London Gatwick’s role in the South East goes far beyond connecting passengers to destinations. It is a major economic anchor for the region – linking people and businesses to global markets and bringing partners together around investment, skills and growth.
UKREiiF (the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum) 2026 offered a clear illustration of that role. The forum brought together investors, developers and public-sector decision makers, and the Gatwick Region demonstrated what a joined-up proposition can look like in practice: a single banner, shared messages and a coordinated programme designed to turn regional strengths into investor conversations.
A region with national scale and global reach
The Gatwick Region is already a major economic area, contributing £165bn GVA – roughly 7% of the UK economy – in 2023. Anchored by London Gatwick, the region combines global connectivity with strong local transport links and key ports along the south coast – creating a connected platform for trade, investment and growth.
What makes the proposition especially relevant is the breadth of the region’s economy. The Gatwick Region spans aviation, aerospace and advanced engineering; digital, AI, cyber and creative industries; financial services; life sciences; clean energy and emerging technologies, including quantum; and a strong visitor economy supported by fast-growing viticulture. Behind this sits a deep knowledge economy with universities, colleges and research institutions driving talent pipelines and innovation.
The Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone
In 2025, London Gatwick launched the Gatwick Region Airport Economic Zone (AEZ) as the UK’s first aviation-powered economic zone. The idea is straightforward: harness the airport’s convening power to help the region speak with a single voice, aligning local priorities around opportunity, connectivity and delivery.
At UKREiiF, the AEZ’s outward-facing identity was Invest Gatwick Region – a banner designed to help investors understand the momentum of the region’s offering and engage with partners through one coherent platform.
Importantly, the AEZ proposition is not only about promotion. It is organised around practical themes directly linked to growth: inward investment, international trade and the visitor economy. These pillars reflect how London Gatwick turns locally created economic value into national and international opportunities.
UKREiiF 2026: “one region,
one story”
UKREiiF is where investment conversations begin, bringing key stakeholders together with a shared focus on growth. For the Gatwick Region, UKREiiF presented an opportunity to demonstrate that its investment pipeline is ready for serious engagement and that collaboration can translate into real opportunities.
This year’s delegation grew again with more than 60 delegates and 28 partner organisations, up from 23 partners in 2025. Partners spanned the knowledge economy, private sector and local authorities – reflecting a whole-system approach and building on continued momentum since the region’s first delegation in 2024.
In 2025, partners initially identified 52 opportunity sites, which were collaboratively refined to a final 19 showcased to investors – demonstrating a move to a curated, investable pipeline. Feedback also highlighted the value of London Gatwick’s role in presenting the region through a unified lens.
This year, the focus shifted further toward investor engagement through a programme of showcases and networking designed to profile the region’s strengths and to lay the groundwork for future partnerships.
London Gatwick’s role was central to the delegation’s success, aligning partners around a single narrative and providing a platform to engage investors with confidence.
Making opportunity tangible
A unified investment story must be grounded in real opportunities. A strong example is the King Alfred site, described as one of Brighton & Hove’s most desirable potential residential developments.
Planning approval has been granted for at least 400 homes alongside complementary retail and restaurant units. Adjacent redevelopment includes a £65m sports and leisure centre with improved public spaces, supporting a positive regeneration for the community.
A recent valuation estimated the site will deliver £196m GDV, and across the wider prospectus, Invest Gatwick Region showcased more than £1.4bn in investable opportunities through 28 sites.
This kind of opportunity is where London Gatwick’s joined-up proposition adds value. Led by the airport, the role of Invest Gatwick Region is to convene and amplify – giving regional opportunities a platform they would not achieve in isolation. That platform helps create investor visibility and connect individual sites to the wider South East story: talent, connectivity, supply chain capability and quality of place.
Why this matters for the South East
Crucially, a strong inward investment proposition tends to create a virtuous circle:
• It raises the region’s visibility with investors and decision-makers
• It strengthens the case for growth in high-value sectors
• It helps align skills, infrastructure and development priorities
• It opens up new partnerships
UKREiiF 2026 underlined London Gatwick’s role at the heart of the region’s growth story, convening partners and demonstrating at scale why the South East is one of the UK’s most prosperous destinations for long-term opportunities.
To find out more, visit www.gatwickregion.com and contact the AEZ team.
www.gatwickairport.com
