Faced with increasing pressure to do more with less, all kinds of organisations are looking at ways to work smarter and local government is no exception.
£20 million tech boost for regions
The government has announced a tech boost of £20 million each for Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Glasgow City Region. The increase brings the total for each region to £50 million.
The science and technology secretary made the announcement ahead of Tuesday's Regional Investment Summit in Birmingham.
Local leaders will be able to access the £50 million to fund innovations in science and technology in their local areas. This could be new medicines, AI that can spot illnesses sooner or cheaper fuels.
The funding comes from the government’s £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) and builds on the initial £30 million earmarked for each place in June’s Spending Review.
The government is also inviting bids of up to £20 million from high potential innovation clusters in all other regions of the UK to support local leader to invest in local innovation strengths.
Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "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.
"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.
"This government’s message ahead of this landmark Regional Investment Summit is loud and clear – the UK is open for business."
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Greater Manchester has an extensive innovation ecosystem, with outstanding sector strengths in areas like advanced materials, life sciences and AI, and world-leading companies, universities and research institutions. This additional funding is a welcome boost that will help us unlock the potential of our growth-driving sectors and build on our outstanding productivity growth in recent years.
"In piloting the Innovation Accelerator we were able to use local knowledge and understanding to translate research and development funding into business growth, new jobs and private sector investment. We look forward to using the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to make an even bigger impact."
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