IFM Investors, super funds welcome UK Supers Unit to deepen investment partnership

Industry superannuation and pension fund owned IFM Investors today welcomed the UK Government’s creation of a dedicated Supers Unit within the UK Office for Investment (OFI) – a new point of contact designed to help Australian superannuation funds identify and progress opportunities to invest in the UK.

The UK Government has highlighted key projects in clean energy, infrastructure, housing and innovation as priority areas for investment. The OFI is a joint unit of HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street.

Australia’s superannuation system is the fourth largest in the world and continues to grow rapidly, with more than 60 cents of every new dollar of retirement savings now invested overseas. Over the next five years, Australia’s pool of superannuation capital is expected to become the second largest outside the United States.

Super funds continue to seek global diversification to help deliver long-term returns for workers’ retirement savings. We believe the UK is an attractive investment destination, supported by mature infrastructure markets, a stable regulatory environment, and a pipeline of high-quality assets well suited to long-term retirement outcomes.

As £2.1 billion flows into the super system each week, Australian retirement savings are already playing an increasingly important role in the UK economy. As of mid-2025, Australian pension funds had invested £41 billion in the UK - nearly one in every five dollars invested overseas by these funds – supporting thousands of jobs and driving investment across energy, transport, digital and social infrastructure, while seeking to deliver long-term returns for their members.

A number of Australian superannuation funds and investors, including IFM Investors, AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Aware Super and Rest have offices in London and have steadily grown their presence in the UK over time.

Looking ahead, as Australian funds continue to seek high-quality global opportunities to diversify risk and enhance returns, investment in the UK is expected to grow further, with more than £99 billion projected to be deployed over the next decade.

The announcement follows UK pension fund NEST becoming an owner of IFM Investors and two recent acquisitions by funds managed by IFM: the agreed acquisition of the remaining 50% equity interest in UK-headquartered renewable energy platform Nala Renewables, and the acquisition of 100% of Briggs Equipment UK Limited , a leading provider of materials handling  and specialist rental equipment across the UK and Ireland.

It also follows the signing of the Australia-UK Pensions Investment Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) by Rachel Reeves and Jim Chalmers, reinforcing a shared commitment to deepen cooperation and accelerate investment into UK projects.

Quotes attributable to IFM Investors Head of Global External Relations David Whiteley:

“Super is built to deliver workers a decent retirement after years of hard work. This means finding high-quality, resilient opportunities across the world.

“For Australian funds, the UK is a natural partner: it’s a familiar market with a deep pipeline in the energy transition and essential infrastructure, and sophisticated pensions system.

“We will continue to work closely with the UK Government so Australian workers’ retirement savings, alongside UK pension funds such as Nest, can help get quality projects off the ground, support jobs and communities, and deliver long-term returns for workers in retirement.”

Quote attributable to UK Minister for Investment Lord Stockwood:

“The UK is a thriving business hub, and our Supers Unit will pave the way for vital investment into key UK projects, helping to deliver long-term economic growth while boosting our already strong trade relationship with Australia.

“In an unstable world, our Modern Industrial Strategy is providing international businesses the stability they need to invest in Britain not just for the next year, but for the next 10 years and beyond.”

Quote attributable to Australian Retirement Trust Chief Investment Officer Ian Patrick:

“As a meaningful global investor, Australian Retirement Trust has an on-the-ground presence in the UK to support us identifying investment opportunities across the UK and Europe that contribute to long-term retirement outcomes for members. We welcome initiatives that help build deeper collaboration between the UK and Australia and further enable us pursue our investment program.”

Quote attributable to AustralianSuper Deputy CIO and Head of International Damian Moloney:

"AustralianSuper welcomes today’s announcement by the UK Government. The UK has been a key investment hub and base for operations for the Fund for a decade, and we now have more than £29 billion of member funds currently invested in the UK and Europe. We look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with the UK Government to ensure the best investment outcomes for the Fund’s 3.7 million members." 

Quote attributable to Aware Super CIO Simon Warner:

“Aware Super established a permanent presence in London in 2023, reflecting our conviction that the UK offers the long-duration, high-quality assets our members need to fund their secure retirements. The “Supers Unit” is a welcome initiative as it recognises the growing scale of Australian superannuation capital, and will make it easier to deploy that capital into projects that deliver for both our members and the communities in which we invest.”

Quote attributable to HESTA CEO Debby Blakey:

“HESTA welcomes efforts to reduce barriers to investment and build stronger networks between our two markets. As a fund that invests globally on behalf of more than one million members, we recognise cross-border investment opportunities can deliver strong long-term returns while supporting economic growth.

"We have significant infrastructure and property investments in the UK, working alongside IFM and our other world-class partners. Initiatives like this can support further investment in areas such as the digital and energy transitions where HESTA has a strong focus."

Quote attributable to Super Members Council CEO Misha Schubert

“As Australia’s super system grows, global diversification will play an even bigger role in delivering strong, stable returns for everyday Australians. Partnerships like this help unlock high‑quality investment pipelines, while ensuring Australian retirement savings are positioned to benefit from long‑term global growth.”

Media contacts:

UK – Eloise Thorpe +44 7525 806 755 | [email protected]

Australia – Jamila Fontana 0407 251 130 | [email protected]

About IFM Investors 

IFM Investors is an anglo-Australian global asset manager, founded and owned by pension funds, with capabilities in infrastructure equity and debt, private equity, private credit, real estate and listed equities. Our purpose is to invest, protect and grow the long-term retirement savings of working people.

With assets under management of approximately $267.6 billion AUD as of 31 March 2026, we serve over 800 institutional investors worldwide, operating from 16 offices across Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

*Data sourced from https://mandalapartners.com/reports/bridging-the-gap