Midlands set to become creative innovation centre with £6.75m government funding

The Midlands region is poised to become a key player in creative innovation following the allocation of £6.75 million in government funding. Birmingham City University, in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and three additional universities from the West Midlands, spearheads the CreaTech Frontiers initiative aimed at fostering growth in industries such as gaming and creative content.

The partnership extends to Coventry University, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Warwick, engaging significant industry players like Vodafone, Digital Catapult, Rebellion, Holosphere, Reach plc, and Hollywood Gaming. The West Midlands Combined Authority projects that the creative content and gaming sectors could potentially contribute £65 million to the economy and create 1,500 jobs by 2030.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy remarked, “Talent is everywhere but opportunity is not. That’s why we are supporting firms, artists, and freelancers that are innovating, using new technology, and driving growth in creative clusters across the country. Birmingham and the West Midlands have a rich industrial history, and we are putting them at the forefront of a potential new industry developing the amazing technology that will revolutionise visual effects in film, theatre, and gaming.”

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, which has designated the West Midlands as a Creative Industries Cluster, CreaTech Frontiers aims to merge regional strengths including a diverse talent pool, world-class research, prominent arts organisations, and an emerging tech sector, to stimulate innovation and economic growth.

Lamberto Coccioli, Professor of Music and Technology at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and project lead, stated, “CreaTech Frontiers will bring together the most valuable assets of this region – a young and diverse talent pool, world-class research, outstanding arts organisations, and a budding tech sector – to spark innovation and stimulate growth. We’re delighted to support creative technology companies in the West Midlands with a comprehensive programme of grants and skills development led by industry needs. It’s fantastic news for the people and businesses of Birmingham and beyond.”

The initiative reflects BCU’s commitment to fostering knowledge and nurturing talent as stated in its 2030 strategy, emphasising real-world opportunities for students. BCU Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Mba, expressed, “The creative sector in the West Midlands is a key part of Birmingham City University’s heritage as well as the city’s future. We believe that supporting people in the region to develop the skills required is essential to keeping the ecosystem thriving – and this is what we are striving to do through the University’s new strategy. We’re delighted to be leading this project, which can help secure the future of the creative industries for the region.”

Creative SMEs will have the opportunity to apply for grants from a £1.8 million fund, access academic R&D expertise, mentoring, training, and utilise world-class R&D labs to develop new products and services. The initiative also offers more than 70 paid internships and 16 funded PhDs, aimed at nurturing talent and promoting innovation among future creative professionals. Additional industry partners include Capture Ltd and Elemental Compute, supported by WMCA, TechWM, Create Central, and Culture Central.

The Birmingham Opera Company will engage youth from underprivileged areas in the West Midlands to co-create performances and explore potential career paths in the sector. Cultural partners will also run R&D demonstrators, including experimental performance projects employing creative technologies curated by the RSC and showcased at SXSW, an annual event in Austin, Texas.

Image source: TechSparx