UKREIIF 2026

Invest York and North Yorkshire will be hosting a number of events from its pavilion at this year’s UKREiiF.

The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) will be hosted in Leeds from 19 to 21 May 2026 with over 16,000 attendees expected throughout the week.

York and North Yorkshire is a location ready for investment, with distinctive strengths and areas of opportunity for those looking to invest, innovate and grow in the region.

If you are attending UKREiiF, why not visit the York and North Yorkshire Pavilion to say hello, or contact a member of the team beforehand through the link below.

Get in touch

Programme of Events

From progressive solutions to the housing puzzle, creating a world-class bioeconomy cluster and showcasing how creativity is driving growth, York and North Yorkshire will be hosting plenty of thought-provoking sessions for you to enjoy.

Our programme of events have been designed to show you how this trailblazing region is doing things differently.

Browse our Programme of Events below for this year's UKREIIF.

Tuesday 19 May 2026

10.30am - 11.30am: Panel: Progressive Solutions to the housing puzzle: Delivering at scale and pace

York and North Yorkshire is under pressure to deliver more homes and is rising to the challenge with unprecedented ambition. This session sets out a bold vision for a region determined to forge new development models, ensuring it’s able to build the right homes in the right places – backed by devolved powers and strategic investment.

12.30pm - 1.30pm: Panel & Networking: York and North Yorkshire: doing devolution differently

York and North Yorkshire is redefining devolution, moving fast to back innovation and build the conditions for high-growth industries to thrive. In a candid panel, the Mayor and regional leaders will outline the bold decisions driving productivity, followed by networking with the stakeholders spearheading growth across the region and beyond.

This event is invite only.

2pm - 3pm: Investor roundtable: Creating a World-Class Bioeconomy Cluster through Pan-regional Partnerships

York and North Yorkshire, together with Tees Valley, has launched a new bioeconomy cluster to turn research and innovation into real commercial opportunities. This session brings together industry, investors, and research leaders to discuss how bold, cross-regional collaboration is turning world-leading science into commercial opportunity at pace.

4pm - 5pm: Panel: York and North Yorkshire's Superpower: Economic Diversity Driving Global Impact

Bigger than Northern Ireland, home to a major visitor economy and buoyed by a diverse, resilient mix of high-value sectors, York and North Yorkshire is an economic powerhouse. This session explores the region’s “superpower”: its unique combination of scale, economic breadth and investable assets.

Wednesday 20 May 2026

10am - 11am: Panel: Building Tomorrow: New Settlements for the Next Generation of Communities

New settlements are rapidly becoming a testbed for future-focused placemaking. This session explores how these next-generation developments can drive economic growth, accelerate net-zero ambitions and set new benchmarks for vibrant, well-designed communities.

12.15pm - 1.15pm: Spotlight: York Central

York Central is one of the UK’s most significant regeneration opportunities, unlocking billions in investment, reshaping a major regional gateway and creating a new hub for innovation, enterprise and culture. This session provides an exclusive update from key partners.

This event is invite only. To be considered for attendance, please email ynyca@social.co.uk

2pm - 3pm: Panel: Funding the future: Innovative investment models to unlock the potential of places

Traditional funding routes are under strain, making collaboration between public bodies, investors and developers more important than ever. This session explores bold alternative approaches to funding, including the National Wealth Fund, pension capital and regional investment vehicles, exploring how they are enabling large-scale infrastructure.

3.30pm - 4.30pm: Creative showcase and drinks reception: Creativity: The Region's Hidden Growth Engine

York and North Yorkshire’s creative economy is fast becoming one of its most powerful growth engines. This session showcases the region’s ambition to become a national leader in creative production and digital creativity, highlighting how talent, technological and storytelling are already driving significant inward investment.

Thursday 21 May 2026

9.30am - 10.30am: Turning the tide: how clean energy is fuelling new futures for coastal communities

Yorkshire’s coastal towns are undergoing significant renewal, blending heritage with innovation to shape the next generation of seaside economies. This session explores how places like Scarborough and Whitby are embracing digital technologies, cultural reinvention and sustainable infrastructure to drive growth. Leaders and key partners will discuss transformation models, emerging investment opportunities and why Y&NY’s coastline is attracting national attention as a blueprint for coastal regeneration.

11am - 12pm: £2 a night? How an overnight levy could supercharge economic growth

York and North Yorkshire is a tourism and leisure powerhouse, already attracting 40 million visits a year and generating £6bn. Could an overnight levy help convert tourism and travel income into long-lasting economic sustainability? Already common in major tourism hotspots, such a move could generate £50m annually to reinvest in regional growth.

Local Growth Plan

York and North Yorkshire has developed its Local Growth Plan, one that demonstrates how it will be a trailblazing City Region Rural Powerhouse, driving growth for the UK in the North. We will build on our high-performing economy to raise productivity further and deliver transformative economic growth.

This will be addressed through targeting growth within our competitive advantage sectors.

See Local Growth Plan