Boost for Liverpool city region science and industry

The Liverpool City Region has successfully bid to be in the next wave of Science and Innovation Audits (SIA) aimed at boosting economic growth in the knowledge sector.

The SIA will look at how to link up different sectors so they work together to exploit synergies and identify collaborations, investments and interventions to strengthen and attract businesses  and investment.

The University is one of the project delivery partners which also include Liverpool City Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) at Daresbury. Liverpool JMU will also be involved.

The Audit will be focused on making the most of three “smart specialisation” areas of expertise – Materials Chemistry, Infection, High Performance computing – which have the potential to create hi-tech jobs and new, internationally significant clusters.

The audit is expected to begin in the New Year and be completed by spring 2017.

Professor Dinah Birch, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact, said:   “The Science and Innovation Audit will help us to define the most effective ways of maximising the benefits from the region’s scientific capabilities in infection, materials chemistry and high performance / cognitive computing.

“The University of Liverpool is looking forward to working with our partners in identifying the collaborations, investments and interventions that will increase productivity and innovation in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.”

Mayor of Liverpool and Chair of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Joe Anderson, said: “Liverpool City Region has a first class track record in the fields of research and innovation and we have the potential to be a world-leader.

“Our universities are carrying out ground-breaking research and educating tomorrow’s workforce, while some of our businesses are global leaders in the pharmaceutical and household goods sectors.

“The Science and Innovation Audit will enable us to look at how we can link up different sectors. A good example is Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, which provides us with a huge opportunity to attract hi-tech businesses which can cluster around the pioneering work being done in the hospitals, universities and science labs.”