Nearly £10m is set to be invested in the University of Liverpool's new Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone) that would drive investment and job creation, while tackling health inequalities in the Liverpool City Region.
The data and AI-driven CHI-Zone would aim to cement the city region's international reputation as a go-to place for investment in cutting-edge health and social care technologies.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority will this month be asked to approve a £9.97m investment in CHI-Zone which would also receive a further £2.5m funding from other sources including the University.
CHI-Zone is expected to generate more than £10m of further investment into the city region from public and private sources, while creating at least 365 new jobs and training at least 1,140 people. It would also support more than 125 businesses and entrepreneurs, and lead to the creation of at least 10 new digital health and care sector businesses.
The ambitious project is part of the 10-year Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone programme which is expected to attract up to £800m of public and private investment and create 8,000 new skilled jobs.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "This innovative project will place the Liverpool City Region at the heart of global advancements in health and social care technology. It's another critical step towards tackling health inequalities, driving investment and creating skilled, well-paid jobs for our residents. Through cutting-edge AI and data-driven solutions, we're not only shaping the future of health care, but also fostering a thriving digital economy that will benefit people and businesses for years to come."
Professor Iain Buchan, W.H. Duncan Chair in Public Health Systems, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation, and Director of Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) said: "The Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone) will spearhead the use of artificial intelligence and other data-driven technologies to improve healthcare, social care and wellness - while growing the region's life sciences and digital economy, with and for our residents. CHI-Zone will build on the city region's civic data foundations to establish a world-leading civic AI cooperative.
"This is an exciting moment for the University of Liverpool and supports our ambitions as a civic institution to break new ground in science and technology that can address our society's pressing needs and shape the future."
The £12.47m CHI-Zone project will drive research and development (R&D) based on collaboration and the efficient and trustworthy use of data and AI.
It will train the workforce of the future, particularly in AI, while making the city region a leading centre for developing and testing prototypes, helping build a global reputation for the adoption of emerging technologies.
To achieve this, CHI-Zone will drive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through R&D collaborations with overseas businesses and universities - contributing to a city region target of raising FDI by 25% by 2030.
CHI-Zone will also support university researchers to turn their innovations into successful businesses and it will ensure local HealthTech innovations are used to advance the city region's own health and care systems - with input from residents to help design solutions.
The CHI-Zone plan includes development of a HealthTech Design Studio and a related care technology testbed - offering the expertise and platform needed to facilitate research and innovation.
It will also leverage the University's expertise, facilities and access to research funds to help grow jobs and businesses in the city region.
