Opportunity London led a high-level delegation on a 3-week tour of key Asia Pacific cities to meet with major investors and showcase our ‘London dozen’ of opportunities and a further £10bn in off market projects, along with understanding investors’ sentiment towards the Capital.
Singapore – Malaysia
We were joined by LS Estates’ Mark Swetman as we kicked off the trip with visits to two long-term Commonwealth nations where we met with over 50 capital investors seeking to enhance their London deployment.
There was high interest in student housing, prime office, BTR, energy transition, retrofit, infrastructure and transport led projects. Enthusiasm also shone through for the range of major regeneration led schemes we have in the London £20bn pipeline - including Network Rail Property anchor projects and our 2040 Olympic bid for Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC).
Our thanks to Tim Graham and full team at JLL Research and Capital Markets in both cities for their top insights and UK government Department for Business and Trade colleagues for leading some valuable connections including key events with Deputy High Commissioner for Singapore, Alex Bamford along with Acting High Commissioner for Malaysia, David Wallace.
We also attended a stimulating evening with Battersea Power Station Shareholder Board - our thanks to Opportunity London Steering Group member Sam Cotton for organising.
Hong Kong – Mipim Asia
Our next stop took us to Hong Kong and a busy three days at Mipim Asia, partnered by Department for Business and Trade and the City of London Corporation. We met over 50 capital investors as we were also joined by Opportunity London key partners LCA, Thames Estuary Growth Board and Yoo Capital - all seeking to unlock our next £100bn into and across London.
MTR Corporation Limited’s Hong Kong team shared their exciting projects in the pipeline, along with Far East Consortium International Chair, MD and UK lead Gavin Taylor
New UK Government Investment Minister, Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, was full of optimism and growth ambition as she spoke on the London Panel, presenting ‘five Ps for Global Investors’: planning, pensions, people, power and pounds.
Seoul – Tokyo
The final leg saw Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development join us as we travelled from Seoul to Tokyo.
In Seoul, we were hosted by the UK Ambassador at British Embassy where the Deputy Mayor spoke at the reception at the Residences.
We spent 48 hours with the top institutional and sovereign funds in Seoul setting out £20bn in on and off market investment opportunities into and across London, we were also joined by Daniel Bridge representing Royal Albert Docks and Yoo Capital for Olympia & Camden Film Quarter.
We closed out our whistlestop visit with an insightful roundtable and lunch hosted by Urban Land Institute Korea.
As we moved on to Tokyo for the final stop of the tour, it was clear that Japan sentiment towards London is strong and there is a strong desire to continue to expand investment into and across the Capital, supporting the UK government, Mayor of London & London Council’s drive for growth.
We met with institutional funds who look set to continue to invest with Opportunity London partners Lendlease and Related Argent to accelerate their London capital deployment.
We were supported by the Embassy of Japan in the UK with Ambassador Julia Longbottom and Department for Business and Trade colleagues.
Watch this space for some major deals being announced in the new year cemented from mission to the Asia Pacific.
