Britain’s future prosperity is not built in Westminster alone, it is forged in our towns, cities and regions, where ingenuity, enterprise and ambition already thrive.
The latest investment through the £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund represents a decisive step in strengthening those foundations and ensuring that every part of our country can contribute to, and benefit from, national growth.
With up to £20 million allocated to each selected region, this targeted programme backs the innovators, industries and institutions that are already delivering results on the ground. It is a clear signal of confidence in local talent and a recognition that economic strength comes from empowering communities, not centralising control.
From Scotland to Cornwall, these investments will support sectors that define Britain’s competitive edge, including defence, space, energy, artificial intelligence and the creative industries. This is not abstract spending, it is practical, focused backing designed to turn ideas into jobs, and potential into prosperity.
Delivered by UK Research and Innovation, the fund is built on a simple but powerful principle, that local partnerships between councils, businesses and research organisations are best placed to transform breakthrough ideas into real world solutions. By supporting these partnerships, the government is ensuring that innovation does not remain locked in laboratories, but reaches the people and places it is meant to serve.
Seven additional regions have now been confirmed to receive support through the fund’s competitive element.
In Scotland, the Tay Cities Region will build on its thriving creative technologies sector, advancing innovation across computer games and virtual reality. In the Great South West, covering Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, investment will help establish the region as a global leader in autonomous technology, from drones on land to systems operating at sea and in the air.
The Oxford Cambridge Growth Corridor, spanning Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire, will bring together expertise in autonomous vehicles, high performance engineering and space technology, ensuring that cutting edge ideas move more rapidly from test track to everyday use.
Greater Lincolnshire will harness its strengths in agri tech and defence, turning expertise into growing businesses and deployable products. New secure facilities and testing environments will support companies working in artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous systems, helping them bridge the gap between prototype and market.
In South West Wales, two vital clusters will be strengthened. Energy security initiatives will scale offshore wind, hydrogen and cleaner industrial energy, while materials security efforts will develop new ways to recover, recycle and process critical resources, reducing reliance on imports and reinforcing national resilience.
Across the East Midlands, investment in advanced manufacturing and clean energy will enable firms to scale up production technologies and lead the transition to a more sustainable industrial future.
Meanwhile, a combined award of up to £30 million for Hull and East Yorkshire and the Tees Valley will support a powerful clean energy and industrial decarbonisation programme, building on the strategic advantages of major ports, freeports and world class energy infrastructure.
This programme is not only about funding, it is about momentum. Local partners will now work alongside UKRI to design projects that capitalise on existing strengths, accelerate research and development, attract world class talent and unlock new markets. Crucially, it will help fast track innovation from prototype to commercial success, ensuring that Britain remains competitive in the industries of tomorrow.
As Professor Sir Ian Chapman, Chief Executive of UKRI, has noted, these regions already possess a proud tradition of turning great ideas into real impact. By bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs and civic leaders, this initiative strengthens each region’s unique capabilities while championing their ambitions on the national stage.
The benefits are clear, higher productivity, stronger local economies and the creation of high skilled jobs that will define the future workforce.
This latest announcement builds on earlier investments already allocated to ten regions, including significant funding for Glasgow City Region, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, each receiving £50 million, alongside £30 million packages for areas such as South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, the North East, Greater London, Cardiff Capital Region and an innovation corridor linking Belfast and Derry Londonderry.
Taken together, these investments represent a coherent, confident strategy, one that recognises that Britain’s strength lies in its diversity of talent and the dynamism of its regions.
At a time when global competition is intensifying, backing local innovation is not just good policy, it is essential. By investing in our regions, we are investing in Britain’s future, securing growth, resilience and opportunity for generations to come.
