Liverpool City Region to Promote £11bn Investment Opportunities at MIPIM 2026

The Liverpool City Region is preparing for one of its most significant ever appearances at MIPIM, the world’s leading real estate investment event, with a delegation promoting £11bn worth of investment opportunities.

Mayor Steve Rotheram will lead a 30-strong contingent to Cannes from 9–13 March 2026, representing a collaboration between the public and private sectors. 

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“The Liverpool City Region has always looked outward, proud of where we’ve come from, but never content to stand still.

“From global trade through our docks to world-leading innovation in life sciences, digital and advanced manufacturing, progress here has always come from the confidence to think differently.

“That’s exactly why MIPIM matters to us. It’s where ambition meets opportunity and where conversations turn into real investment, jobs and communities.

“This year, we’re showcasing an £11 billion pipeline of projects that are ready for delivery, backed by strong partnerships, competitive costs and the political will to get things done.

“We’re building a region that’s ready for what comes next, a place to grow a business, grow a family and build a long-term legacy, and we’re looking for partners who want to help shape that future with us.”

The delegation will showcase a portfolio of transformative, investment-ready projects spanning Health and Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital and Technology, Creative industries and Maritime, which are key drivers of the city region’s economy.

Flagship schemes include HEMISPHERE One at Paddington Village, Health Innovation Liverpool on the former Royal Hospital site and Phase Two of Project Violet at Sci-Tech Daresbury. 

The scale of the delegation reflects growing confidence in the region’s development sector, following three major companies recently announcing plans to establish European headquarters in Liverpool.

Cllr Mike Wharton, Leader of Halton Council, LCR Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment & Trade, said:

“MIPIM is an excellent opportunity for the Liverpool City Region to present a clear, confident proposition to the global investment community.

By coming together as public and private partners, we are showing the scale of our ambition and our collective commitment to delivering sustainable growth that benefits people and places across the city region.”

MIPIM forms a cornerstone of the Liverpool City Region Capital and Real Estate Investment Programme, alongside major UK events such as UKREiiF 2026 in Leeds. 

The programme aims to position the city region as a prime location for business growth, long-term investment and quality of life.

This year’s presence has been coordinated by the six local authorities, the Combined Authority and dozens of private sector partners. 

Seven organisations, Atkins Realis, Beetham Davos, Landsec, Langtree, Liverpool BID Company, Sciontec and Starship, have signed up as gold partners.

Among the major projects being promoted are:

• Bootle Town Centre transformation: A regeneration scheme delivering new homes, commercial space and enhanced public realm.
• King Edward Triangle: A £1bn mixed-use waterfront development across eight acres led by Davos Property Developments and Beetham Davos.
• The Littlewoods Project: A 260,000 sq ft creative campus set to become the UK’s next-generation production hub for film, TV, gaming, music and immersive technologies.
• Pall Mall: 400,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and a hotel in the Commercial Business District, within the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation.
• North Docks Mayoral Development Corporation: Covering 174 hectares of largely brownfield land from the North Docks through Liverpool Waters and Pumpfields to the Commercial Business District, designed to accelerate regeneration of the northern waterfront.
• Liverpool Central Station: A 40-acre redevelopment opportunity in the heart of the city centre.
• Liverpool Waters: A £5bn transformation of the northern docks into a sustainable waterfront district.
• Maghull Health Park: A 30,000 sqm advanced digital and laboratory complex aiming to become an international centre for mental health research.
• Paddington South, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool: Life sciences and innovation development opportunities within the city’s Life Sciences Innovation Zone.
• Wirral Waters: A £4.5bn regeneration of Birkenhead’s docklands.

Throughout the four-day programme, Liverpool City Region representatives will host panel discussions, presentations and networking events to highlight the region’s investment potential. 

Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council and LCR Cabinet Member for Innovation, said:

“Attracting investment into our city is essential for jobs and housing that we need for our future economic success.

“MIPIM puts us on a stage with the world’s greatest cities and is a shop window for the incredible development opportunities that are on offer in Liverpool and the wider city region.”      

This year, there will be a particular emphasis on green infrastructure and sustainable development, aligned with the commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.

The MIPIM presence supports Mayor Rotheram’s ambition to increase foreign direct investment into the city region by 25% by 2030. The £11bn pipeline demonstrates readiness to deliver projects at scale and attract new international partners.

The region arrives in Cannes during a period of significant progress.

Recent milestones include the launch of the Life Sciences Innovation Zone, expected to attract £800m of investment and create 8,000 jobs, major transport upgrades including new rail stations, a £500m fleet of publicly owned trains, a new ferry and an integrated bus network; and work to establish a Mayoral Development Corporation to accelerate regeneration, beginning with the North Docks.

Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and Sciontec Developments Limited and Chair of the Invest Liverpool City Region (ILCR) Partnership Taskforce, said:

“It’s no coincidence that private sector support for Invest Liverpool City Region and for this year’s MIPIM is stronger than ever.

“Our recent third place in the European Capital of Innovation Awards and several recent inward investment successes show that the Liverpool brand is viewed with positivity across the globe.

“As we celebrate KQ Liverpool’s tenth anniversary, we can look forward to a period of sustained economic growth across the City Region, attracting new investment, growing businesses, and creating new jobs.”

Together, civic leaders and private partners will use MIPIM 2026 to underline that the Liverpool City Region is open for business and ready to deliver long-term, sustainable growth.