and Edward Highfield, EMCCA’s Executive Director of Place, outlined how new neighbourhoods, improved public spaces, and vibrant city living can support inclusive growth and renewed confidence in the city centre.
Alongside the public programme, an invitation-only roundtable was hosted by Destination Chesterfield. It reflected on 15 years of partnership-led regeneration success, exploring how long-term collaboration between the public and private sectors can drive inclusive growth and lasting change for local communities.
Together, the first day of UKREiiF 2026 presented a powerful statement of intent: a region united around a clear vision for growth, ready for investment, and ready to deliver.
Published on: 19 May 2026
Categories: News, Economic Development