Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone Wins Two Rising Star Awards

FTZ News: The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone is moving ahead with plans to turn the region’s Freeport and Life Sciences Investment Zone into a broader platform for investment, manufacturing and job creation. The initiative combines the Freeport’s customs and tax incentives with support for life sciences and advanced industry, as local officials seek to attract new projects and strengthen the region’s industrial base.

Government funding for the zone totals £185 million over ten years. So far it has lined up £510 million in committed investment, with forecasts calling for more than £1.6 billion in all. Goods valued at £257 million have already moved through the Freeport customs sites. Officials say the zone is expected to support more than 16,000 jobs. Projects under way include a £20 million logistics headquarters for Finsa in Birkenhead and a £20 million robotic laboratory for the Infection Innovation Consortium.

Mayor Steve Rotheram said the zone was never meant to be just about tax breaks. He has pushed for secure jobs and training for local workers while trying to pull in investment in health, life sciences and advanced manufacturing. The city region’s economy has grown 11.8 percent since 2017, faster than England’s 8.4 percent average. The award materials do not spell out how much of that difference the Innovation Zone itself accounts for.

The next test will be whether the investment commitments translate into operating facilities and jobs. The city region has not published a project-by-project breakdown showing how much of the £510 million is backed by financing or construction plans, leaving the scale of delivery difficult to assess./.