Partner Article

Building Newcastle’s future brick-by-brick: Invest Newcastle

Invest Newcastle
www.investnewcastle.com
invest@experiencenee.co.uk 

For more than a decade, Invest Newcastle has led a delegation of public and private sector organisations to MIPIM. One of the world’s largest real estate forums, the event unites dozens of businesses in the real estate supply chain to showcase the city’s shared vision to an audience of global investors from more than 90 countries.

Invest Newcastle is an award-winning investment promotion agency dedicated to driving economic growth by securing investment. It is led by Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council in collaboration with Experience North East England.

Here, N magazine speaks to Jen Hartley, assistant director of capital investment and growth at Newcastle City Council, about how the city’s story is developing and what ambitions for the future look like.

Cranes have felt like a constant presence across Newcastle’s skyline over the past five years. How would you say Newcastle has transformed in that time?

It’s been incredible to see and not without its challenges, but we’re a city that doesn’t stand still. Our focus has been on making sure that our residents have exceptional places to work and good quality places to live.

Particularly around the city centre, we’ve seen the weaving of culture, heritage and innovation come to fruition through the thoughtful transformation of Pilgrim Street. The development has maintained so many heritage features, but has brought vibrancy back into the east of the city centre too.

More care is also being put into public realm. The £50 million city centre transformation has added more outdoor seating, trees and planting to the city and reimagined the beloved Grainger Market, which is being rediscovered as a dynamic shopping, culinary and experiential destination. And the most exciting part is that this is only the beginning; transformational schemes like Forth Yards and City Campus East are still to come.

What story does Newcastle want to tell the international property market at MIPIM 2027?

From welcoming the Mercury Prize back to the city in October, following its incredible success last year, to the up-and-coming opening of Quayside Music Studios and as a host city for the UEFA Euro 2028 tournament, Newcastle is a culturally significant city that is driving forward innovative, creative and knowledge-based industries. Our creative industries are the fastest growing in the UK, and our space sector is making real strides with the North East Space Skills & Technology Centre (NESST) due to open imminently at Northumbria University.

We are looking for investors that are aligned with our ambition, that want to be part of the next phase of our transformation – as a global competitor for impactful and sustainable investment

MIPIM is a huge event with more than 20,000 attendees each year. How does the city make itself stand out to investors?

Each year, people pull me aside to comment on how impressive our delegation is. Every one of our partners is bought into the vision; they’re passionate about the city and are our biggest ambassadors.

Investors also appreciate the access to our key decision makers. There have been a number of projects and schemes that have come to fruition as a result of conversations that initially took place at MIPIM.

Where are some of the major opportunities for investors and developers to get involved?

Recent research has revealed how tightly supplied our Grade A office market is, with only two years of supply currently in the pipeline. This is one of our biggest opportunities. We know we have the demand, so we now need bold investors to work with us to meet it.

The forthcoming UEFA Euro 2028 tournament will be hosted in the city at the iconic St James’ Park and will see thousands of European fans visit our city. We currently have around 14,000 hotel beds, so there is a major opportunity for us to build out our hotel stock.

How will you be showcasing these at MIPIM this year?

We’ll be discussing our Strategic Regeneration Framework, which sets out the city’s vision and maps the pipeline of opportunities including major residential and mixed-use schemes.

It also highlights the growth of our future industries, with projects such as NESST strengthening our position in space and technological innovation.

What role does the private sector play in the city’s story?

The private sector, from developers, architects, construction companies through to law firms and education providers, plays an integral role in shaping Newcastle’s future. It provides the expertise that take projects from vision to reality, benefitting our residents, businesses and the local economy.

Our presence at MIPIM is a real reflection of this. Our combined ambition and passion is hard to ignore. The event continues to play a role is cultivating our international relationships and supercharging development in the city. I look forward to bringing together our private sector again to showcase the best of Newcastle.

MIPIM 2027 will take place between March 16 and 19. For more information, and to register your interest in joining the Newcastle delegation, contact the email address at the top of this article.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by N Magazine .