East Midlands Business Link’s latest coverage highlights a £1bn investment for Northamptonshire’s Artificial Intelligence industry, welcomed by Professor Anne-Marie Kilday, vice chancellor of the University of Northampton, who also urged local collaboration. General news also features Northampton Town’s partnership with NexGen Business Finance, plans for major investment in north Nottinghamshire roads, and Taylor Woodrow’s appointment to deliver improvements on the A511. The region is additionally set to benefit from significant United States investment, with over £900m earmarked for the Midlands.
Property headlines are led by an Artificial Intelligence data centre set to open in Chelveston, Northamptonshire, focusing on complex healthcare and logistics applications. Regeneration momentum continues as Chesterfield Market traders welcome the completion of the town’s main square revamp. Elsewhere, a design team has been revealed for a leisure and office development in Swadlincote, Worksop’s Health and Wellbeing Hub has reached a construction milestone, and Tilia Homes will deliver 560 new homes at Ashton Green. In Daventry, a former bank site has been approved for a 24-hour casino, signaling mixed-use growth across the region.
Finance updates include the Bank of England holding interest rates at 4 percent and warnings that seismic tax changes could affect Midlands family businesses. Funding and deals remain active: a Nottinghamshire digital agency secured £20,000 to expand staff and equipment; a Loughborough University spinout raised £400,000; and the United Kingdom games industry is calling for stronger tax support. Corporate activity spans ONYX Insight’s acquisition of blade specialist Eleven-i, reports of improved business cashflow heading into autumn, six-figure funding for TSC Simulation, the administration of SOS Wholesale with job losses, and SOCOTEC UK and Ireland’s acquisition of Lloyds Datum Group.
Manufacturing news shows a weak start to the second half of the year for East Midlands firms, with output and orders turning negative, though skills pipelines are in focus as British Steel welcomes 56 new apprentices across United Kingdom sites. Rolls-Royce has appointed Balfour Beatty for a key element of its Raynesway expansion in Derby, while a cluster of Derbyshire engineering firms has collapsed, affecting local supply chains. GIC has secured the future manufacture of Cotswold Mechanical weighers. Leadership moves include the upcoming retirement of Rykneld Homes’ managing director, a new managing director at Alphageek Digital, the reappointment of the East Midlands Freeport chair, and WBR Group strengthening its legal team, alongside V Formation’s expanded digital marketing capability.
Community and skills development feature prominently out of office, with Lincolnshire agrifood leaders calling for targeted skills investment to underpin long-term growth. Nottingham companies have teamed up to raise funds for a men’s mental health charity, North East Lincolnshire council has launched business tendering workshops, and a donation has enabled Footprints to complete a sensory room and install a community coffee bar at its new Clifton centre.
