The Science and Technology Secretary has announced that Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and Glasgow City Region will receive £20 million each to unlock game-changing local innovations like robotics to drive new medicines or AI that can spot illnesses earlier.
Ahead of the landmark Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham on Tuesday, the funding package will give local leaders a total of £50m each to fund innovations in science and technology in their local areas.
The new funding for three regions is the latest commitment from the Government’s £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) and builds on the initial £30m earmarked for each place in June’s Spending Review, along with seven others across the UK, including Cardiff City Region, Belfast-Derry and West Yorkshire.
The government is also inviting further bids of up to £20m from high potential innovation clusters in all other regions of the UK. This will support local leaders to invest in local innovation strengths from advanced manufacturing and life sciences to digital technologies and clean energy.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “The world’s brightest talents and most innovative businesses can be found in every corner of the UK, but years of chronic underinvestment have held them back.
“We are putting a stop to this unfairness by investing in every part of the country. From Glasgow to Birmingham, we are fuelling innovation through our Plan for Change, delivering skilled jobs, and building an economy that works for, and rewards working people.”
Advancing new science and technology discoveries
This month’s bumper funding package will back teams across the country to scale-up and drive forward more science and technology discoveries.
Funding like this is crucial for recognising the benefits they bring to people’s everyday lives – from keeping us healthy, to reducing delays on our commute, to building a greener planet with cheaper bills.
This additional funding will enable more spinouts like Chemify in Glasgow, which was backed by Government funding, to help create the world’s first ‘Chemputation’ facility – merging AI-powered molecular‑design engines with industrial robotics to speed up discovery of medicines and materials.
Elsewhere, regional funding has boosted Greater Manchester’s growth into a global AI hub, connecting university technical expertise to start-ups and SMEs so they can turn early-stage ideas into viable products – from tech which can predict disease progression earlier to work on net zero innovations to decarbonise buildings.
In the West Midlands, the additional funding could enable more projects like Biochar CleanTech, taking organic residues like sawdust or fallen trees and converting them into usable low‑carbon products.
A boost for local jobs
The projects launched under the predecessor Innovation Accelerators programme has delivered more than £140 million of private investment and hundreds of jobs, creating more opportunities for people to pursue careers in science and technology.
This comes ahead of the Regional Investment Summit, which will bring together business leaders, major investors, policymakers, regulators, regional mayors and other local leaders to showcase the breadth and depth of opportunities to invest, expand and create jobs right across the nation.
Ahead of the Summit, the Chancellor has pledged that no region will be locked out of the investment, jobs and growth being delivered as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
“The science and technology sectors are major drivers of economic growth in local communities,” stated Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
“By backing those with the knowledge to home in on local strengths and supporting valued businesses in building the facilities that can set our country apart, we can lead the next generation of life-changing discoveries.”
First investments of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund
To further support innovative growth in science and technology across local regions, the government is also announcing the first two investments to be delivered through round one of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF).
Medicines manufacturer Sterling Pharmaceuticals is investing in a 60,0002 ft state-of-the-art new manufacturing and R&D centre in Birmingham.
Meanwhile, medtech company Biocomposites is bringing forward a new manufacturing facility at Keele.
Besides creating and safeguarding dozens of high-skilled jobs, these facilities will ensure that valuable medicines are made here in the UK, bolstering the country’s resilience to health emergencies.
