Innovate UK has announced £30 million of further funding to extend its highly successful pilot programme that is shaping the future of UK industrial strategy into 2026.
The Innovation Accelerator (IA) programme focuses on locally-led innovation that drives economic growth and technological advancement across three key UK regions Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester abd the West Midlands.
The IA programme is led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
This extension funding builds on the £100 million already invested into the programme covering 26 regional projects to catalyse transformative innovation and bolster the UK’s global competitiveness.
The pilot is co-designed with city regions and takes a fresh approach to accelerate innovation and support them to become globally competitive research and development powerhouses.
In Greater Manchester, the Innovation Accelerator is leveraging strengths in high performance materials, health innovation, advanced manufacturing and digital technology.
Greater Manchester’s Innovation Accelerator is backing 10 projects;
- Future Homes at The University of Salford,
- Turing Innovation Catalyst at The University of Manchester,
- Energy accelerator for Non-Domestic Buildings from the Energy Innovation Agency,
- GM Advanced Diagnostics Accelerator from Health Innovation Manchester,
- Greater Manchester Electrochemcial Hydrogen Cluster at Manchester Metropolitan University,
- AR EdTech for Hydrogen from The Blair Project,
- CEAMS from Rochdale Development Agency,
- Centre for Digital Innovation at Manchester Metropolitan University,
- DEVOTE at The University of Manchester,
- MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub at The Landing at MediaCityUK Ltd
The pilot programme is a partnership between local government, business and research institutions to help attract private R&D investment and overcome barriers to cluster growth.
Following review by Innovate UK and locally, the 26 regional projects have spearheaded innovation across sectors to unlock new technologies, attract private investment and create or sustain high-value jobs
Dean Cook, Executive Director for Place and Global at Innovate UK, added:
The Innovation Accelerator pilot stands as a testament to the power of uniting national strategies with locally empowered decision-making.
At the heart of our approach lies the principle of co-creation, recognising the wisdom of local people with a deep understanding of local strengths and knowing best their needs.
This local knowledge is complemented by our reach at Innovate UK as the national innovation agency, linking these regional clusters with opportunities provided by national and international networks both within Government and beyond.
It is fantastic to secure additional funding for this programme which is making a meaningful impact on the lives of local communities whether that be improved access to healthcare, more efficient infrastructure or a cleaner and greener environment.
I can’t wait to see what can be achieved in this next iteration of the programme.
