University-led £4.9 million initiative to turbocharge North West England’s cyber ambitions
A major new project will fuel the potential of the North West cyber sector to keep the UK at the forefront of cutting-edge cyber security.
Led by Lancaster University, the £4.9m CyberFocus project combines the strength and expertise of Manchester Met and six other universities across the North West aiming to deliver both societal and economic benefits for the region.
The programme will act as a catalyst for cyber knowledge exchange so that research ideas and innovations are transformed into solutions, products and services that will help protect people and businesses as well as drive economic growth.
In addition to supporting the development of cutting-edge innovations, CyberFocus will support regional civic ambitions and drive prosperity and protection in the region by accelerating growth through securing further inward-investments in the region’s cyber sector.
The project will also draw on regional partners across key industrial sectors to forge research-led partnerships and address regional challenges to fuel job creation, economic growth, and improved cyber resilience.
CyberFocus is one of seven new projects supported through £22 million of funding by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) scheme, to strengthen emerging and existing research and innovation clusters to kickstart economic growth and address regional needs.
Developing trusted partnerships between academia, industry, and civic bodies, CyberFocus will strengthen and deliver strategic investments in the region’s cyber ‘ecosystem’.
The North West has one of the largest clusters of cyber security businesses outside London with around 300 companies in the sector. The region’s strength in cyber is also benefitting from the arrival of GCHQ in Manchester and the imminent arrival of the National Cyber Force in Lancashire.
Professor Mark Sterling, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “The CyberFocus project brings our expertise in cyber security together with our commitment to supporting businesses and economic growth.
“By harnessing the strength and experience of universities and partners across the North West, we can lead the way in developing new opportunities and allowing the region’s innovations to come to the fore.”
The CyberFocus project brings Manchester Met together with the Universities of Lancaster, Manchester, Salford, Central Lancashire, Cumbria and Liverpool.
It will also be supported by other partners including Team Barrow (Westmorland & Furness Council, and BAE Systems), Cumbria LEP (now Enterprising Cumbria), Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Liverpool City Regional Combined Authority and Lancashire County Council.
CyberFocus will leverage the cyber expertise within the seven partner universities and other close partners that together form the North West Cyber Corridor, stretching from Lancashire to Manchester and encompassing Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire.
And partner universities will be at the forefront of developing new cohorts of people equipped with the vital high-demand cyber skills required in the region.
The new project aims to:
- create 85 new collaborative partnerships
- develop 400 new products, processes, or services
- secure £40m additional funding for the region
- train 300 individuals in cyber innovation skills
Daniel Prince, Professor of Cyber Security at Lancaster University and Principal Investigator of CyberFocus, said: “By fostering trusted partnerships and supporting innovation across sectors, CyberFocus will not only create new jobs and increase economic value but will also strengthen the UK’s overall cyber capabilities.
“Our work will help position the North West as a key player in addressing today’s cyber threats, with lasting benefits for communities and businesses across the region and beyond.”
EPSRC Executive Chair, Professor Charlotte Deane, said: “The seven projects announced today will harness regional research and innovation strengths to unleash the potential of emerging and existing innovation clusters across the UK.
“Our investment will strengthen partnerships between UK universities, civic bodies and local businesses to create new jobs, improve skills and boost regional economic growth that will benefit places and communities directly.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “We are backing universities across the UK to home in on local strengths in research – from cybersecurity in Lancaster to maritime in Liverpool, offshore wind in Edinburgh to digital healthcare in Belfast – to support thousands of local jobs, boost skills and bring new technologies to market.
“This investment will allow innovators up and down the country to continue or expand their pioneering work to improve lives and kickstart growth in our economy with new opportunities.”
For more information on CyberFocus visit the project webpage.
