Global property conference MIPIM starts in the south of France today.
Investors, developers and civic and business leaders will gather for three days of networking and events which could be the start of major new projects coming to towns and cities across the West and East Midlands or signal an injection of fresh interest or investment.
There will be delegations representing the Midlands region at the conference in Cannes including the West Midlands Combined Authority represented by Mayor Andy Street, Make it Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire and the inward investment team from Marketing Derby among many others.
Here, we take a look back at some of the key Midlands projects which were highlighted to the global property community at previous MIPIM conferences.
Centering on UK Central
A landmark growth plan which could one day create more than 77,000 jobs and add over £4 billion to the West Midlands economy was set out at MIPIM in 2017.
The 20-year vision is for the 'UK Central' site in Solihull which will include new homes, commercial space and transport infrastructure to join up key assets such as the NEC and new HS2 Interchange station.
Overall, it has 8.34 million sq ft of development land and space for up to 4,000 homes, all underpinned by the expected economic benefits of having a new station built for the high-speed rail project.
Reaching for the stars
Space Park Leicester, a vast development planned for land near the National Space Centre, was on the agenda at the 2019 conference.
It is creating tens of millions of pounds of investment opportunities and business leaders hope it will secure Leicester's already solid position in the global space market on the back of the University of Leicester's stellar reputation in the sector.
The first office complex on the site is now open and future elements will include a satellite design and manufacturing facility aimed at driving down the cost of production and hi-tech education and training centres.
Bruntwood takes science park private
One of Birmingham's major business hubs was sold by the city's council to private property group Bruntwood in 2018.
The company chose MIPIM to announce that it had bought Innovation Birmingham which has been a hotbed for developing young tech talent for decades.
It was able to use the conference to showcase the city region's vibrant tech scene and highlight the upcoming development opportunities at the campus which continue today in the form of Enterprise Wharf, currently under construction.
A deal for Debenhams
Derby's former Debenhams building was under the spotlight in 2018 as chiefs announced it was set to make way for a new 16-storey apartment tower as part of a £100 million vision for the Becketwell area of the East Midlands city.
New offices were also earmarked for the site, with MIPIM delegates hearing that Leeds-based contractor St James Securities had been chosen as the preferred bidder to redevelop the former retail building.
Two years later, the well-known landmark was gone as bulldozers moved in to clear the site.
Pressing ahead with Peddimore
A development partner for one of the largest manufacturing and logistics sites in the UK was named at the 2018 conference.
IM Properties was chosen by Birmingham City Council as its preferred partner for phase one of the huge 'Peddimore' project site near Sutton Coldfield.
The long-term aim is to convince major logistics and manufacturing companies to take space at the estate which is boosted by its proximity to the Midlands' motorway network.
