Developing the Liverpool City Region+ Science & Innovation Audit

The University of Liverpool, acting on behalf of the Liverpool City Region, appointed Steer Economic Development to support partners to develop the Liverpool City Region+ Science & Innovation Audit, which was part of the Second Wave of Government-sponsored Science & Innovation Audits.

The SIA process will broaden and deepen the Government’s understanding of areas of potential globally competitive advantage across the UK. With independent analytical support, the consortia examined key science and innovation strengths in the regions to provide evidence of their potential to build and develop world-leading products, services and technologies.

Our work included analysis of socio-economic data and data on academic performance, the mapping of local science and innovation assets, a review of the policy and funding environment to understand how projects might be taken forward, and significant business and academic stakeholder engagement via workshops and a stakeholder conference to facilitate networking and collaboration.

The Audit focused on the City Region’s three world-class Science and Innovation Specialisms, namely Infectious Diseases, Materials Chemistry and High Performance and Cognitive Computing. It also identified a series of short- and long-term projects to ensure partners achieve the City Region’s ambitions to:

• Consolidate Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) position as an international centre of excellence in tackling infectious diseases, and create a cluster of anchor and high growth companies to take advantage of global market opportunities in infection.

• Apply the LCR's world-class materials chemistry capabilities and commercialisation model to provide transformational opportunities for mature UK sectors, create new high-growth industries, and become a recognised global leader.

• Harness the LCR’s world-leading High Performance and Cognitive Computing capabilities to accelerate cross-sector growth and productivity, help deliver public sector transformation and support the development of a world-class cluster in disruptive digital technologies.

Our team worked in close partnership with academics, Liverpool City Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and a wide range of other stakeholders to develop this robust audit. 

The resulting report, which collects together the summary reports from the eight consortia who undertook the second wave of SIAs, was published in September 2017 and can be found on the Liverpool LEP website.