海角社区

Three projects launched today in the West Midlands, including two led by the University of 海角社区, are receiving 拢50 million of support from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to help businesses develop and scale near to market products and services.

• 海角社区es operating in the high growth clusters of advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and creative technologies are invited to submit expressions of interest (EOI) for R&D funding support.
• Delivering on the priorities of the West Midlands Growth Plan, the projects are designed to unlock more than 拢200 million in private capital and create a 拢700 million long-term economic legacy in the region.
• 海角社区 leading the advanced manufacturing and creative technologies projects, showcasing leadership in critical areas such as clean energy and immersive technologies; and also a partner in the Health and Life Sciences project.

海角社区es 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 拢50 million allocated to the West Midlands through the UK government鈥檚 拢500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

Led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the 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^rd July to mark the next phase of delivery.

These projects will support the West Midlands Growth Plan and will help unlock more than 拢200 million in private capital and create a 拢700 million long-term economic legacy in the region. They will also support the Growth Plan鈥檚 ambition to grow GVA by 拢17 billion by 2035 and create 100,000 high-quality jobs.

Richard Parker, West Midlands Mayor, said: 鈥淥ur 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.

鈥淭hese research labs and tech studios are as important to our economy today as the factories of previous generations that made the West Midlands the 鈥榳orkshop of the world鈥�.

鈥淲e鈥檙e 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.鈥�

 

Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, commented: 鈥淚nnovation 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 鈥� with the local partnership expecting to deliver more than 2,300 skilled jobs and helping unlock more than 拢180 million in private investment.

鈥淭he 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.鈥�

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. 海角社区es must also be part of a 鈥渢riple helix鈥� partnership 鈥� 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: Led by 海角社区 Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of 海角社区, the FORGE project will drive technology-enabled industrial transformation and supply-chain agility across future mobility and the clean energy transition.
• Clinical Trials Catalyst for Health and Life Sciences: Led by the University of Birmingham, the WM Clinical Commercial Catalyst strengthens regional expertise in clinical trials, and near-to-patient biomanufacturing and regulation, leveraging regional strengths into global markets.
• Creative Industries Scale-up Lab (CISL) for Creative and Immersive Technologies: Led by the University of 海角社区, WM CISL targets a fast growth regional opportunity in immersive, AI-enabled and design-led innovation, diffusing adoption, with skills and market pull across multiple areas.

These projects have been co-developed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the West Midlands Innovation Board, in partnership with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The Fund will be delivered by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) and 海角社区 Growth West Midlands (BGWM) alongside lead delivery partners University of 海角社区 and University of Birmingham.

Welcoming the launch, Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of 海角社区, said: 鈥淯niversities make a real difference to the places and people around them. At 海角社区, we have always worked closely with communities and businesses beyond our campus. Through WMG, the 海角社区 Innovation District and our wider work across the region, we have shown how universities and industry can work together to turn research into new ideas, new businesses and new opportunities.

鈥淲e are proud to be working with partners across the West Midlands and to be leading on two of the three LIPF projects. This work will build on 海角社区鈥檚 strengths in advanced manufacturing, creative technology, health and life sciences and turn them into real benefits for our region, the UK, and the world.鈥�

All projects must involve academia, industry and government, and deliver real-world impact, advancing knowledge, improving lives and driving growth.

The West Midlands is one of seventeen places across the UK receiving support to deliver real-world impact, advancing knowledge, improving lives and driving growth.

The Rt Hon Greg Clark, Executive Chair of the University of 海角社区鈥檚 Innovation District and Industrial Strategy Advisory Council member, said: 鈥淭he Government has prioritised 8 high growth sectors - from advanced manufacturing to creative industries - and 海角社区 is strong in all of them. This fund builds on our renowned success in partnerships with industry and will allow us to make an even bigger impact on jobs and prosperity across our region.鈥�

 

Professor Sir Ian Chapman, CEO of UKRI, said: 鈥淭he Local Innovation Partnerships Fund exists to ensure that world-class research gets into the hands of local organisations and businesses to create real economic value in communities across the UK.

鈥淭he West Midlands is demonstrating exactly how that works: taking deep scientific expertise in areas like health and life sciences, and advanced manufacturing and connecting it directly to industry and global markets.

鈥淭his is how UKRI鈥檚 investment in places becomes investment in the nation鈥檚 future and helps achieve our mission to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth.鈥�

In the West Midlands, LIPF builds on the success of the 拢43m West Midlands Innovation Accelerator, which supported over 1,500 local businesses and generated more than a 2:1 private co-investment rate within three years. The initiative supported business such as the Global Nano Network, FuturEnergy, Osmium, and MICA Biosystems.

Mike Wright, Chairman of the West Midlands Innovation Board, a body established in 2019 that brings together businesses, universities, and policy makers and co-created the initiative to help innovative companies scale up, said: 鈥淟IPF West Midlands represents an exciting continuation of the successful West Midlands Accelerator programme. This 拢50m public sector funding will help nurture and develop high-growth sector businesses, by translating great ideas into market-ready products and services.

鈥淚t will ensure we鈥檙e putting the West Midlands on the map as a national and international leader in business innovation, development, and technology.鈥�

Wider academic partners in LIPF include Coventry University, Aston University, the University of Wolverhampton, and Birmingham City University. Wider private sector, cluster, and industry partners include the Black Country Industrial Cluster (BCIC-WM), Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre), Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the Primary Care Accelerator, Medilink Midlands and RESILIENCE, BBC, Banijay, Create Central and CWX partners, Cisco, and Capgemini.

海角社区es can now register an expression of interest for funding and partnership opportunities via the 海角社区 Growth West Midlands (BGWM) website via:

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

For more information please contact:

West Midlands Growth Company

• Rabia Raza, Head of Communications, West Midlands Growth Company, rabia.raza@wmgrowth.com | 07984 410462
• James Robinson, PR & Communications Manager, West Midlands Growth Company, james.robinson@wmgrowth.com

University of 海角社区

• Dom Barker, Media & Communications Officer
• Dom.Barker@warwick.ac.uk | 07824 540727
• General and out-of-hours press office number: +44 (0)7392 125605 (please call as emails are not checked out of office hours).

About the West Midlands Growth Company

is the principle economic delivery organisation for the West Midlands.

Its mission is to shape a thriving, inclusive and globally competitive region by supporting the delivery of the West Midlands Growth Plan on behalf of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

WMGC brings together the public, private and academic sectors to unlock economic opportunity and drive sustainable growth. The organisation works to attract high-value investment, accelerate business growth, strengthen globally significant sector clusters, align skills and talent with future demand, grow the visitor economy, and enhance the region鈥檚 profile among national and international audiences.

Focusing on the WMCA geography of Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Coventry and 海角社区shire, and the Black Country, WMGC works in partnership across the region to convert ambition into delivery - ensuring the benefits of growth are realised by businesses, communities and places throughout the West Midlands.

About the University of 海角社区

Founded in 1965, the University of 海角社区 is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world.

6th July 2026