Steel City hosts global convention

Horasis 2017 is set to attract 300 people, including 150 senior Chinese businessmen and women. The event is considered by many to be alongside the Davos economic summit in terms of its influence.

The summit in November will investigate sustainable business practices, innovation and collaborations to build vibrant economies.

The Steel City received formal confirmation of the news at Interlaken, Switzerland, and was marked by an official handover address by SCR Chairman, Sir Nigel Knowles.

He said: “With everyone pulling together, and a great sense of community, we are achieving transformational change and building a thriving, super-connected and successful economy. Chinese partners are a major and growing part of Sheffield City Region’s unfolding success story, with the biggest Chinese investment outside London coming to the city centre earlier this year. This is exactly the kind of approach championed by Horasis.

“The organisers of this important international conference have made this excellent decision because of the growing confidence and interest from global investors in Sheffield City Region. Last year more than 1,000 jobs were created here by international companies and this growth has brought in £97 million in capital investment.”

Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, a partnership of local authorities and business leaders, was invited to bid to host the summit following the appointment of Sir Nigel Knowles as chairman in January.

The City Region beat off stiff competition from around the globe.

Dr Frank-Jürgen Richter, the Swiss-based chairman of Horasis, said: “It is clearly a region with an international outlook which is ahead of the game in defining the issues that need to be tackled.”