University of Liverpool
Russell Group research university in Liverpool; first recipient of the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.
Last refreshed: 7 June 2026
Why did Liverpool get the first £23.7m of the new UK regional innovation fund?
Timeline for University of Liverpool
received £23.7m in the first LIPF project awards for two AI programmes
UK Startups and Innovation: Mayors get the £500m grant pen- Why did the University of Liverpool receive the first Local Innovation Partnerships Fund grant?
- Liverpool received the first £23.7m LIPF allocation based on its documented research strengths in materials chemistry and antimicrobial Science. The AIM-HI project (£15m) targets AI in materials chemistry and NBIC-LIVE (£8.7m) targets AI-driven antimicrobial surfaces.Source: DSIT LIPF announcement, 1 June 2026
- What research is the University of Liverpool doing with the LIPF funding?
- The University of Liverpool is using £15m for AIM-HI, an AI and materials chemistry research centre, and £8.7m for NBIC-LIVE, focused on AI-driven antimicrobial surface technology.Source: DSIT LIPF announcement, 1 June 2026
- Is the University of Liverpool part of the Russell Group?
- Yes. The University of Liverpool is a founding member of the Russell Group, established in 1881, with research strengths in medicine, chemistry, engineering and social sciences.Source: University of Liverpool institutional profile
Background
The University of Liverpool is a Russell Group research university in Liverpool, England, with approximately 30,000 students and a research income of over £200m per year. In June 2026 it became the first recipient of a Local Innovation Partnerships Fund allocation, receiving £23.7m split between two projects: the AIM-HI centre (£15m) for AI applications in materials chemistry, and NBIC-LIVE (£8.7m) focused on AI-driven antimicrobial surface research.
Founded in 1881, Liverpool is a founding member of the Russell Group and historically strong in medicine, chemistry, engineering and the social sciences. It operates three hospitals as part of its NHS trust partnerships and is home to the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, which gives the NBIC-LIVE antimicrobial research a natural institutional home. The university is a significant regional economic anchor, contributing an estimated £2bn to the Liverpool City Region economy annually.
The LIPF allocation signals Liverpool's position in the government's regional R&D devolution agenda. The choice of Liverpool for the first allocation is symbolically and practically significant: it demonstrates that the new fund is genuinely reaching beyond the Golden Triangle, and the two research themes chosen (AI materials chemistry and AI antimicrobial surfaces) are areas where Liverpool has documented research strength rather than tokenistic regional distribution. The Merseyrail corridor between Liverpool and Manchester places Liverpool within a Northern Innovation Corridor context that the 2027 Spending Review's mayoral devolution is designed to strengthen.