£50 million R&D initiative launched to upscale and develop local firms

Three projects launched in the West Midlands are receiving £50 million of support from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to help businesses develop and scale near to market products and services.

Businesses operating in the high growth clusters of advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and creative technology can now submit expressions of interest (EOI) for research and development funding support from the £50 million allocated to the West Midlands through the UK government’s £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

Led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is designed to support the development and scaling of high-potential, existing and emerging innovation clusters across the UK.

It brings together local leaders, businesses and research organisations to build on regional strengths; creating high-quality jobs, driving innovation-led productivity, and attracting additional public and private investment into communities nationwide.

The clusters prioritised for this funding were announced by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker earlier this year.

A formal launch, attended by the Mayor, Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, and Mike Wright, Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board, was held in Birmingham on Friday 3 July to mark the next phase of delivery.

These projects will support the West Midlands Growth Plan and will help unlock more than £200 million in private capital and create a £700 million long-term economic legacy in the region.

They will also support the Growth Plan’s ambition to grow GVA by £17 billion by 2035, and create 100,000 high-quality jobs.

Following the launch, Lord Vallance visited the new laboratory for the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) at Aston University and Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC) while in the city.

West Midlands mayor Richard Parker said: “Our track record of investing in the right ideas at the right time has already created hundreds of jobs and attracted millions in private investment. Government is now backing us to do even more through this record innovation funding deal.

“These research labs and tech studios are as important to our economy today as the factories of previous generations that made the West Midlands the ‘workshop of the world’.

“We’re determined to cement our role as a global leader in the industries of the future by backing a new generation of innovators and pioneers to turn their big ideas into commercial success.”

Lord Vallance, minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, added: “Innovation is fundamental to achieving economic growth, which is why we want to support the development of new tech right across the country, including here in the West Midlands.

“These projects will help secure the region's status as an engine for growth in advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and creative technologies – with the local partnership expecting to deliver more than 2,300 skilled jobs and helping unlock more than £180 million in private investment.

“The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is ensuring the expertise we have right across the country is playing an active role in shaping the future of our economy and in cementing our position as a world leader in science and innovation.”

LIPF is open to innovative organisations of all sizes based in the West Midlands, including startups, scale-ups, SMEs, large companies, and research organisations.

Eligibility is driven by the active role the organisation plays in developing, commercialising, or scaling technologies within the three priority sectors.

Businesses must also be part of a “triple helix” partnership – a collaborative network between private industry, academic research partners, and the public sector.

Funding will be delivered across three flagship innovation programmes, including FORGE for Advanced Manufacturing, Clinical Trials Catalyst for Health and Life Sciences, and Creative Industries Scale-up Lab (CISL) for Creative and Immersive Technologies.

Businesses can now register an expression of interest for funding and partnership opportunities via the Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) website.

Pictured from left to right: Mike Wright, CHAIR of the West Midlands Innovation Board; Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear; and Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.