Why the North East Is Now the UK's Most Exciting Region for Foreign Direct Investment

There is a version of the UK investment story where everything happens in London and the rest of the country watches. That version is becoming harder and harder to tell.

The North East of England is having a moment. Not the quiet, modest kind. The kind that puts a region on the global map and keeps it there.

Here at ISS Airview, we have been building toward this moment for years. And right now, the data, the deals, and the infrastructure are all pointing in the same direction.

The Numbers Do Not Lie

Let us start with the facts. The North East regularly achieves the highest number of foreign direct investment jobs per capita of any UK region outside London. That is not a projection. That is a track record.

Regions across the North of England recorded a 29% year on year rise in FDI projects in 2024, driven by a significant increase in manufacturing activity. Meanwhile, of investors planning to invest in the UK over the next twelve months, 37% intend to invest in the North of England.

For a region that many investors have historically overlooked in favour of London or the South East, these figures represent a genuine and meaningful shift in perception.

What Is Driving This?

This is the question every investor, scaleup, and international business should be asking. The answer is not one thing. It is several things happening at once.

• Clean energy leadership. The North East offers investors access to the UK's largest source of low carbon and renewable energy, with existing wind farm infrastructure, plans to develop solar energy, and greater battery storage capacity. For businesses with sustainability commitments, that matters enormously.

• Advanced manufacturing strength. The North East continues to outperform national trends in advanced manufacturing, with capability in electrification and battery technologies, automotive innovation, advanced materials and engineering, and space and defence manufacturing.

• A £30 billion AI opportunity. An AI Growth Zone in the North East is set to unlock more than 5,000 new jobs and bring in £30 billion in investment, solidifying the region's ambition to become one of the largest data centre hubs anywhere in Europe.  Partners including OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Blackstone are already committed.

• A bold investment prospectus. The North East launched an investment prospectus last year with opportunities totalling over £4.4 billion, comprising industrial, commercial, and residential sites adding up to more than 18 billion square feet.

Frequently Asked Questions About Investing in North East England

Why is the North East of England attracting foreign direct investment? The combination of affordable sites, a skilled workforce, strong clean energy infrastructure, world class universities, and significant government backed investment programmes makes the North East one of the most cost effective and strategically sound locations for FDI in the UK right now.

What sectors are growing fastest in the North East? Clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technology, AI and data infrastructure, creative industries, and life sciences are all seeing accelerated growth and investment activity in the region.

Is the North East a good location for international businesses looking to enter the UK market? Absolutely. With Newcastle International Airport providing direct global connectivity, an established international trade community, and the ISS Airview soft landing infrastructure, the North East offers international businesses a practical and well supported route into the UK market.

What support is available for businesses investing in the North East? ISS Airview at Newcastle International Airport provides structured market entry support, workspace, investor introductions, trade mission access, and a global community of partners to help international businesses land confidently and grow quickly.

How does the North East compare to other UK regions for investment? Outside London, few UK regions can match the North East's combination of FDI job creation per capita, infrastructure investment pipeline, clean energy assets, and the depth of public and private sector alignment behind regional growth.

A Platform Built Across the Entire North East

ISS is not a single location business. We have offices and infrastructure spanning the whole of the North East, with hubs at Newcastle International Airport, Teesside International Airport, and the Port of Middlesbrough. We are one of the only organisations in the UK offering true multimodal soft landing support, helping international businesses arrive and establish themselves via Air, Road, Rail and Sea.

Our access to the Teesside Freeport adds another layer of commercial advantage for businesses looking to trade, manufacture, or distribute from the North East. Whether you are an international investor, an Indian or Gulf business exploring the UK market, or a high growth scaleup ready to scale globally, ISS gives you the full picture, not just a desk and a postcode.

To date we have supported over 17,000 SMEs and businesses on their growth journey, raised over £150 million in investment, and built a network of more than 300 service providers operating across our global ecosystem.

Ready to Grow Global?

The North East is one of the UK's most dynamic, best connected, and most investment ready regions. The infrastructure is here. The opportunity is here. And ISS is here to make sure you make the most of both.

Reach out to our Managing Director Umar Chaudhry now to find out how ISS can help you Grow Global.

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