The State of the Humber 2026

The State of the Humber report highlights the region’s energy security and resilience as central to its role as a UK industrial powerhouse. 

A new report published today by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) and Arup shows the Humber remains one of the UK’s most significant industrial clusters. Its strengths in clean energy, chemicals and advanced manufacturing are central to the UK’s future economic growth and decarbonisation ambitions. 

The State of the Humber report looks at region’s economic structure across both banks of the Humber Estuary, comparing how different sectors perform in terms of productivity and geographic concentration with the national average. 

The analysis finds that the Humber’s clean energy sector has both higher than average productivity and prevalence in the region, with electricity, gas and steam supply showing productivity levels well above the UK average. The area’s chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector is also highly concentrated, with employment levels more than three times the national average, highlighting the Humber’s position as a nationally important industrial cluster. 

These sectors form the backbone of the Humber economy, underpinning major national supply chains while providing a platform for future growth in offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture to enable industrial decarbonisation. 

The report also highlights opportunities to unlock further growth: expanding smaller high-performing sectors and increasing productivity in areas that employ a large proportion of the population but could be lag behind in output. 

The report sets out three priorities for policymakers and industry to unlock the Humber’s next phase of economic growth: 

• Protect the Humber’s mature industrial clusters, particularly chemicals and clean energy, through investment in innovation, skills and supply chains. 
• Boost productivity in foundational manufacturing sectors, such as machinery and vehicle manufacturing, through technology adoption and programmes similar to the successful Made Smarter initiative. 
• Grow areas of the economy which have higher productivity but are employing less people than the national average 

Alongside the economic analysis, the report also highlights the wider conditions needed to support investment in the Humber, including grid infrastructure upgrades, water security for industrial expansion, environmental permitting reform and long-term flood resilience for coastal communities. 

Paula Walsh, Executive Director EIMEA, Arup, said: 

“Arup is committed to the long-term regeneration and economic uplift of the Humber, playing an active role as a technical integrator, key regional stakeholder and collaborator.  

We strongly support the priorities set out in the State of the Humber report and stand ready to help drive the next phase of clean growth, productivity and resilience across this nationally significant industrial heartland.” 

Aglaja Schneider, Joint UK&I CEO for Siemens Mobility, said: 

 “The Humber’s position as one of the UK’s leading industrial clusters comes as no surprise to us. Our investment of up to £240 million in our Rail Village in Goole, Yorkshire reflects our strong confidence in the region’s future. Built on a bold vision to create a world-class rail manufacturing hub, the facility will bring up to 1,000 jobs to the East Riding of Yorkshire and support around 1,700 supply chain opportunities, further promoting localisation. With a clear pipeline from government, businesses like ours will have the certainty needed to continue investing and deliver the next generation of rail travel right here in Britain.” 

Graeme Davies, EVP CCS, Harbour Energy said:  

“Viking CCS has the potential to play a pivotal role in transforming the Humber into a world‑leading industrial region, supporting high‑value jobs and skills development. The State of the Humber report highlights the region’s defining industrial strengths of which Viking CCS is a part. We look forward to continuing to progress the project – which is at a strong state of readiness and maturity – with our key local partners to unlock its economic benefits.” 

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: 

“The Humber is one of the UK’s most important industrial clusters, with real strengths in energy, chemicals and advanced manufacturing that are central to the country’s economic future. Our analysis shows that these sectors are not only significant in scale, but among the most productive parts of the regional economy. 

“But the opportunity now is to build on those strengths. That means backing clean energy and industrial decarbonisation, addressing long-standing gaps in research and development, and supporting businesses to move further up the value chain. 

With the right investment and policy framework, the Humber can play a leading role in driving growth, strengthening the UK’s industrial base and delivering the transition to a more sustainable economy.” 

Notes

• The State of the Humber was produced by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership in partnership with Ove Arup & Partners Ltd. 
• The report analyses sectoral productivity and geographic concentration across East Yorkshire, Hull and Northern Lincolnshire using ONS data, including the Business Register and Employment Survey and GERD datasets. 
• About Arup: Arup is a global built environment consultancy providing advisory and technical expertise for our clients across more than 130 disciplines. We create safe, resilient, and regenerative places. www.Arup.com 

Read the report here: