Regional Investment Summit delivers almost a thousand jobs for UK communities
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-20)

Nearly a thousand jobs are to be created in a major boost to communities across the UK after over £10 billion in investments were announced at today’s first Regional Investment Summit.

- Over £10 billion in investment commitments announced at Regional Investment Summit in a major boost for towns, high streets, and communities across the UK, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
- Almost 1000 high-quality jobs are to be created in the UK’s regions and Nations, with major investments in life sciences, AI and innovation, key sectors in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
- New investments today include £200 million from Leeds United to redevelop Elland Road Stadium and a Crown Estate acquisition in Oxfordshire for increased laboratory and manufacturing space, that could boost UK GDP by £2.5 billion.
Nearly a thousand jobs are to be created in a major boost to communities across the UK after over £10 billion in investments were announced at today’s first Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham, championing the UK’s exceptional local talent and delivering real results for working people in every corner of the country.

Today’s Summit represents this government’s ambitious approach to economic growth, bringing together domestic and international investment, and spotlighting the power of public and private sector collaboration to benefit all regions of the country as we drive investment into our communities.

By attracting investment, improving skills and productivity, removing barriers to growth, and embracing new technologies like AI, the Government is delivering on the Plan for Change by building a stronger, future-ready economy that drives innovation, creates wealth, and shares prosperity across the UK.

Key investments announced today include a further £200 million from Leeds United Football Club in the first phase of construction of a redeveloped Elland Road stadium, alongside a £300 million commitment from Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth-stage investment arm, to build its European growth capital team in the UK. Hines has announced a £400 million investment to support the £4 billion Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, a centrepiece of the West Midlands Investment Zone, driving innovation, regeneration, and economic growth in the region.

In a boost to the Industrial Strategy, the Government is also announcing two life sciences investments, unlocking over £30 million. Biocomposites will expand its Keele facility which produce medical products which allow antibiotics to be administered directly into bone and soft tissue, while Sterling Pharmaceuticals will build a 60,000 sq ft centre in Birmingham, creating 48 jobs and boosting UK production of medicines for the NHS and sales overseas. To boost the digital sector, Atos is announcing £10 million for AI centres, cementing the Midlands role as a key hub and creating 50 jobs.

The Crown Estate will acquire Harwell East in Oxfordshire, a 221-acre office, lab and manufacturing space site, with a projected gross development value of £4.5 billion, boosting UK GDP by £2.5 billion, delivering 400 homes and helping to create 24,000 jobs.

The news follows plans from the Chancellor that the government will cut red tape and streamline regulations—saving UK businesses nearly £6 billion a year by the end of the Parliament. As part of the Prime Minister’s 25% admin reduction target, the government will scrap excessive paperwork and speed up planning, making it quicker and easier to do business in the UK.

The Summit also saw the launch of the Sterling 20—a new investor-led partnership of 20 major UK pension funds and insurers—designed to channel billions in savings into key infrastructure and high-growth sectors like AI and fintech, supporting the ambitions of the Modern Industrial Strategy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

Today’s first ever Regional Investment Summit is delivering what we promised in our Plan for Change—with nearly a thousand jobs and over £10 billion in investment that will flow directly into communities across Britain.

These announcements prove that when we back our regions and cut red tape, investors respond. That is how we will build an economy that works for working people, in every corner of the country.

Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Regional investment matters because economic growth matters: for the wealth and jobs it creates, for the public services it fuels, for the future prosperity it generates, for our nations, regions and communities.

The jobs and investments announced at today’s Summit are a clear demonstration of this government’s commitment to delivering on its Plan for Change and growing the economy—by making the UK the most attractive place in Europe to start, scale, and succeed in business.

List of investments announced in the run-up to and during today’s Regional Investment Summit:

Private Investments:
- Leeds United Football Club is planning to make a further investment of more than £200 million in the first phase of construction of a redeveloped Elland Road stadium. This will represent a huge private-sector commitment to Leeds, supporting jobs, growth and the long-term future of the Club and its community. The club is working closely with the Council, Mayor and all stakeholders on planning and light rail, to deliver this transformative investment on schedule for Leeds, for Yorkshire and for the future of Elland Road.
- Welltower. As an established, long-term investor in the UK with US, with $4 billion already committed in the UK the care sector, Welltower plans to more than treble its level of investment over the coming 5-10yrs.
- L&G have announced a £2 billion commitment by 2030, delivering around 10,000 more affordable homes for hardworking families and supporting the creation of 24,000 jobs nationwide.
- Nest Pensions is investing £85 million to expand gigabit broadband in rural Scotland and northern England, and support two Energy-from-Waste plants in Staffordshire and Durham—cutting landfill and powering thousands of homes. Additionally, Nest will provide Schroders Capital with £500 million, with £100 million expected to be channelled into UK-based investments.
- Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth-stage investment arm, is committing to build its European growth capital team in the UK, with an investment program of up to £300 million.
- Atos, a leading provider of AI-powered digital transformation, has announced a new £10 million investment in the Midlands, unveiling two flagship technology centres that will cement the region’s role at the heart of the UK’s AI-led digital future and creating 50 jobs.
- Freshways is investing £25 million in a cutting-edge dairy hub in West Bromwich, creating at least 200 jobs. The facility will process 500 million litres of British milk annually, making it one of the UK’s most advanced and efficient dairy operations.
- Associated British Ports (ABP) plans to invest up to £500 million in the Port of Southampton, a vital gateway connecting the UK to the rest of the world. The proposed Solent Gateway 2 development includes a world-class, sustainable automotive terminal, environmental enhancements, and a major new country park. The project is in early planning stages.
- Cummins is set to invest approximately $50 million in Daventry, a move that will help secure high-quality skilled jobs, strengthen local communities and supply chains, and expand critical power infrastructure—positioning both Cummins and the UK as central players in the growth of artificial intelligence and the rapidly evolving data centre ecosystem.
- Blackstone owned National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham has announced a new public commitment to invest £200 million over the next decade. The investment will support a modernisation programme to ensure that it remains the UK’s leading live events business with world class venues across exhibitions, conventions and arenas.
- Hines, a global real estate firm, in partnership with Woodbourne Group, have announced a £400 million investment to support the £4 billion Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, a centrepiece of the West Midlands Investment Zone, driving innovation, regeneration, and economic growth in the region.
Public Investment:
- The National Wealth Fund will provide £104 million funding for onshore and offshore wind projects in Norfolk and Orkney as well as to build a heat network in Hull. It will also send specialists to speed up high-potential projects through its new Regional Project Accelerator, including in its partnerships with Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, and Glasgow City Region.
- The Crown Estate has announced the acquisition of Harwell East, a 221-acre site adjacent to Oxfordshire’s Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, as part of its £1.5 billion investment in science, innovation and technology over the next 15 years. With a projected Gross Development Value of £4.5 billion, the site could deliver 4.5 million sq ft of office, lab and manufacturing space, 400 homes, boost UK GDP by £2.5 billion, and create 30,000 jobs.
- The West Midlands Combined Authority has unveiled a £75 million skills package to train over 12,000 people in construction trades and technical roles over three years. Backed by WMCA and government funding, the initiative supports a regional construction boom driven by major housing, transport, retrofit, and regeneration projects.
- The West Midlands Combined Authority has launched a £40 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund to deliver 1,000 new social rent homes across the West Midlands. The funding unlocks properties ready or under construction, building on 750 affordable homes already secured.
Public-Private Investment:
- Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF). The Government has announced the first two investments from the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, unlocking over £30 million. Biocomposites will expand its Keele facility to continue producing STIMULAN and develop new products, while Sterling Pharmaceuticals will build a 60,000 sq ft centre in Birmingham, creating 48 jobs and boosting UK production of generic medicines for the NHS and export.
Previously Announced Investments:
- Birmingham Airport will invest £300 million over four years to upgrade baggage, immigration, retail, and airfield infrastructure. Millions will also be directed toward sustainable growth, including solar energy and efficient terminal systems. A new Masterplan process will forecast growth beyond 2040, building on strong passenger demand.
- Knighthead will invest at least £3 billion in a new Sports Quarter in Birmingham which will feature a 62,000-capacity stadium with a retractable pitch, a dedicated women’s stadium, indoor arena, training grounds, and residential and entertainment spaces. The development is expected to create around 14,000 jobs, transforming the derelict site into a major sporting and cultural hub and generate £700 million of growth for the region.
- Falmouth Docks. The Marine Management Organisation has been appointed as the lead environmental regulator for the Falmouth Docks redevelopment – providing joined-up advice, accelerating approvals, and cutting costs and delays for the £150 million project, which is set to create hundreds of jobs and bring in millions in investment for communities across Cornwall.
- AustralianSuper has announced a new UK living investment platform dedicated to investment in rental homes as part of its ambition to invest £8 billion of new capital into the UK over the next five years