Since the year 2000, Liverpool has received over £4bn of private and public investment which has helped it to grow faster than any other city outside of London. The city’s steady redevelopment and economic climb has created a buzz around investment in the city which, unlike many locations in the UK, still offers investors substantial opportunities to invest.

source: http://www.peelwaters.co.uk

Since the year 2000, Liverpool has received over £4bn of private and public investment which has helped it to grow faster than any other city outside of London. The city’s steady redevelopment and economic climb has created a buzz around investment in the city which, unlike many locations in the UK, still offers investors substantial opportunities to invest.

Located in the North West of the UK, Liverpool is one of the UK’s major cities, with one of largest economies within the country, and is home to almost half a million people. In 2008, the city was designated European Capital of Culture by the EU in recognition of its history, cultural diversity, economic importance of its port, and the worldwide popularity of some of its cultural exports. What has interested economists and businesses is not Liverpool’s redevelopment, but the amount of investment which the city has received from overseas and especially Asian investors. It was the first European host of the Global Entrepreneurship Congress and new developments, such as Liverpool Waters, have helped highlight opportunities available for investors looking to expand their investment portfolio.

The Peel’s flagship projects Wirral Waters and Liverpool Waters are examples of developments which have attracted the attention of Chinese investors. The UK government has named the area in which they are located as ‘Enterprise Zones’ as they will eventually be regenerated and will be the new home of 9,000 apartments, office blocks, hotels, shops and restaurants. Notably, Stella Shiu, a high-ranking member of the Chinese government and chairman of the Sam Na Minerals company, has invested £25m in the project, which has helped promote Liverpool as a strong investment option for international investors. Helping to further bond ties with Asian investors, Liverpool City Council is set to create a Chinese version of its website due to an overwhelming influx of website traffic from China. Helen Wang, a City of Liverpool Consultant, has commented on how the city will strengthen its ties with Asian investors. “With sustained effort I am confident it won’t be long before more and more Chinese companies understand Liverpool's strengths and think seriously about locating their business in and around Liverpool,” Wang stated. “Thanks to Liverpool’s Vision’s hugely successful promotion of Liverpool at the World Expo in 2010 and the twin city relationship with Shanghai perceptions are very positive. Many people in Shanghai see Liverpool as a beautiful city and they associate it strongly with the Beatles and football. Government and business representatives I speak to recognise similarities between the two cities. They point to the fact that both are coastal cities which have shared the same challenges moving from an industrial to a service driven economy.

The fact that both Shanghai and Liverpool are both committed to promoting creative industries is also seen as firm common ground,” Wang continued. Liverpool Vision is the city’s economic development company which focuses on enabling the city to compete on an international level. Its presence has enabled the city to accelerate marketing to overseas investors and has played a key role in Liverpool’s regeneration. The city has now become one of the UK’s key hubs for Asian investors and has hosted a number of events aimed at capturing the attention of Asian Tiger investors. The city recently hosted a month-long UK business expo planned to help drive the rebalance of UK export growth and also an ‘It’s Liverpool in China Event’ which welcomed over 70 business leaders. There has also been an upward trend in Asian investors purchasing student housing for sale in Liverpool – and across the rest of the UK – due to the stable returns the sector has to offer.

The rise in popularity of the asset class combined with an influx of non-EU applicants has created a demand from Asian investors. As, Knight Franks puts it, “A UK university education continues to be held in high esteem around the world and this demand is set to expand exponentially in line with global wealth generation.” This is certainly true with Asian investors with the UK now only second to Australia in terms of it highest amount of overseas students. Statistics released by UCAS for the 2012 Jan 15^th application deadline showed that was a 13.7% rise in demand from Non-EU overseas students. The unprecedented demand from rising student numbers and an undersupply of student housing for sale has made the asset class very popular for Asian investors.

It seems that Liverpool is fast becoming a ‘Gateway to the world’ and offers investors some very unique investment opportunities. Liverpool was recently granted ‘turn-around’ status by the UK government which is set to create a boom in overnight tourism spend. Economists have forecasted that the approval of allowing cruise liners to begin and end their voyages in Liverpool will inject up to £100 million in trade into the city. Author: Gemma Stephenson Experience International