"A place where trade flows, industries thrive and the future is built."

This quarter, we were excited to unveil our Humber Freeport brand video.

Teased for the first time at Innovation Zero at London’s Olympia, it was then shown in full at both UKREiiF in Leeds and Offshore Wind Connections 2025 in Hull.

The film captures the essence of Humber Freeport, highlights what has been delivered so far, and offers a glimpse into our region’s prosperous future.

A huge thank you to Nova Studios for bringing our story to life, and to all of our partners who contributed footage – Associated British Ports, CATCH, C4DI, Drax, Future Humber, Ideal Heating, Siemens Gamesa, Siemens Mobility and the University of Hull.

The Government’s new Industrial Strategy has placed freeports firmly at the centre of its growth plans.

The newly-published strategy recognises the impact of UK freeports in “playing an important role in building the foundations for long-term regional and national growth".

It represents a strong backing from Government in the importance of freeports to UK plc, reflecting the pivotal role they play in driving investment into high-growth sectors like clean energy, advanced manufacturing and logistics.

Published alongside the Industrial Strategy was the UK Freeports Programme Report, which showed the 12 UK freeports have together secured £6.4bn of private investment.

The Government’s restated commitment to freeports follows a major move forward for the Humber region, with the election of Luke Campbell as Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire and Dame Andrea Jenkyns as Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, supported by newly-established combined authorities for each area.

It means the Humber has seats at the table and two powerful political advocates, as increasing powers and funding are devolved from Whitehall to the regions.

The Humber is united and aligned on its proposition – to be a clean energy powerhouse and unlock £15bn of private investment – and has a clear ask of Government; to provide the economic conditions and business confidence which will turbocharge our region and lead the UK’s drive to net zero.

For that to happen, collaboration is vital.

Speaking at an event during Humber Business Week, our CEO Simon Green said “the big tectonic plates in the Humber are joining up, as we move in one direction with a clear and focused strategy”.

The Humber’s time is now – we must seize the opportunity. for the benefit of the region’s people and communities.

Our Head Of Investment

We are delighted to announce Richard Beason as our Head of Investment.

Richard joins the Freeport from North Yorkshire Council, where he has served as Economic Development Manager for the past four years.

In his previous role, Richard led on inward investment activity for the Council, including engagement with developers, investors and potential new businesses to the area and developing investment propositions.

Prior to that, he has spent time at Birmingham City University, working as its Growth Hub Account Manager, and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, as Growth Hub Business Adviser.

Living just outside Howden, East Yorkshire, Richard brings to the Freeport extensive public and private sector experience. Having previously owned his own businesses, Richard has now turned his focus to helping other companies grow and thrive.

In his new role as Head of Investment, Richard will develop and implement an action plan to attract inward investors, building on the strategy set out in our Final Business Case.

He will work alongside our Board, Government and stakeholders to develop investor propositions in key sectors.

Welcome to Humber Freeport, Richard, it’s brilliant to have you on board!

It’s been a busy three months for Humber Freeport!

We’ve been sharing our progress, investment opportunities and bold proposition with audiences far and wide.

To everyone who has seen us at an event in recent months, thank you for coming to say hello!

In case you missed us, here’s a snapshot of where we’ve been this quarter:

We were proud to join around a dozen organisations from across the Humber region at Innovation Zero, the UK’s largest net zero conference, held at London’s Olympia.

Together, we formed the Humber Pavilion – a true showcase of the collaborative spirit we are harnessing to drive sustainable economic growth.

Brought together by Future Humber, the Freeport stood alongside organisations including Phillips 66, px Group, Uniper, RWE, Humber Energy Board and SSE Thermal.

We also hosted a breakout session focused on hydrogen energy, joined by leading voices from Equinor, Meld Energy and Air Products.

Read all about it: www.humberfreeport.org/freeport-and-partners-promote-humbers-powerful-hydrogen-opportunity-at-innovation-zero/

For a second year running, we were at UKREiiF– the UK’s largest property and infrastructure event, held at the Royal Armouries and New Dock Hall in Leeds.

The Humber maintained a strong presence throughout the conference, with representation from all four local authorities, and private sector partners, including Wykeland Group, Sewell Group, Associated British Ports, Able UK and the University of Lincoln.

Central to discussions at UKREiiF was the Humber’s distinctive proposition as a world-leading hub for green energy and advanced manufacturing, alongside its significant potential to attract large-scale investment through collaborative partnerships. 

Read about our time at UKREiiF: www.humberfreeport.org/humber-freeport-showcases-investment-momentum-at-ukreiif-2025/

We were pleased to support Offshore Wind Connections in Hull, returning as a Silver Sponsor for the conference.

Sarah Duckering, Executive Director of Research, Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Services at the University of Hull, spoke on behalf of Humber Freeport, and emphasised that the Humber must “join the dots” and connect people and skills to long-term employment opportunities.

Offshore Wind Connections attracted hundreds of regional, national and international delegates, and focused on the latest developments and market opportunities in the wind industry. Read more here: www.humberfreeport.org/humber-freeport-returns-to-offshore-wind-connections-as-silver-sponsor/

We featured in two prominent events during Humber Business Week 2025.

Our CEO, Simon Green, was invited to join a panel at Hull’s C4DI tech hub to discuss how innovation and collaboration can future-proof the UK’s supply chain.

The event was hosted by Hull-based logistics technology provider Yard Ops, and brought together industry experts, thought leaders and digital innovators to explore how to drive resilience and sustainability across the sector.

We also teamed up with our partners, Future Humber and the Humber Energy Board, to host a blockbuster breakout session at The Business Day, held at Bridlington Spa. Read more on our website: www.humberfreeport.org/rising-stars-put-elected-leaders-on-the-spot-with-business-big-issues/

Uniting with forward-thinking Humber organisations, the Freeport had a strong presence at Reset Connect – forming part of London Climate Action Week.

Led by Future Humber, the Freeport joined influential partners Air Products, Equinor, Phillips 66, Siemens Gamesa, SSE Thermal and Uniper.

It was a demonstration of the Humber’s leadership in sustainability, amplifying the region’s collective voice and ambition to be a world leader in clean growth.

Our latest Investor Insight interview was with Henry Wheldon, Director and Head of Region (Yorkshire) at Henry Boot Developments (HBD).

HBD – working with landowner St John’s College Cambridge – is planning to create up to 5.5m sq ft of industrial space at the Goole freeport tax site, adjacent to the M62 motorway.

Tom explained how freeport status had further enhanced the opportunity for investors in the East Yorkshire town.

You can read the full interview with Tom here: www.humberfreeport.org/8570-2/

Humber’s ‘tectonic plates are joining up’ as Freeport joins logistics event during region’s Business Week

Our CEO joined logistics experts to discuss how innovation and collaboration can future-proof the UK’s supply chain

Our Prop Star shares his insights on this year’s event

Each year, Humber Freeport brings a young property professional to UKREiiF to experience this extraordinary event. This year, we’re delighted to have Harry Hopkin, 24, a Consultant at Sewell Advisory

Government’s Industrial Strategy highlights impact of UK freeports programme

Humber Freeport has welcomed the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which placed freeports at the centre of its growth plans.

Planning Permission Granted for new Industrial Decarbonisation Centre and Renewable Energy Training Centre at CATCH

The new development includes an Industrial Decarbonisation Centre and a new build Renewable Energy Training Centre, both set to officially open in early 2026.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions, or want to know more about investment opportunities across our sites, please get in touch via contact@humberfreeport.org or visit our website at www.humberfreeport.org/contact.

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