Liverpool City Region has revealed the 23 projects to receive funding from Innovate UK’s Launchpad programme.
Almost £5.5m will be distributed to companies, with an emphasis on digital technology and tackling the climate emergency.
“This is about attracting more innovation funding into our region and the wider North, helping us to create secure, well-paid jobs and training opportunities for local people who, for far too long, have been held back from fulfilling their potential not by a lack of talent, but a lack of opportunity. As Mayor, I’m working to put that right,” stated Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region.
“It is fantastic to see our Launchpad status starting to bear fruit with this first £5.5m of funding coming into the region. But this is just the tip of the iceberg; we have got a £3bn pipeline of new projects still to unlock and, under my plans, will invest 5% of our GVA in innovation over the next few years – nearly double the national target. We are positioning ourselves at the forefront of UK science and innovation – and are ready to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.”
Projects receiving between £128k and £694k include:
- A scheme to manufacture an eco-friendly concrete to help protect coastal communities against climate change-related flooding. Run by Liverpool SME Virtus Concrete Solutions Limited in conjunction with Liverpool John Moores University, it will develop ‘Geoblock’ which would completely replace cement for use in breakwaters and non-structural applications through recycling industrial and domestic wastes.
- Manufacturing advanced fuel cell technology for large power applications, such as HGVs and marine – delivered by Mersey Fair Air Limited in partnership with KC3 Concrete Equipment Limited.
A further 14 projects will share a total of £1.44m, receiving up to £100,000 each.
- Enturi, a wind turbine with an eco-friendly energy storage system developed to make significant contributions towards net zero goals and future energy security. It comes as UK companies face an urgent need to decarbonise
- Floating solar arrays. FloGen Limited will research and test construction of very low carbon floating solar power units with structures built from natural and recycled materials
- Energy-efficient ceramic filtration membranes used to produce ultra-clean water, delivered by Evove Limited
A second round of competitive grant applications will open this month for advanced manufacturing projects.
