Business and civic leaders from Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent officially launched the area’s delegation for the UK’s top investor conference at an event yesterday.
It brought together the delegation partners to set out their investment proposition ahead of May’s UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), attended annually by more than 16,000 people from government, development, funding and industry.
Hosted by We Are Staffordshire, the county and city’s place‑promotion partnership, the launch event took place at the new Goods Yard development in Stoke‑on‑Trent.
With Staffordshire preparing to present its strongest collective offer to date, the event highlighted the region’s £130 million of town centre investment, its growing innovation districts, and its ambition to be the UK’s primary location for sustainable growth through the Midlands Growth Corridor.
Attendees at the reception included council leaders, chief executives, regeneration directors, headline sponsors such as Keele University, Indurent and Stoford, and a select group of high‑value investors and developers including Capital & Centric, which is delivering schemes including Spode Works in Stoke and town centre sites in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Priority projects which will be showcased in May include major regeneration schemes in Stafford, Burton, Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme – where the borough council is investing £90m in its historic town centre through its own direct investment alongside Homes England and Levelling Up grants.
This is in addition to the transformation of Chatterley Whitfield, the expansion of the Keele Innovation District, and significant investment and growth opportunities along the A50/A500 corridor and the Central Edge Economic Growth Zone on the Staffordshire/Wolverhampton border.
The launch event also previewed the county’s planned programme at UKREiiF 2026, which will include sessions on Place and Culture and Staffordshire’s role as a central hub for logistics, alongside exhibition activity promoting town centre regeneration, innovation assets and major growth zones.
Damien Holdstock, Planning Director at Indurent, said: “We’re pleased to be a headline partner with We Are Staffordshire at UKREiiF 2026. Staffordshire is a strategically important location for Indurent and a key focus for our long‑term investment, underpinned by its connectivity, strong local partnerships, and clear ambition for growth.
Through our developments, we are committed to delivering high‑quality, sustainable logistics and industrial space that supports local employment and enables businesses to flourish. UKREiiF provides a valuable platform to showcase Staffordshire’s strengths and we’re proud to support the county’s presence at the event.”
Martin Murray, leader of Staffordshire County Council and Chair of the Staffordshire Leaders Board, said: “UKREiiF is a national platform which enables us to demonstrate to potential investors why Staffordshire is the beating heart of the country in terms of development opportunities, with our central location and superb connectivity. We enter UKREiiF 2026 with a bold and coordinated investment proposition and a strong track record of delivery across our towns, growth zones and employment sites.
Through our collective We Are Staffordshire approach, we’re showcasing our fantastic offer to major investors and national decision‑makers, demonstrating our readiness to accelerate investment with pace and certainty, and stimulating the creation of higher‑skilled jobs for Staffordshire people.”
We Are Staffordshire’s full delegation – including the county council, district and borough councils, and Stoke‑on‑Trent City Council – will come together in Leeds on Stand E22 from 19 to 21 May 2026.
