Innovate UK has announced £30 million of extension funding to a highly successful pilot programme that is shaping the future of UK industrial strategy.
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
- 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.
Building on existing £100 million investment
This extension funding builds on the £100 million already invested into the programme.
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.
Glasgow City Region
In Glasgow City Region it is developing clusters such as:
- advanced manufacturing
- space and photonics
- healthcare
- precision medicine
Greater Manchester
Meanwhile in Greater Manchester, it is leveraging strengths in:
- high performance materials
- health innovation
- advanced manufacturing
- digital technology
West Midlands
In the West Midlands, it is harnessing strengths in advanced manufacturing to unlock new opportunities and sectors in:
- healthcare
- health diagnostics
- the transition to net zero
26 regional projects
Following review by Innovate UK and locally, the 26 regional projects have been announced and, as a result, have spearheaded innovation across sectors to:
- unlock new technologies
- attract private investment
- create or sustain high-value jobs
The IA programme has helped to catalyse transformative innovation projects and bolster the UK’s global competitiveness.