THE VIEW FROM HIGHER EDUCATION

By Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor

The University of Liverpool was, in many ways, both created and built by the city for the city and this knowledge is something that has remained at our institution’s core over its near 150-year history. Together with our wider university community, I am so very proud of the civic role we play and the tangible impact that has on those in the region.

Last year we published an economic and wider impacts report which highlighted the scale of the University’s role in driving economic growth and the very many other ways in which we contribute to local life. The report found that the University of Liverpool’s activities in 2022/23 are estimated to have generated up to £1.2 billion and 15,870 jobs in the Liverpool City Region. This equates to a contribution of more than 3% of the total regional economy and one in every 50 jobs.

I am also clear, however, that we can and must go further, broadening and deepening the scale of our civic engagement so that our influential role in science, innovation, education, public policy and culture, and as a major employer, is maximised to support the wellbeing and prosperity of communities across the region. This intention is carefully woven into each part of our strategic framework, Liverpool 2031 –from the work we carry out in education to our research and our global ambitions.

Perhaps our most significant contribution to the future shape of the City Region is our work in place and innovation, where we are committed to creating ambitious plans that will deliver growth in investment, jobs and innovation. I’m pleased to say that we have already made some significant progress in this area, having worked closely with the combined authority on their successful Investment Zone plans. The resulting £160m government pledge to fund a raft of projects includes over £20m to supercharge Life Sciences research and innovation –building on the region’s national leadership in this area.

Centre of Excellence for Long-acting Therapeutics (CELT) laboratory

An artist’s impression of the new health innovation campus

These major development plans in the Knowledge Quarter will enable the expansion of the University of Liverpool’s world-first Centre of Excellence for Longacting Therapeutics (CELT) and the Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), which will spearhead the use of AI to transform health and social care. It will also facilitate our Microbiome and Infectious Disease (MaID) Innovation Hub and The Pandemic Institute to further drive the development and commercialisation of microbiome therapies and tackle emerging infections and pandemic threats. It is expected the full range of Investment Zone plans will act as an important magnet for future inward investment to the tune of up to £800m, bringing private investment, jobs and talent to both the UK and the region.

And we have plans to go much further. We have been working closely with the City Region to develop investable propositions which have been submitted to the government for consideration as part of their Comprehensive Spending Review. One such project is a health innovation campus, which will be based on the former Royal Liverpool University Hospital site. This £550m scheme, for which private investment is being sought, is formed of two flagship projects. A cutting-edge hub, connected directly to the UK’s newest hospital, will integrate clinical research, real-world patient care, industry partnership and advanced training to shape the future of healthcare. Meanwhile, a Pandemic Preparedness and Response Facility will equip the UK to combat emerging global health threats. The realisation of these plans would drive an estimated £1bn in economic benefits for the UK, and Liverpool City Region, creating high-quality jobs, training much-needed additional healthcare professionals and attracting global investment, whilst reducing health inequalities. We are also seeking to capitalise upon our global expertise in materials science to create a materials innovation supercluster. AIM-HI (Artificial Intelligence Materials Hub for Innovation) will scale up materials discoveries and automated research, creating globally marketable products at the intersection of robotics and AI. At its core will be a world-first lab of the future, integrating manual work, automated kit, robotics, and AI-driven mobile lab robots. Based in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter, this exciting project is expected to create or safeguard up to 900 knowledge-intensive jobs and attract a range of innovative companies to the City.

These and other ambitious plans hold huge potential for the future of the City Region and the University of Liverpool stands ready to maximise the resulting benefits for our communities.

These major development plans in the Knowledge Quarter will enable the expansion of the University of Liverpool’s world-first Centre of Excellence for Longacting Therapeutics (CELT) and the Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), which will spearhead the use of AI to transform health and social care.