Supporting our members and championing the South West at REiiF 2026 in Leeds

Business West is proud to be attending the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (REiiF) 2026 in Leeds, taking place 19–21 May. We’ll be joining investors, developers, policymakers and partners to showcase the West of England and wider South West as one of the UK’s most investable regions.

At UKREiif we’ll be: 

• Supporting our members and regional partners to champion the country’s fastest-growing regional economy – a high-growth investable region. 
• Promoting significant regeneration programmes such as Brabazon and West Innovation Arc, Bristol Temple Quarter, Bath Riverside Innovation District, Swindon Knowledge Central and Kimmerfields, and Golden Valley. 
• Convening national investment and development conversations. 
• Engaging government and public sector leaders to unlock delivery of growth opportunities. 

Our Business West delegation includes: 

• Douglas Ure (CEO) – leading senior stakeholder engagement across public and private sectors. 
• Andrea Dell (Futures West Director) – supporting regional partnerships, including Universities West and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. 
• Huw James (Policy Specialist) – driving market intelligence, private sector engagement, and support for Swindon Borough Council. 

We are proud that Futures West Director, Andrea Dell, will be chairing two panels on: 

• Universities Driving Innovation, Skills and Investment (Tuesday 19 May, 12:15 - 13:15 pm – West of England Pavilion). 
• Brabazon: Creating the West of England's Next Great Urban District (Wednesday 20 May, 11:45am - 12:30pm – West of England Pavilion). 

We’re attending and working closely with a wide range of Business West members and regional partners, including: 

• Major investors and developers – YTL Developments, BBRC, Bromford Live West, Bristol Temple Quarter, Platform 4, Lloyds Bank, Nationwide Community Foundation.  
• Universities West partners – University of Bristol, University of Bath, UWE Bristol, Bath Spa University. 
• Infrastructure leaders – Ameresco, Bristol Airport, Homes for South West, RWE, Wessex Water, Wilmott Dixon, Platform4. 
• Professional services leaders – Arcadis, Arup, Atkins Realis, Avison Young, Birketts, Buro Happold, Cushman & Wakefield, Distinctive Communications, JBP, JLL, Meeting Places, Savills, Stride Treglown, WBD, Willmott Dixon. 
• Innovation and manufacturing leaders: Altilium, Airbus, BAE Systems, National Composites Centre, Rolls Royce. 
• Local and regional government: the West of England Combined Authority, Swindon Borough Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council, North Somerset Council, Wiltshire Council. 

These organisations represent the breadth of the region’s built environment ecosystem: from end-use occupiers and skills providers to delivery bodies and financial institutions. If your organisation is attending UKREiif and you want to get in touch email: huw.james@businesswest.co.uk 

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) is leading the region’s largest delegation yet to UKReiif, hosting the West of England Pavillion at the Orange Zone of UKREiiF, as well as an extensive programme of events that will help showcase the West of England and the opportunities our region offers.  

WECA has prepared a range of assets and key information to help support the regional growth narrative for delegates at the conference, which you can see here.

Regional priorities 

• Two Cities, One New Town: Bristol Temple Quarter and the Brabazon and West Innovation Arc are two of the UK’s most significant regeneration programmes. Together the multi-billion-pound developments offer the chance for 50,000 new homes and tens of thousands of new jobs, bolstered by the Bath Riverside Innovation District. 
• Transport infrastructure: Mass transit, with plans backed by record transport funding from government, will transform how people move around, while opening up new corridors for development. Improved connectivity will drive significant land value uplift, offering investors stable infrastructure returns and development upside. 
• Land and development: Our £500m Futures Places Fund will enable early acquisition across our region. Strategic use of the public balance sheet will remove early-stage risk and accelerate speed to market to unlock proactive development at scale. 

Key contact: Annabel Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholders invest@bristolandbath.co.uk 

This will be Swindon Borough Council’s second UKREiif, this time with a larger economic development team and a new investment prospectus. The Council’s key message to investors is that Swindon is one of the UK’s best-connected and most productive towns, with a £9.3 billion economy, incredibly strong GVA performance, and a track record of attracting major global investors. With a clear regeneration pipeline, pro-growth governance, and a focus on high-value sectors, Swindon is entering a new phase of investment-ready growth. 

Local priorities: 

• Town centre regeneration at scale: The “Heart of Swindon” vision is transforming the urban core, with plans for more than 8,000 of new homes in the town centre, 5,000 new jobs in Grade A commercial space, and new cultural infrastructure, including a 1,200-seat flagship cultural venue. Major sites such as Knowledge Central and Kimmerfields offer “shovel-ready” opportunities in mixed-use, innovation districts and urban living.  
• Infrastructure-led growth: Located on the M4 corridor, with direct rail access to London and Bristol, Swindon benefits from exceptional connectivity. Ongoing investment in transport and public realm is unlocking land, increasing values, and enabling new commercial and residential development. 
• High-growth sectors and industrial opportunity: Swindon is a proven hub for advanced manufacturing, financial services, and innovation-led growth, with emerging strengths in defence, fintech, and R&D. Major industrial and logistics sites, alongside a strong talent base, position the town as a future-focused platform for scalable investment.  

Key Contact: Andrew Wells, Head of Inward Investment and Inclusive Economy, economy@swindon.gov.uk  

Gloucestershire County Council’s Invest in Gloucestershire team will host a dedicated exhibition stand, acting as a hub for investor conversations, introductions and dealmaking. The Invest in Gloucestershire team will be highlighting the county as building momentum and ready to do business. The County Council will be launching their investment prospectus on the stand on Tuesday 19 May at 4pm (Stand D52 New Dock Hall). 

Gloucestershire is rapidly emerging as one of the UK’s most dynamic regional economies, combining world-leading technology clusters with a diverse pipeline of regeneration, housing and heritage-led investment. Anchored by strengths in cyber, advanced engineering and green technologies, the county offers investors both scale and specialisation, underpinned by strong partnerships and a clear long-term growth strategy. 

Local priorities: 

• Golden Valley, Cheltenham – the UK’s first innovation park dedicated to cyber security and digital resilience, located adjacent to GCHQ, anchoring a nationally significant technology and innovation cluster. 
• City centre regeneration opportunity, Gloucester – a mixed‑use, residential‑led regeneration opportunity, delivering high‑quality residential apartments within a heritage context, alongside housing growth and city‑centre renewal. 
• The Royal Agricultural University Innovation Village, Cirencester – focused on agri‑tech, food security and sustainable land use. 
• Eco Park, Stroud – a flagship mixed‑use development anchored by the world’s lowest‑carbon football stadium and complex, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, combining clean technologies, employment space, leisure and housing. 
• Waterside regeneration at Brimscombe Inland Port, Stroud – part of an area recently recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in the UK. 
• Tewkesbury Garden Town – a major growth programme delivering new housing and employment space at scale, located within one of the UK’s most innovative advanced engineering heartlands. 
• Lydney Harbour, Forest of Dean – home to a world‑class fishery and smokehouse, alongside a new visitor centre and restaurant. 
• Dr Jenner’s House, Berkeley – home to the world’s first vaccination centre and a site of global scientific importance, with ambitions to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status, presenting a unique opportunity for heritage‑led investment and education‑focused growth. 

Panel: Tuesday 19 May @ 2pm – SCAPE Public Sector Stage 

Key contact: Phil Clement, Head of Inward Investment phil.clement@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Wiltshire Council will be joining the Great South West Pavilion (Purple Zone) at UKREiif, previewing the proposed Wessex Combined Authority’s investment pitch. 

Wiltshire offers a distinctive investment proposition built on high-value sectors, a strong rural economy, and a nationally significant defence and life sciences presence. With a focus on innovation, skills and sustainable growth, the county is creating the conditions for resilient, long-term investment across both urban centres and rural communities.  

Investment priorities: 

• Innovation, defence and life sciences: Wiltshire is home to nationally important assets in defence, science and security through Porton Science & Innovation Campus, alongside growing digital and innovation clusters in propositions such as Corsham Digital Cluster. These strengths are supported by strong links between employers, research institutions, and skills providers, enabling high-value, innovation-led growth.  
• Sustainable growth across towns and rural economies: With a broad geography spanning historic cities such as Salisbury, market towns such as Trowbridge and Melksham, and rural communities, Wiltshire offers diverse opportunities in housing, regeneration and the visitor economy. Investment is being targeted at unlocking inclusive growth, strengthening local centres in and supporting sustainable development.  
• Skills, connectivity and green transition: A core focus on workforce development, digital connectivity and low-carbon growth is underpinning Wiltshire’s long-term strategy. Investment in skills, green industries and infrastructure is supporting business growth while aligning with national priorities for sustainability and economic resilience.  

Key contact: Victoria Moloney, Head of Economy and Regeneration, Victoria.Moloney@wiltshire.gov.uk  

At UKREiiF 2026 we’ll be working hard with our partners to showcase the West of England and wider South West, explaining to potential investors why both are world-class investment destinations. We’d love to meet you there.