Liverpool investment zone projects lined up for approval

Seven schemes out of 21 lined up for Liverpool City Region’s £160m life science investment zone are set for funding approval next week. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will consider the projects, which are seeking £26.5m of funding towards their total combined cost of £83m, at its next meeting on 7 June. The largest proposal under review includes the creation of new £21m GDV high-containment labs by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine-led Infection Innovation Consortium, which will be equipped with robotics and AI expected to accelerate development of new treatments. The Infection Innovation Consortium is seeking £10m innovation zone funding with additional grant funding from the Wolfson Foundation and RED/UKRI. Meanwhile, Sci-Tech Daresbury is looking to secure £9.5m to support expansion of its lab and office space (pictured). If funding is secured, two new buildings will be constructed totalling 90,000 sq ft with a GDV of £24m.  TriRx is seeking £2m to install enhanced manufacturing facilities at its Speke site. The equipment is expected to increase productivity by 25% and satisfy global demand for monoclonal antibody drugs. It will also contribute to research and development by city region research institutions. The project has a GDV of £12m. Funding is also sought for the Microbiome and Infectious Disease Innovation Hub led by the University of Liverpool in partnership with the Centre for Process Innovation. The hub is expected to support the development and commercialisation of microbiome and infectious disease innovations and therapies. Elsewhere, the council will look to invest in the KQ Liverpool future innovators programme, which aims to raise awareness and aspiration for careers in life sciences, and Inovus’s embedded skills development programme, which will facilitate skilled work experience placements for young people within health and life sciences. Finally, the health tech business incubator programme led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council will offer grant funding, support, and training to start-ups and early-stage businesses in the city region’s health and life sciences sector. After the council’s meeting next week, final funding approvals will follow in the coming months after further scrutiny. Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City Region, said: “We are already home to world leading clusters in life sciences, gaming, advanced computing, and infectious disease control – but I am never content with resting on our laurels. “That is why we will invest 5% of local gross value added in research and development by the end of the decade, nearly double the national target. “I believe that innovation will be the fuel that powers our economy forward and by establishing ourselves as a hotbed of innovation and new technology, we will be ready to attract many more highly skilled, well-paid jobs, businesses and opportunities from around the world.” Photo © timajo/Pixabay