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This year, Greater Essex is set to take to the stage at UKREiiF, the UK’s Premier Real Estate, Infrastructure and Investment Forum, with a three-day programme of events that will put the region firmly on the map as one the UK’s top growth hotspots.
Greater Essex is one of the UK’s most powerful economic engines, with the scale and momentum to create 50,000 new jobs by 2030 and add £8 billion a year to regional output – delivering nationally significant gains in productivity, resilience and global competitiveness.
The sixth-fastest growing economy, Greater Essex is a proven investment hub, underpinned by exceptional physical and digital connectivity. It is uniquely positioned at the heart of the UK’s growth corridor, with two international airports – London Stansted and London Southend – and two Freeports: Thames Freeport, incorporating DP World London Gateway, the Port of Tilbury and Ford Dagenham, and Freeport East, encompassing Felixstowe and Harwich.
At UKREiiF, key leaders from across Greater Essex’s public and private sectors are collaborating to showcase the region’s powerful economy, investor-ready projects and dynamic business landscape.
Join us at the Greater Essex Hub from May 19 to 21 to find out more about the opportunities available.
Read more about Greater Essex at UKREiiF 2026 here
Can better local control and smarter regional planning turn ambition into real, investable, on-the-ground growth, unlocking more homes, infrastructure, and commercial space?
Greater Essex is a high-growth UK powerhouse, capable of adding £8 billion annually to the economy. A well-connected, investment-ready location, it is home to globally recognised innovation which is shaping the industries of tomorrow.
Global gateways grow regional economies. This session examines how London Stansted Airport functions as system-scale infrastructure — aligning passenger transport and air connectivity, freight, skills and surface access to drive trade and productivity. What does it take for connectivity to translate into sustained economic growth across London and the East of England?
As regions compete for investment in digital infrastructure, the challenge is no longer connectivity alone, but how digital capacity converts into real economic performance. This session will examine how data centres, cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure support productivity and growth across key sectors, and what infrastructure, energy, skills and policy frameworks are required to turn digital capacity into long-term regional economic advantage.
Geopolitical instability is no longer cyclical; it is structural. From trade fragmentation and protectionism to energy security and supply chain disruption, investors are operating in a world where uncertainty is the norm. So how should capital be deployed – and protected – when the rules keep changing?
Modern logistics networks play a critical role in national resilience and economic growth. This session explores how the UK’s logistics infrastructure supports supply chain security, nearshoring, digital infrastructure and clean energy deployment. Bringing together industry and public sector voices, the discussion will examine how coordinated planning and investment can strengthen the systems that underpin a more resilient and future-ready economy.
Freeports are central to the UK’s trade and industrial ambitions — but how can freeports translate policy into investable opportunities and sustained regional growth. This session will explore how Thames Freeport and Freeport East are operating as coordinated economic gateways, aligning land, logistics and power to accelerate clean energy deployment, advanced manufacturing and globally competitive trade.
Enjoy some of the East of England’s finest culture at a networking reception and learn how a strong cultural identity can be a powerful driver of long-term, inclusive sustainable growth, inspiring innovation, strengthening economies, and creating places where people want to live, work, and succeed.
Long-term capital is critical to delivering homes at scale. Co-hosted with the LGA, this private roundtable brings together investors and local authority leaders to examine how certainty, infrastructure alignment and governance frameworks can reduce risk and unlock sustained, place-based investment.
Greater Essex sets out its agenda for long-term growth. As devolution creates new opportunities for place-based decision-making, the region is leading the way in exploring how housing, energy and place-making function as economic infrastructure, supporting productive communities and investable, resilient growth at scale.
A debate tackling the commercial mechanics of urban transformation, exploring how investors, developers, and local leaders can align to build high-growth, mixed-use ecosystems that reshape town centres into vibrant mixed-use environments that support economic growth, new housing, public services, and community life.
The session will focus on what actually works, what needs to change, and how local leadership and investment partnerships can turn ambition into delivery in towns and small cities across the UK.
Energy security and economic competitiveness are increasingly linked. This discussion explores how generation, grid capacity and infrastructure coordination determine where investment flows — and how Greater Essex’s strategic assets are enabling large-scale clean energy and growth-led development.
The UK’s coastal towns are emerging as high-potential hubs for diversified capital.
Join our debate which looks beyond fragmented interventions to explore the practical frameworks required to diversify these ‘seasonal towns’ beyond their visitor economies into ‘year-round’ success stories in high-growth sectors like clean energy and the digital and creative industries.
As the UK’s major hub for new garden communities and housing, Essex unpacks the challenges and successes of its delivery journey in creating sustainable communities which will unlock high levels of economic growth through integrating employment land, digital infrastructure and community facilities from the start.
An informal networking reception with Greater Essex and Essex County Cricket Club, exploring how sport, culture and entertainment shape communities and strengthen places. Join partners and stakeholders to continue discussions from across the programme and consider how visitor economy assets, coastal destinations and major events contribute to community pride, economic activity and Essex’s long-term growth.
Major infrastructure and housing programmes depend on workforce certainty. This private roundtable brings together employers and education partners to examine skills gaps, coordination and long-term pipeline planning — aligning training provision directly with investment and delivery at scale.
Major infrastructure ambitions require long-term workforce planning. This session explores how aligning demand signals, training provision and employer engagement underpins programme certainty — positioning workforce readiness as critical infrastructure in its own right.
Join us for a cup of coffee and a chance to connect with members of the Greater Essex Hub.
Contact us via extraordinaryessex@essex.gov.uk or complete our contact form below:
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