From the South West to Westminster: The region’s investment hotspots are highlighted

The South West’s key investment opportunities have been showcased at a high-profile event in Westminster attended by senior business leaders, investors, foreign trade missions and ministers.

The gathering was told the projects have the potential to trigger economic growth across the UK and strengthen global supply chains as well as reinforcing the region’s status as a major driver of the UK’s net zero transition and national security.

Hosted by the Great South West Partnership, the pan-regional partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, the event marked the launch of its 2025 Great Western Investment Brochure, which profiles some of the region’s most transformational, investor-ready schemes.

The partnership’s mission is to deliver a prosperous future for all its communities and for a better, cleaner future.

It aims to do this by driving long-term investment and boost the economy by up to £45bn, creating 190,000 jobs by 2035 and powering a green and blue economy

It believes with its extensive links to global markets and strategic partnerships with Australia, Canada, the US and Belgium, the South West offers an unparalleled opportunity for international investment.

Among the key projects presented to investors were:

• Plymouth and South Devon Freeport. A nationally significant hub for marine, defence, advanced manufacturing and net zero technologies, spanning 88 hectares across three prime development sites.
• Floating Offshore Wind in the Celtic Sea. Plans for the first three windfarms will generate up to 4.5GW of electricity, enough to power more than 4m homes as well as driving a new industrial supply chain.
• Critical Minerals. The South West has extensive deposits of lithium, tin, tungsten and copper, essential for battery production and advanced technologies. With global demand for critical minerals set to rise five-fold by 2040, the region offers a prime investment opportunity for mining infrastructure, processing facilities and advanced materials innovation.
• Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster. With Dorset poised to be a leader in the UK’s £100bn-plus green energy transition, this is a major opportunity for investors that will drive net zero innovation with investments in hydrogen and nuclear set to unlock gigawatts of clean power.
• Goonhilly Earth Station. This secure 6.7-acre development zone presents opportunities for investment in space technology, satellite operations, data centres, research facilities and commercial developments
• West Somerset Tidal Lagoon. A game-changing renewable energy project, harnessing the Bristol Channel’s extraordinary tidal range to power up to 2m homes, with a projected operational lifespan of more than 120 years.
• ASONE Park. A prime opportunity for investors in the UK’s booming creative industries, set to be a world-class hub for film, broadcast and digital innovation, creating 1,000-plus jobs and attracting major productions.

The event featured speeches from Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale, National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt, Great South West internationalisation programme board chair Tim Jones and Dave Tansley, practice senior partner at Deloitte.

They were joined by executives from some of the South West’s largest employers, including Leonardo UK, Babcock International, The Crown Estate, the Met Office, Exeter Science Park and Princess Yachts, alongside a number of the region’s MPs.

Tim Jones said the investment brochure launch and the showcased projects were prime examples of the Great South West Partnership’s ability to design and deliver the critical infrastructure, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence innovation the UK economy needed to grow and compete globally.

“The government has recognised the unique strengths of our region. Now is the time for existing and potential investors to capitalise upon this glittering opportunity, to partner with us in shaping the industries of the future,” he added.

Dave Tansley said the South West’s “ambition, innovation and proven ability to deliver nationally significant projects” made it a critical driver of the UK’s future economic growth.

The Great South West Partnership will take the showcased investment opportunities to the UK’s real estate, investment & infrastructure forum UKREiiF in May, where it will meet investors and global partners in a bid to secure transformational investment for them.