University joins £3m campaign to boost economic growth in Midlands

The University of Lincoln, UK, has joined a pioneering coalition of 17 universities to support a £3 million international campaign launched this week to boost economic growth in the Midlands.

Each year the university contributes more than £400 million to the local economy and has built sustainable, long-term relationships with a wide range of organisations. These global connections will be leveraged to attract foreign investment in R&D, innovation and science. This important work supports the university’s ambitions as set out in its Strategic Plan 2022-2027 – to be a university that contributes significantly to the success of the region and beyond.

The campaign is led by Midlands Innovation and the Midlands Engine Partnership and hosted at Loughborough University. The Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign has been developed with a range of regional partners including the West Midlands Growth Company, Midlands Enterprise Universities and the East Midlands Freeport. It was launched at the UK Real Estate, Infrastructure and Investment Forum (UKREIIF), attended by almost 13,000 investors, delegates and developers.

The university consortium will highlight five sectors where the Midlands is world-renowned for the strength of its research and innovation. International alumni, industry and university connections will be drawn upon in six markets (Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the US) to engage investors and raise the profile of the Midlands.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, Professor Neal Juster, said: “The University of Lincoln is proud to be a member of this consortium whose objectives align with and further support its commitment to driving economic growth and prosperity in the region to stimulate and contribute significantly to the country’s success through regional recovery and international connectivity.

“This campaign will help to redefine how academia works with industry, and we look forward to showcasing what the University of Lincoln has to offer. From the R&D equipment and facilities covering a range of key disciplines such as agri-food, engineering and life science technologies, we have a wealth of opportunities to collaborate with.

“An example of this is the university’s sector-leading Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, which recently received the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its work supporting the success and sustainability of the UK food and farming industry through innovations in areas of research, education and innovation. technology.”

Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Andrew Griffith MP, announced a £1.5 million award from the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) to support the campaign over the next two years, which has been doubled by universities and regional partners . The Secretary of State said: “Britain is home to world-class research centers and by bringing together the expertise and connections of universities, government and industry, we can strengthen our efforts to attract international investment in some of the strongest sectors in the world. Midlands.

“Our country’s universities have directly attracted around £4 billion of foreign investment into their research since 2015. Today’s new campaign, supported by £1.5 million from the Government’s International Science Partnership Fund, will help to build greater support for the region’s excellent research.”

In line with the priorities of the new West and East Midlands Mayors and other local leaders, the campaign will help promote the region as a prime destination for global investment. It will support the efforts of government and local growth agencies to secure breakthrough funding for major regeneration projects across the region, with universities as a core partner.

The campaign will also work closely with Midlands Mindforge, an independent patient capital investment company established by the eight research-intensive universities in the Midlands Innovation partnership. Midlands Mindforge wants to deploy £250 million to “invest with impact” and create and scale transformational science-backed businesses in sectors including clean technologies, AI and computer science, life sciences and health technology. It will create highly skilled jobs in the Midlands and support Britain’s ambition to become a science and technology superpower.

The campaign is also supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the UK Global Science and Innovation Network (SIN), which is jointly funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. DSIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).