University of Wolverhampton to play key role in £50m West Midlands innovation drive

• University of Wolverhampton supporting innovation through major regional R&D fund
• Businesses invited to submit expressions of interest for support to develop and scale near‑market products and services
• Initiative aligned to regional growth ambitions to boost jobs, investment and industrial transformation

The University of Wolverhampton is set to play a key role in a major new £50 million initiative designed to help businesses across the West Midlands develop and scale innovative technologies.

The West Midlands Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) has been launched to accelerate the development of near-to-market products and services, with a strong emphasis on advanced manufacturing - an area where the University brings significant expertise, facilities and industry links.

Through the programme, businesses operating in high-growth sectors including advanced manufacturing, health and life sciences, and creative technologies can now submit expressions of interest (EOI) for research and development funding support.

The initiative supports the ambitions of the West Midlands Growth Plan, helping unlock significant private investment, drive innovation-led productivity, and create high-quality jobs across the region.

As part of the regional delivery network, the University of Wolverhampton will contribute in supporting businesses to adopt new processes, improve productivity, and bring new technologies closer to commercialisation.

Funding will be delivered across three flagship innovation programmes, including;

• FORGE for Advanced Manufacturing: Led by the University of Warwick, the FORGE project will drive technology-enabled industrial transformation and supply-chain agility across future mobility and the clean energy transition.
• Clinical Trials Catalyst for Health and Life Sciences: Led by the University of Birmingham, the WM Clinical Commercial Catalyst strengthens regional expertise in clinical trials, and near-to-patient biomanufacturing and regulation, leveraging regional strengths into global markets.
• Creative Industries Scale-up Lab (CISL) for Creative and Immersive Technologies: Led by the University of Warwick, WM CISL targets a fast growth regional opportunity in immersive, AI-enabled and design-led innovation, diffusing adoption, with skills and market pull across multiple areas.

The University of Wolverhampton has a strong track record of working with industry partners to support innovation, skills development and technology adoption, particularly within the Black Country and wider West Midlands manufacturing base.

Professor Prashant Pillai, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Wolverhampton, said:

“This programme represents an exciting opportunity to harness the collective strengths of the West Midlands’ universities, working alongside businesses and regional partners to drive innovation and economic growth.

No single organisation can tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our region alone. By bringing together our research expertise, knowledge exchange capabilities and strong partnerships with industry, we can help businesses innovate with confidence, adopt new technologies and translate great ideas into commercial success.

We’re delighted to be part of this collaborative programme and look forward to working with our fellow universities and partners to ensure businesses across the West Midlands can access the expertise, facilities and support they need to grow, create high-value jobs and contribute to a more prosperous, resilient regional economy.

This is exactly the kind of partnership that demonstrates the value of collaboration between universities, industry and the public sector, ensuring that our research delivers meaningful impact for businesses, communities and the wider economy.”

The LIPF programme is open to organisations of all sizes across the region, including SMEs, scale-ups, large companies and research organisations. All projects must involve collaboration between industry, academia and the public sector to deliver tangible economic and societal impact.

The fund builds on the success of previous regional innovation programmes and brings together a wide range of partners, including universities, industry bodies and major employers, to reinforce the West Midlands’ position as a leader in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

Led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national £500m Local Innovation Partnership Fund is designed to support the development and scaling of high-potential, existing and emerging innovation clusters across the UK.

Wider academic partners in LIPF include Coventry University, Aston University, and the University of Wolverhampton Manufacturing Technology Centre. Wider private sector, cluster, and industry partners include the Black Country Industrial Cluster (BCIC-WM), Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), The Primary Care Accelerator, Medilink Midlands and RESILIENCE, BBC, Banijay, Create Central and CWX partners, Cisco, and Capgemini. 

Businesses can now register an expression of interest for funding and partnership opportunities via the Business Growth West Midlands website.

Photo caption: (L to R): Mike Wright, Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board; Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear; and Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.