Local leaders in every UK nation are now being backed by at least £30 million each to unlock potentially transformative research and local innovations, the UK Sciences and Technology Secretary announced.

The Glasgow City Region, Cardiff Capital Region, and Belfast/Derry-Londonderry are the latest parts of the UK to be supported by the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund of up to £500 million, committed ahead of last month’s Spending Review, to empower local leaders with skin in the game.

It will help target innovation investment and make the most of communities’ expertise to unleash discoveries that can benefit the UK or create businesses central to economic growth.

The decision to earmark at least £30m to each of these three high-potential areas in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales was reached following collaboration between the UK government and the governments of each nation and builds on seven regions of England being backed as part of the scheme from the North-East to Greater Manchester, Liverpool to London.

High potential areas in places that have not been allocated funding will also be able to bid into a competition, with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) publishing guidance on this competition soon.

The funding follows a successful trial scheme into how national innovation experts can best collaborate with regional partnerships of local leaders, research organisations and industry to make the most of R&D as a solution to some our country’s biggest challenges, while turbocharging our economy.

The Innovation Accelerators programme has brought in more than £140m of private investment and created hundreds of jobs in cities across the UK, and is already driving innovation in healthcare, from a Greater Manchester team helping to detect heart and lung diseases more quickly and cheaply to Glasgow researchers working to spot the signs of colon cancer earlier to save lives.

“All across the UK there are incredible projects and fantastic innovation taking place. We know that these are critical for the UK’s success,” UK science and technology secretary Peter Kyle said.

“This fund now gives local leaders in every nation of the UK the chance to proudly capitalise on their city or region’s expertise, from AI to life sciences, medicines to engineering, and beyond, to make a difference to lives across the country.

“With backing for more regions to come we can unlock the new jobs and business opportunities that are central to boosting the economic growth at the heart of our Plan for Change.”

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Partnerships of local and city region authorities, businesses and research organisations will now work with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to invest the funding into regional and national priorities from early next year and could back a range of sectors, from life sciences to green energy solutions, AI to medical tech, and beyond.

It gives places the opportunity to choose which existing regional strengths they will prioritise. It could mean Cardiff Capital Region building on its electric vehicle expertise for a greener planet, Belfast and Derry-Londonderry spurring on Northern Ireland’s strong cybersecurity sector to keep us safe or Glasgow building on its history of medical discoveries through new technology to keep us healthy.

The funding was announced as part of a record £86 billion R&D settlement until 2030 and will help the government to deliver our modern Industrial Strategy by backing high growth sectors and bolstering partnerships with industry for long-term economic growth.