Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Glasgow City region have been awarded an extra £20m each by the UK government to accelerate the science and tech-focused efforts of the regions.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall made the funding announcement ahead of the Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham later this week.
The new funding for the 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/Londonderry and West Yorkshire.
The funding package means local leaders in these three areas now have access to a total of £50m each to fund science and technology innovations.
“The UK is blessed with incredible science and tech talent behind everything from life-saving vaccines to cleaner fuels that could cut bills in the years to come, improving the lives of people up and down the country,” said Kendall.
“These prized sectors are also major drivers of economic growth in local communities. 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.”
The additional funding will enable more spinouts, like Chemify in Glasgow, 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 startups and SMEs so they can turn early-stage ideas into viable products. This ranges from tech that 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, which takes organic residues like sawdust or fallen trees and converts them into usable low‑carbon products.
The government is also inviting further bids of up to £20m from high potential innovation clusters in all other regions of the UK.
The Regional Investment Summit on Tuesday 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 our nations and regions.
