Glasgow council welcomes £20m funding in bid to explore new life saving medicines

Glasgow’s council leader has welcomed funding of £20m for the city region from the UK government in a bid to explore new life saving medicines.

Councillor Susan Aitken, who is also chair of the city region cabinet, says the investment which will help deliver more game-changing innovations, will be a powerful endorsement to the area.

It comes as cash boosts of £20m for Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands were made available to unlock new medicines or AI that can spot illness earlier ahead of Tuesday’s landmark regional investment summit in Birmingham.

The funding package will give local leaders in the three areas access to a total of £50m each to fund innovations in science and technology in their local areas, like the next lifesaving medicine or cheaper fuels that can keep bills down.

Speaking about the investment, councillor Aitken said: “Glasgow is continually building its reputation as a hub of innovation, and this additional investment is hugely welcome and a powerful endorsement of Glasgow City Region’s proven ability to deliver impact at scale.

“We have the track record, infrastructure, and expertise to turn this funding into inclusive economic growth aligned with UK and Scottish Government priorities. This additional support will help us go even further in delivering against those shared ambitions.”

The new funding for three regions is the latest commitment from the Government’s £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) and builds on the initial £30m earmarked for each area in June’s Spending Review.

The LIPF funding package will back teams across the country to scale-up and drive forward more discoveries, recognising the benefits they bring to people’s everyday lives – from keeping us healthy, to reducing delays on our commute, to building a greener planet with cheaper bills.

This additional funding will enable more spinouts like Chemify in Glasgow, which was backed by Government funding, to help create the world’s first ‘Chemputation’ facility – merging AI-powered molecular‑design engines with industrial robotics to speed up discovery of medicines and materials.

Speaking previously on the issue, councillor Aitken, added: “This investment is very welcome and testament to Glasgow City Region’s continuing track record of delivery.

“The Glasgow Economic Leadership Board, co-chaired by myself and Prof Sir Jim McDonald, made an exceptionally strong case for Glasgow being the recipient of this support.

“We have the capacity, the experience and the thriving innovation ecosystems capable of translating investment into the type of growth supported by both the UK and Scottish Government.

“Given Glasgow’s reputation as a centre of ingenuity and a City Region committed to equity, this investment can help take forward our ambitions for truly inclusive growth and innovation.”