Transport and infrastructure to lead debate at UK Northern Powerhouse conference

Senior transport figures will gather at next month’s UK Northern Powerhouse International Conference to debate the investments announced in the government’s industrial strategy and outline what further measures are needed to rebalance the UK economy.     

Taking place in Manchester on 21-22 February, the conference is expected to attract over 3,000 business delegates, including major national UK companies and delegations from India, China, US and Australia. The two-day event will include two sessions on transport and infrastructure, one on ‘air and road’ and the second on ‘port and rail’.

Speakers at these sessions include: 

• David Brown, CEO, Transport for the North 
• Elliot Shaw, Executive Director for Strategy and Planning, Highways England 
• Graeme Mason, Planning & Corporate Affairs Director, Newcastle International Airport 
• Andreas Köster, Senior Director Sales UK, Lufthansa Group
• Paul Griffiths, Phase Two Development Director, HS2
• Alex Hynes, Managing Director, Arriva Rail North 
• Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director, Network Rail 
• Kate Willard, Chair, Atlantic Gateway & Head of Corporate Projects, Stobart Group 
• James Cooper, Chairman, Associated British Ports 

The prime minister’s industrial strategy outlined earlier this week singled out infrastructure projects across the north including the Goole intermodal terminal, aimed at linking the east Yorkshire town’s existing rail, sea, motorway and waterway hubs. 

Additional speakers at February’s conference include Andrew Percy MP, minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Lord Kerslake, chair of the UK Northern Powerhouse Advisory Board and Lord O’Neill of Gatley. 

Business leaders from across the major cities of the north will also be attending including from Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds. It will include interactive sessions with top firms such as Nissan, Cisco, Yorkshire Bank and Stobart Group, as well as the Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors and Federation of Small Businesses. 

The conference is the biggest cross-sector gathering of northern businesses in the UK. It will be held in Manchester Central on 21 and 22 February and topics being addressed during the conference include manufacturing, transport and infrastructure, finance and delivery, devolution, competitiveness and productivity and energy. 

Infrastructure Intelligence readers can get a 25% discount off ticket prices for the event by entering the special discount code infraintel25% when booking tickets via the conference website.