Derby takes its investment pitch to international audience

Derby will today be taking its investment pitch to an international investor audience when it attends a major global property fair.

A delegation from the city is currently in Cannes, France, for MIPIM, regarded as the world’s leading real estate investment event.

Derby’s contingent – which consists of Derby City Council, Marketing Derby’s investment team and business leaders – is part of a broader regional team led by the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

Derby will look to build on the momentum achieved in 2025, when a number of key developments came to fruition to help deliver the ambition to support more people living in, working in and visiting the heart of the city.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, leader of Derby City Council and Deputy Mayor of the EMCCA, said: “For Derby, 2025 was a year of delivery – with major projects like Vaillant Live, the revamped Derby Market Hall and the University of Derby’s Cavendish Building all completed.

“We are ambitious for Derby and are now building on that momentum, with many more exciting investable projects in the pipeline, such as the redevelopment of the Market Place and the Station Gateway scheme.

“We have an incredible story to tell in Derby – one of investment opportunities rooted in our incredibly strong economy.”

Bob Betts, executive chair at Marketing Derby, who is part of the Derby team out in Cannes, said: “MIPIM has been incredibly important to Derby over the years.

“Over time, we have developed focused and effective methods to ensure we get in front of the right people and convey our message to a global audience that our city is open for business.

“We achieve this through consistent messaging, by demonstrating a pipeline of tangible opportunities and by nurturing relationships with investors and property professionals.

“In addition to promoting our investment opportunities, we are also in Cannes to listen to market demands and exchange ideas and experiences.”

MIPIM sees cities and regions from around 90 countries converge to pitch for investment. Over 20,000 people are expected to attend over the course of this week.

This year, as well as promoting key sites in the city, the Derby team at MIPIM will also support the pitches of East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, which include the Trent Arc.

Spanning the Derby-Nottingham corridor – and including Infinity Park Derby – it will be pitched as a prime location for advanced manufacturing, AI and energy transition investment.

The development could deliver 30,000 homes, 40,000 jobs and 2.7 million sq ft of commercial space, generating £2.4 billion in regional growth.

The Trent Arc also covers Derby city centre, which has already seen a number of significant multi-million-pound investments land, particularly last year when it saw the opening of the £45.8 million Vaillant Live performance venue, Derby Market Hall, following a £35.1 million facelift and the University of Derby’s £75 million Cavendish Building.

In an interview published today in the Investing in UK Cities Guide, the official UK Guide to MIPIM, Mayor Claire said: “My delegation brings together regional leadership, local authorities and major industry partners who know how to work collaboratively and at scale.

“We are backed by a powerful place marketing ecosystem – Marketing Derby, Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – enabling us to present one strong, unified regional voice.”

Derby’s conversations and meetings at MIPIM will lay the groundwork for the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), a major real estate event, which will take place in Leeds in May and where the city’s public and private sector partners will continue to showcase their investment pitch as part of a wider East Midlands delegation.