£20m awarded to boost advanced manufacturing and clean energy

A partnership backed by Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward has been awarded £20 million to boost innovation in advanced manufacturing and clean energy.

The cash from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund will support a collaboration involving the East Midlands Combined County Authority, industry and universities – including the University of Derby.

The five-year funding programme, focused on the biggest growth sectors for the region, will be matched by at least £36.1 million of investment from the private sector.

It is estimated the partnership could boost the regional economy by up to £340 million and create up to 1,775 new jobs.

The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund is a flagship UK government programme, delivered through UK Research and Innovation, investing £500 million to strengthen regional innovation economies across the country.

It brings together local leaders, businesses and research organisations to build on regional strengths to create new jobs, drive innovation-led productivity, and attract further public and private investment into communities across the UK.

In the East Midlands, the funding will be invested in a portfolio of four interconnected projects that will: help firms unlock opportunities in the nuclear supply chain, develop new world-leading technologies for aircraft, support regional SMEs to break into new markets and accelerate the development of innovative ‘CleanTech’ companies.

The partnership is working with UK Research and Innovation, to ready the investments for delivery. They will officially launch in the coming months.

Mayor Claire Ward said: “The East Midlands is a region of innovators and has been for hundreds of years: we are the birthplace of the modern factory, an innovation that powered the Industrial Revolution and reshaped the world.

“Our ambitions for the innovators of today are just as high, but with a different focus: clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and inclusive growth.

“This funding will ensure that ambitious businesses with the power to change the world can establish, grow, and thrive here.

“They will develop cutting-edge products, design new manufacturing processes, and start new companies: building an economy which is grounded in what this region needs for the future.”

Professor Myra Conway, Provost (Innovation and Research) at the University of Derby, said: “We welcome EMCCA’s leadership in securing this significant regional investment, which highlights the strength of collaboration across the East Midlands.

“For the University of Derby, it provides an important opportunity to build on our research and innovation strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, industrial AI and resilient supply chains, while cementing partnerships between our universities and industrial partners to deliver lasting economic and societal impact for the region.”