Funding win for Greater Manchester innovation projects

The funding, awarded by the government’s Innovation Accelerator programme, is being shared between Greater Manchester, Glasgow city region and the West Midlands to accelerate high-potential research and innovation.

Ten projects in Greater Manchester will receive funding as part of the programme, taking in the city region’s existing strengths in sustainable advanced materials and manufacturing, health innovation and life sciences, digital and creative, and net zero.

Each project will support businesses with adopting new technologies and new skills in specific areas:

• Future Home Project: Led by University of Salford, a partnership between industry and academia to use the unique facilities at Salford Energy House and Energy House 2.0 to develop net zero technologies for homes
• Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster: Led by Manchester Metropolitan University, building on the work of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (pictured) to accelerate the development and adoption of clean and efficient electrochemical hydrogen technologies
• Pilots for the Sustainable Materials Translational Research Centre (p-SMTRC): Led by Rochdale Development Agency, building on the world-class advanced materials research in Greater Manchester to provide sustainable materials for manufacturing supply chains
• Manchester Turing Innovation Hub (MTIH): Led by the University of Manchester, linking businesses to cutting-edge AI research and technologies to help enhance their productivity
• Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub: Led by The Landing at MediaCityUK, exploring applications for immersive technologies in the entertainment, education, health, built environment and manufacturing sectors
• DEVOTE Programme: Led by the University of Manchester, a collaboration between industry, universities and healthcare professionals to support the development and implementation of genomic testing technologies
• Energy Accelerator for Non-Domestic Buildings: Led by The Growth Company, developing, testing and deploying net zero innovations to help commercial and public sector buildings to decarbonise
• Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI): Led by Manchester Metropolitan University, working across four technology strands – AI, cyber, industrial digitalisation and immersive technology – on R&D, skills development, business models for SMEs and community outreach
• AR EdTech For Hydrogen Skills: Led by the Blair Project, an education technology platform providing hydrogen skills training content for the manufacturing, construction, transport and energy sectors
• GM Advanced Diagnostics Accelerator: A series of projects looking at Greater Manchester’s major morbidities, using academic and industry excellence from advanced diagnostics, digital and data to improve health outcomes for residents

Several projects will be of interest to the manufacturers. For example, Manchester Metropolitan’s Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster will focus on supply chains for electrochemical hydrogen technologies, while the Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI) will provide access to facilities to build digital skills for SMEs.

Mandy Parkinson, Director of the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan, commented:

“With these two new projects we’ll be providing SMEs with the tools, expertise and support to innovate, ensuring the region remains at the cutting-edge of development in sustainable and digital technologies.”

Elsewhere, the Sustainable Materials Translational Research Centre (SMTRC) will help connect local businesses to the national supply chain for advanced materials and to the world-leading materials research taking place within Greater Manchester.

Lou Cordwell, Chair of the Greater Manchester Business Board (previously the Local Enterprise Partnership), said:

“The Innovation Accelerator is significant step towards developing the innovation ecosystem we are trying to build in Greater Manchester. Our vision is for more high-quality jobs and more productive companies, ensuring that everyone in the city-region benefits from the economic growth created by innovation.” 

For more information on any of these projects, contact a member of our Manufacturing Team today.