Mayor says moves aims to ensure ‘great ideas don’t drift overseas’
From left: Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region; Sebastian Johnson, director of ecosystems at the Harwell Joint Venture and ARC Group; Professor Tim Jones, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool(Image: Liverpool City Region CA)
Political and education leaders in Liverpool have signed an agreement with their counterparts in Oxford that aims to use the brightest minds in both areas to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The University of Liverpool, the University of Oxford, Oxfordshire County Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority signed the Memorandum of Understanding which aims to link research with commercialisation in a bid to make scientific strides and attract foreign investment to the UK.
The link-up aims to maximise collaboration between two of the UK’s two primary national research and innovation campuses: the Science & Technology Facilities Council lab at Daresbury, near Warrington, and the same organisation’s site at Harwell, near Oxford.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that the partnership underpins mayor Steve Rotheram’s ambition to more than double investment in Research and Development (R&D) by 2030 to £2bn a year, which could create an additional 40,000 jobs.
Mr Rotheram said: “For generations, the Liverpool City Region has been an engine of change – from powering the first industrial revolution to shaping breakthroughs in modern science. That spirit of innovation hasn’t gone anyway. It’s alive and well here and it’s central to my vision to build the stronger, fairer economy our people and businesses deserve.
“I’ve set a clear ambition for the Liverpool City Region to invest 5% of our GVA into research and development by 2030 because I want the next big breakthrough, the next world-leading business, the next life-changing discovery to create jobs and opportunity right here at home.
“This partnership with Oxford is the next step on that journey. By linking two places with world-class brands, we can back British innovation, attract investment, and make sure that great ideas don’t drift overseas but are developed, scaled and rooted here in the UK.”
Professor Tim Jones, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said: “Anchored around two world-leading universities, the signing of this Liverpool–Oxford MoU reflects our commitment at the University of Liverpool to tackle global challenges through research, innovation and partnerships in key areas such as materials discovery, infection resilience and therapeutics innovation.
“This strategic partnership also recognises a shared national opportunity and challenge: to ensure that high-growth UK businesses, intellectual property, talent and investment are retained, scaled and industrialised within the UK.”
Sebastian Johnson, director of ecosystems at the Harwell Joint Venture and ARC Group, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Steve and the wider Liverpool delegation to Harwell on the day the new Oxford–Liverpool MoU was signed. With such strong collaboration already in place between Liverpool and STFC’s Daresbury Campus, extending that partnership across Harwell’s clusters and facilities creates a powerful opportunity to accelerate innovation, deepen industry engagement and drive impact for both regions.”
Paul Vernon, executive director of business and innovation at STFC, said: “This partnership demonstrates how the UK’s research and innovation strengths can unite to tackle the world’s most urgent challenges. At STFC, across our national facilities, including at Harwell and Daresbury Laboratory in the Liverpool City Region, we are proud to support collaborations that translate world-class science into real-world impact for our society and economy. By bringing together the talent and capabilities of Liverpool and Oxfordshire, this partnership will accelerate discovery, support industry and bring new technologies to market, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation.”
Professor Irene Tracey, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: “This partnership signals a new era for yet deeper collaboration between our two vibrant cities.
“By connecting the outstanding research, innovation and talent in our regions, we can support companies tackling the greatest challenges of our time to start, stay and scale-up in the UK.
“This will unlock opportunities for current and future generations and contribute to sustainable economic growth that delivers shared prosperity for all. I personally look forward to the journey ahead and the outcomes that this collaboration will achieve for our communities in Oxford, Liverpool and beyond.”
Leaders from the two cities are pictured behind a model of the STFC Harwell complex(Image: Liverpool City Region CA)
Councillor Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “Oxfordshire and the Liverpool City Region both have remarkable strengths, but also shared challenges.
“This exciting and ambitious agreement reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the UK’s innovation economy by working in genuine partnership, learning from one another, combining our assets, and ensuring that innovation delivers real benefits for our communities.
“By working together at scale and at pace, we can create clearer pathways for businesses to grow, scale and succeed here in the UK – enabling good growth, creating high-quality employment, and securing a more prosperous future for residents across both regions.”
