‘Reindustrialisation’ stole the headlines on a busy first day for Humber Freeport at UKREiiF 2026.
As 16,000 investors, developers and decision-makers descended on the Royal Armouries and New Dock in Leeds, conversation focused on the power of investment to drive place-based regeneration and deliver prosperity to local communities.
Humber Freeport returned to UKREiiF to showcase its own compelling investment proposition, and its role as a catalyst and an energiser for economic growth.
On day one at UKREiiF, Humber Freeport’s Chair Finbarr Dowling sat down with Juergen Maier CBE, Chair of Great British Energy, for a fireside chat on the Humber’s critical role in UK energy security.
The pair explored the Humber’s diverse and powerful energy sector, its importance to UK plc, and how reindustrialisation can unlock billions of pounds of investment across the region.
Humber Freeport Chair Finbarr Dowling, left, with Juergen Maier CBE, Chair of Great British Energy. Credit: UKREiiF/Tim Dunk
Mr Maier, formerly Chief Executive of Siemens UK, reflected on the delivery and impact of the Siemens Gamesa wind power facility in Hull, and the future of energy in the Humber.
He said: “Hull is a national example of how industrial regeneration can transform a city. Hull today is a very different place to the one Finbarr invited me to all those years ago, at the start of the journey with the blade factory.
“The emergence of new industries, and the reindustrialisation of the city, has created opportunities for broader regeneration and development. You look at the area around the marina, and the waterfront, and it has been transformed.”
The fireside chat, held within the Invest Hull and East Yorkshire Pavilion at UKREiiF, explored the energy transition and the significant opportunities presented by investments in offshore wind energy, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
Mr Maier said semantics surrounding the energy transition can too easily detract from its enormous potential as a driver of economic growth.
The fireside chat was held in the Invest Hull and East Yorkshire Pavilion at UKREiiF. Image credit: UKREiiF/Tim Dunk
“I was at the Great North Investment Summit yesterday, also here in Leeds, and I said on stage that I have no issue with moving away from ‘net zero’ as a phrase. It has become divisive, and it can take the focus away from what we should be talking about.
“The energy transition is about reindustrialisation. It is about national energy security. It is about job creation, local prosperity, and transforming our communities. What is not to like about that?”
Mr Maier said involving communities more closely in the energy transition was key.
He cited a community north of Aberdeen, where the installation of a wind turbine had led to the creation of a £250,000 community fund. That fund has supported the creation of community-run facilities including a banking hub, a café and a cinema.
Simon Green, left, CEO of Humber Freeport, with Chair Finbarr Dowling, right, and Rian Patel, centre, the Freeport’s Future Ambassador at UKREiiF.
Later on in the day, Mr Dowling also joined a panel discussion at the AtkinsRealis Pavilion, focused on devolution and how it is reshaping local powers and investment.
It wrapped up a successful first day at UKREiiF for Humber Freeport, ahead of a blockbuster day two in Leeds.
Tomorrow morning, Humber Freeport will launch its new Investment Prospectus, connecting investors to opportunity across our globally significant industrial cluster.
Hosted in the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion at 11am, our Chair will be joined by Mayor Luke Campbell MBE and Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns to launch the prospectus. The session will be chaired by Ibrahim Mohamed, a Strategic Advisor for the Department for Business and Trade.
If you’re at UKREiiF this week, don’t miss our Investment Prospectus launch!
