Innovate UK

The Innovation Accelerator Programme is driving innovation and R&D in Greater Manchester through co-creation and government investment. The programme led by Innovate UK on behalf of @UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has injected £100 million from April 2023 into 26 R&D projects across Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands and has been extended by £30m for 2025/26. Manchester has pioneered advancements in advanced materials and manufacturing, digital technology, health innovation, and carbon-neutral technologies, aligning with its ambitious 2038 carbon-neutral goal. The programme has already supported more than 500 businesses in Greater Manchester to take forward innovations, while over 1,000 residents have accessed skills support—either to upskill or begin their journey to a career in a high-growth sector. Find out more about the Innovation Accelerator projects from Greater Manchester here: https://ow.ly/1yLq50VvyIV... #InnovationAccelerators Video Link: https://ow.ly/r7PI50VvyIU

The Innovation Accelerator programme is reshaping the economic landscape of the UK’s industrial heartlands and developing strong clusters of innovation. The programme led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), has injected £100 million from April 2023 into 26 R&D projects across Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands and has been extended by £30m for 2025/26. The Innovation Accelerators programme is transforming regional innovation through co-creation and collaboration with local leadership. As Dr. Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair of Innovate UK, explains: "Innovation always happens in a place. The Innovation Accelerators programme focuses on those critical places. They co-create with the local leadership, identify great opportunities for driving innovation, and through engaging dialogue, have created some really exciting projects." By working closely with local governments, businesses, and research institutions, the programme is unlocking new opportunities for innovation-led economic growth in Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands. Find out more and explore the Innovation Accelerator projects here: https://ow.ly/ircM50VvwjA... #InnovationAccelerators

What happens when over 70 organisations collaborate on the future of UK talent & skills? 🚀 Yesterday, Innovate UK hosted its third annual Talent & Skills Connect Conference in Manchester, bringing together leading organisations from across the innovation skills ecosystem. From business leaders to early careers, we explored the urgent need to bridge skills pathways and create a more connected, collaborative system. Key insights from the day: Dr. Stella Peace, Innovate UK Interim Executive Chair, opened the event with a powerful message: - People, skills, and jobs—Ensuring the right people have the right skills for the right opportunities. - Securing the talent needed for business innovation - Inspiring young people into STEM careers is more urgent than ever for economic growth. - Reducing fragmentation—We must create smoother pathways for young people and make it easier for innovative businesses to promote opportunity. - Innovate UK’s role—Bringing together the innovation community to unlock talent and fuel economic growth. Inspiring voices from across the community: - Millie Court, Data Science Degree Apprentice, at GSK, shared why greater co-ordination and support is essential to increase interest in STEM careers. - Nicola Hall, Director of Education, from The Careers & Enterprise Company, highlighted why collaboration across sectors is key to real change. - Karen Burgess, Learning & Development Specialist, at CPI, explained why simplification and ease of access is essential for business engagement. The event also featured a thought-provoking panel on inspiring young people into STEM and breakout collaborative sessions throughout the afternoon on tackling key priorities. Thank you to all our speakers, panelists and breakout session provocateurs: Dr Stella Peace, Millie Court, Nicola Hall, Karen Burgess, Séverine Trouillet FRSA, Dr Hilary Leevers, Dr Claire Thorne, Cian G., Natasha Kinnear, Geoff Jellis, Gary Lye, Oli de Botton, Clare Hutchinson, Brendan Belk, Lucy Hindmarsh and Justin Nolan. We’re grateful to our Talent & Skills Connect community for providing time and enthusiasm - as speakers, panelists, workshop hosts and participants – thank you for being a part of making the system easier for innovative businesses to navigate. As the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK is committed to driving forward a coordinated, collaborative skills system. We are excited about continuing these valuable discussions with our Talent and Skills Connect community and we will be arranging more events both online and in person in the coming months. If you’re interested in becoming a part of this community and creating real change within the talent and skills ecosystem, please join us: https://ow.ly/cZrT50Vuzs5 #TalentAndSkills #FutureOfInnovation #SkillsForGrowth #STEMCareers #EconomicGrowth

Curious about some of the ways Innovate UK supports businesses to scale up? 🤔 Watch the video below to find out how Gen 2 Carbon a carbon-fibre recycling innovator, has been supported by Innovate UK with its intellectual property, business strategy, and pitch decks. As a result of working with Innovate UK, Gen 2 Carbon have raised £1.1 million in investment, £1.4 million in loans, and £1.8 million in grant funding. #InnovateToGrow #Recylcing #Sustainability #BusinessGrowth

Co-Creation: The Future of Innovation The Innovation Accelerator pilot is a testament to the power of uniting national strategies with locally empowered decision-making. By recognising regional strengths and fostering co-creation, the programme is unlocking economic growth, cutting-edge technology, and high-value jobs across the Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands. As Dean Cook, MBA, FRSB, Executive Director for Place and Global at Innovate UK, explains: "At the heart of our approach lies the principle of co-creation, recognising the wisdom of local people with a deep understanding of local strengths and knowing best their needs. This local knowledge is complemented by our reach at Innovate UK as the UK's innovation agency, linking these regional clusters with opportunities provided by national and international networks both within Government and beyond. "It is fantastic to secure additional funding for this programme which is making a meaningful impact on the lives of local communities—whether that be improved access to healthcare, more efficient infrastructure, or a cleaner and greener environment. I can’t wait to see what can be achieved in this next iteration of the programme." With an additional £30 million in funding for 2025/26, the Innovation Accelerator programme is accelerating regional R&D, supporting place-based innovation, and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of innovation. Learn more about the Innovation Accelerator programme and how it’s shaping the future: https://ow.ly/PJAz50VtSzh

Innovate UK-funded companies featured on BBC Two pioneering companies supported by Innovate UK recently appeared on the BBC programme 'Ready Meals: What They Really Mean for You', exploring how greener technologies can transform the food industry. 🌱🍽️ - NouriSol is revolutionising agriculture with algae-based biofertilisers, delivering 21% higher yields than chemical alternatives. - Hoxton Farms Farms is unlocking the next generation of meat alternatives with cultivated fat, creating more sustainable and delicious plant-based products. Both companies are tackling major challenges in food production, from reducing emissions and waste to boosting sustainability and efficiency. We're proud to see Innovate UK-funded innovation shaping the future of food! 📢 Missed the episode? Catch up on BBC iPlayer! https://ow.ly/CZxi50VsY1Z #Innovation #Sustainability

Innovate UK's cancer vaccines showcase at BioTrinity brought together just some of our innovative UK companies working on life-changing treatments for cancer patients.  We were thrilled to celebrate the launch of Kindling Bio with its co-founder Aleck Jones. This new venture was built by Deep Science Ventures, as a result of Innovate UK funded research into the considerable challenges in designing safe and effective medicines for children with cancer. Kindling Bio is now on a mission to revolutionise the treatment of childhood cancer. By taking a #ChildFirst approach to cancer treatment, Kindling Bio is developing an immunotherapy platform to harness the strengths of the child immune system. Stay up to date with the latest Innovate UK health stories, events and funding by signing up to our health newsletter https://lnkd.in/eQMSFRgK #ChildhoodCancer #Innovation #PaediatricOncology #CancerImmunotherapy #CancerResearch #CancerVaccine #ImmunoOncolog

The Future Flight Challenge will receive up to £5 million from the Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom and Innovate UK, to support industry and deliver new technologies that benefit communities and support growth. Details of the next phase of the Future Flight Challenge will be released in the coming weeks and include a focus on exploring regional demonstrations and supporting development of commercial drone and air taxi solutions. The funding is part of a £20 million UK Government announcement which includes £16.5 million in 2025/26 for the Civil Aviation Authority to deliver a regulatory programme to enable drones to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and progress toward routine use of air taxis (eVTOLs) in UK skies. Click here for the full media release https://ow.ly/tPqt50Vsjf5 #FutureFlight #Drone #eVTOL #Innovation

Celebrating innovation in plastic packaging sustainability and the achievements of UK Research and Innovation's Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK. SSPP's showcase event took place in London last week to celebrate the work of the Challenge and its contribution to driving cleaner growth across the UK’s plastics, packaging and retail supply chains. Launched at the event, the SSPP Challenge Celebration Report showcases SSPP’s collaborative, cross-sector approach, which has brought together academia, industry and the third sector to tackle the technical, commercial and behavioural challenges associated with plastic packaging waste. Read the full report here -https://ow.ly/xo2N50Vs8ex Together with its projects, the SSPP Challenge has: · Enabled potential CO2e savings of more than 1.5 million tonnes between 2025 and 2030 · Leveraged committed co-investment so far of circa £274m for innovative packaging solutions · Supported new domestic recycling infrastructure that has boosted UK-wide and regional growth and jobs · Brought together nearly 400 organisations across academia, industry, and the third sector to develop innovative recycling technologies, reuse and refill systems, and much more A huge congratulations to all the innovators and collaborators for your contribution towards boosting the sustainability and circularity of plastic packaging. 👏 #SustainablePackaging #CircularPlastics #Innovation

The inaugural Innovations in Women's Health Summit was an inspiring event, highlighting how far the #FemTech sector has come in recent years. The keynote address from Women's Health Minister, Baroness Merron, showed the Government's commitment to this vital area of healthcare. It gave a great platform to spotlight some of the companies and projects being supported through Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst (BMC). The event was organised by Health Innovation Network South London (HIN) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | RCOG The BMC Accelerating FemTech accelerator, delivered by HIN and partners, and funded by Innovate UK in collaboration with the Medical Research Council, is supporting 21 early-stage companies, university spinouts and entrepreneurially-minded academics. This builds on the success of the previous BMC Accelerating Femtech accelerator, also delivered by HIN South London. Ten projects from this went on to receive BMC feasibility funding. Chris Sawyer, Innovation Lead, Digital Health at Innovate UK, commented: “One of the pillars of the Biomedical Catalyst is support for early stage businesses, to enable them to grow by translating their ideas into innovative products and services that can improve patients’ lives and boost UK economic growth. “The presentations at yesterday’s event highlighted the great advances already being made in this growing area, but also the work still to be done. Hearing from the companies supported by our accelerator was inspirational and I look forward to seeing how they will impact women’s lives in the years to come.” #InnovateUKFunded #WomensHealth #Healthcare