Liverpool has been announced as one of three finalist cities for the European Capital of Innovation 2026, with the University of Liverpool a cornerstone of the city’s successful bid.
Upon announcing the finalists, the European Innovation Council noted that Liverpool has ‘driven significant urban transformation through its commitment to cultural regeneration and technological advancement. It has prioritised inclusive growth and community engagement, enhancing its reputation as a leader in creativity and innovation.’
University home to key innovation assets
Central to the city’s innovation offer is the 450-acre Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool) Innovation District which is home to the Materials Innovation Factory, a collaboration between the University and Unilever, with one of the highest-concentrations of materials science automated robots in the world.
Other KQ innovation assets include the University’s Digital Innovation Facility – the UK’s leading centre for the development and industrial application of next-generation digital technologies for industry.
Looking to the future
The University is working with the Combined Authority on the new Life Sciences Investment Zone, which this year saw £10 million invested in the Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), which uses data and AI to transform health and care services across communities.
The proposed Health Innovation Liverpool (HIL) development on the former Royal Hospital site will bring together partners across the NHS, academia and business to tackle health inequalities, create high-quality jobs and drive economic growth.
At its heart, an Academic Health Sciences Campus (AHSC) will seek to revolutionise medical education, research and patient care. It will offer an unparalleled environment for interprofessional and multidisciplinary learning to provide students with a comprehensive and future-proof education. Integrating cutting-edge technologies and embedding research, the AHSC will create a patient-centred “teach and treat” environment, with opportunities for clinical trials, research and development, and continuing professional development for NHS professionals.
Collaboration
The University is a partner in other key city innovation initiatives including Sciontec – a public and higher education partnership to deliver science and tech spaces for startups and SMEs to help unlock private sector investment – and iiCON, a world leading centre for infection innovation and R&D.
Looking further afield, a twinning partnership between the University of Liverpool and Sumy State University in Ukraine launched in 2022, providing vital support in the short term, so students could continue their studies and researchers could carry on with their research. In the longer term, the collaboration aims to help Sumy State University rebuild its campus and play a key role in rebuilding Ukraine.
Our Chinese joint venture institution, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, in Suzhou was founded in 2006 and is now the largest independent Sino-foreign cooperative university approved by the Ministry of Education in China. The past few years have seen an even stronger partnership around research and education. Meanwhile other important Chinese strategic partnerships include Shanghai Jiaotong University, where we cooperate on a seed fund to catalyse research collaborations. Defining the next decade
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool said: “I’m delighted that the European Innovation Council has chosen Liverpool as a finalist for next year’s European Capital of Innovation. Here at the University of Liverpool our research and innovation partnerships are supporting the industries that will define the next decade – from advanced materials and AI to life sciences and nuclear energy.
“Over the past seven years, we’ve invested significantly to support the commercialisation of new ideas and technologies – creating 29 spin-out companies and attracting around £40million in follow-on funding. These local businesses are creating skilled jobs, generating local growth, and turning world-class research into real-world benefit. Our recently announced strategic partnership with Northern Gritstone will help accelerate these ambitions.”