Event shines the spotlight on Reading's economic future

September 18 will see Reading’s progress as an economic hub take centre stage at a South East Business Insider networking breakfast event.

Panellists at the event include Emma Gee, Director for Economic Growth, Reading Borough Council; Guy Hembury, Director of Commercialisation & Partnerships, Reading University; Alex Aitchison, UK Managing Director, Lincoln MGT; and Ray Berry, CFO, Ciphr.

Ciphr’s Berry has been CFO since September 2021, and is responsible for all financial and legal matters in the business; including M&A. Ciphr is not only a great voice to have on the panel as a major presence in the region, but also illustrative of the way Reading is attracting dynamic businesses, with the company having recently moved to a new HQ in the centre of town.

Since joining Lincoln at the launch of their UK operations, Aitchison has overseen a range of projects, including the £850m mixed-use development Station Hill in Reading - one of the largest and most ambitious projects Reading has ever seen.

Station Hill is planned for 625,000 sq ft of prime office space, which will host more than 8,000 employees, as well as 1,300 private and affordable homes, a 600-unit Build-to-Rent community, 100,000 sq ft of new lifestyle-led retail and leisure space and two acres of new public space designed to be accessible to the public.

Gee is executive director of economic growth and neighbourhood services at Reading Borough Council, and will help discuss this scenario, as she’s a qualified town planner, with more than 20 years local government experience.

Meanwhile, Guy Hembury is director of knowledge exchange commercialisation & partnerships at the University of Reading. The academic institution has a first-rate record in several avenues, inducing arts and humanities, agriculture and sustainability.

The free-to-attend networking event will bring together business and civic leaders to discuss how Reading has grown from being a commuter town to a centre of commerce, innovation and leisure - and what its future holds.

The event will cover:

How can employers and officials build on Reading’s durability and success?

What kinds of dynamic opportunities are there for new ventures, such as the £300m Shinfield Film Studios?

How can the town celebrate and utilise its rich history and DNA, including plans for the famous Reading Gaol?

What do developments such as the £750m project for offices and homes at Station Hill mean for Reading?

Investment Forum Reading

Wednesday 18 September 2024

The Meadow Suite, University of Reading

Register for the event here.