Liverpool City Region Investment Zone opens for business

Millions of pounds of funding have been unlocked as the Liverpool City Region’s Investment Zone officially launches – paving the way for up to £800m of public and private investment and 8,000 new jobs.

The plans were developed in collaboration with the region’s life sciences sector, with the University of Liverpool playing a major role.

It follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, unlocking the first instalment of the Government’s £160m contribution.

The ambitious Investment Zone plan includes an initial 21 projects, including major development plans in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, home to the University’s Liverpool campus. Overall, it’s expected these ambitious plans, which will run for 10 years, transforming the economy while saving lives worldwide.

Investment Zone Funding will enable the expansion of some of the University of Liverpool’s world-leading research and innovation assets, projects include:

Our world-first Centre of Excellence for Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT) which will expand into HEMISPHERE One, a new high-tech development at Paddington Village, part of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool. CELT will occupy pharmacology and chemistry laboratories in a purpose-built facility for the creation and understanding of long-acting medicines.

The Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), led by the University’s Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL), will spearhead the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform healthcare, social care and wellness – raising international visibility and driving exports. Initially based in Liverpool Science Park, CHI-Zone will expand into HEMISPHERE One as it builds on the city region’s civic data foundations to establish a world leading civic AI cooperative.

The Microbiome and Infectious Disease (MaID) Innovation Hub will harness the world-leading expertise of the University’s  Microbiome Innovation Centre (MIC), and Liverpool Science Park-based High Value Manufacturing Catapult CPI, alongside manufacturer TriRx Speke, to provide end-to-end support for businesses and organisations seeking to de-risk and to accelerate microbiome and phage therapeutics to market.  

The Pandemic Institute (TPI), a unique academic, health and civic partnership with a global mission to tackle emerging infections and future pandemic threats will accelerate the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, and will be a national facility for use by members of the UK Pandemic Sciences Network.

University of Liverpool Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones said: “We are a global University, delivering world-leading research but with a keen focus on our civic role in the city and wider region. We look forward to playing a vital role in the delivery of these ambitious plans which will result in more cutting-edge research that will have real-world impact.”

All Investment Zone projects are detailed in a Prospectus which, in collaboration with the UK Office for Investment, was unveiled to global investors at leading real estate event MIPIM in March and cited as a major international opportunity for the UK to grow its life sciences sector.

Read more about the University’s initiatives here.

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