Midlands universities unite to drive global investment in R&D and innovation

A coalition of seventeen Midlands universities has launched a £3m international campaign to attract investment in R&D, innovation, and science, aiming to drive economic growth in the region. This initiative, led by Midlands Innovation and the Midlands Engine Partnership and hosted at Loughborough University, leverages global connections to showcase the region’s strengths.

The Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign was unveiled at the UK Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Investment Forum (UKREIIF), which saw attendance from nearly 13,000 investors, delegates, and developers. It has been developed with regional partners, including the West Midlands Growth Company, Midlands Enterprise Universities, and the East Midlands Freeport.

Minister of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Andrew Griffith MP announced a £1.5 million award from the UK’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) to support the campaign over the next two years, matched by universities and regional partners.

The campaign highlights five key sectors where the Midlands excels in research and innovation:

• Health and life sciences
• Agritech
• Creative and digital
• Transport technologies
• Zero carbon energy

Universities will leverage their international alumni and industry connections in six target markets: Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the USA, to attract investors and elevate the Midlands’ profile.

Aligning with the priorities of West and East Midlands Mayors and local leaders, the campaign aims to position the region as a prime destination for global investment. It will support government and local growth agencies in securing funding for major innovation-focused regeneration projects, with universities as core partners. This includes sites within West and East Midlands Investment Zones.

The campaign will collaborate with Midlands Mindforge, an independent patient capital investment company founded by eight research-intensive universities in the Midlands Innovation partnership. Midlands Mindforge plans to deploy £250m to invest in transformational science-backed companies in sectors such as Clean Technologies, AI & Computational Science, and Life Sciences & Health Tech. This will create highly skilled jobs in the Midlands and support the UK’s goal to become a science and technology superpower.

The announcement was welcomed at UKREIIF by Loughborough University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Nick Jennings and Professor Dan Parsons, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation.

Professor Jennings said: “I am delighted that that our consortium of universities and regional partners have been able to secure this highly competitive funding and that Loughborough University will host the Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign.

“It is testament to the trailblazing nature of the partners in the Midlands that this is being seen as a pilot to inform future national policy and practice. We are stronger together and will attract the foreign direct investment through partnership working.”

Campaign programme lead Professor Parsons added: “The £1.5m grant from the Government’s highly prestigious International Science Partnership Fund, match funded by our Midlands consortium, will accelerate and broaden our scale up activities across the collective research and innovation strengths in the regional universities. Together we will create a compelling and ambitious offer to global investors.”

Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Business and Trade, who will Chair the campaign’s Advisory Group, addressed over 300 investors and partners at the Midlands Engine Reception at UKREIIF: “By supporting inward investment into science, technology and innovation, the Department for Business and Trade is key to delivering the Government’s ambition for the UK to become a Science and Technology Superpower by 2030.

“This collaboration from the Midlands is a great example of how places, universities and the public sector can come together to drive greater investment into R&D across the regions.”

Midlands Engine Partnership Chairman, Sir John Peace, said: “This funding will provide a platform for us to showcase the unique strengths of the Midlands and position our region on the global investment map. This programme is a perfect example of how the power of partnership between the Midlands Engine and our fantastic universities is helping extend the global reach of our region.”