The United Kingdom has announced seven new regions set to benefit from its £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF), aimed at boosting regional economies, creating jobs, and accelerating innovation across key industries.
Delivered by UK Research and Innovation, the fund will provide up to £20 million for each selected region to support collaboration between local governments, businesses, and research institutions. The initiative focuses on turning research breakthroughs into practical, market-ready solutions that can drive economic growth.
The newly selected regions include the Tay Cities Region, where funding will support creative technologies such as gaming and virtual reality, and the Great South West, which aims to become a global hub for autonomous technologies including drones across land, sea, and air.
In the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, investments will accelerate developments in autonomous vehicles, high-performance engineering, and space technology, helping innovations move more quickly from testing to real-world application. Greater Lincolnshire will focus on combining agri-tech and defence expertise to develop commercially viable products, supported by new testing facilities and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, South West Wales will advance energy and materials security by scaling offshore wind, hydrogen, and cleaner industrial energy, while improving recycling and processing of critical materials. The East Midlands will use funding to expand advanced manufacturing and clean energy technologies.
A combined investment of up to £30 million has also been allocated to Hull and East Yorkshire and Tees Valley to support large-scale clean energy and industrial decarbonisation projects, leveraging major ports and energy infrastructure.
Liz Kendall said the funding reflects the government’s commitment to unlocking innovation across all regions, helping to create jobs and improve lives through advancements in sectors such as AI, defence, and clean energy.
Ian Chapman added that the initiative builds on each region’s existing strengths, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders to drive innovation-led growth and boost productivity.
This latest round of funding builds on earlier LIPF investments awarded to 10 regions, including major innovation hubs such as Glasgow City Region, West Midlands, and Greater Manchester, each of which received £50 million to scale up innovation efforts.
By supporting regional innovation ecosystems and helping ideas move from prototype to market, the UK government aims to strengthen local capabilities, attract investment, and create high-skilled jobs across the country.
