Government approves Kirklees Council’s plans for new West Yorkshire Investment Zone

The government has approved Kirklees Council’s proposals for the new West Yorkshire Life Sciences Investment Zone. 

The new Investment Zone, funding for which was announced in November last year, will focus on supporting innovation in the health, wellbeing and digital industries.  

Kirklees Council, and other local authorities across West Yorkshire, are set to receive government investment to boost innovation, productivity and growth, and support the commercialisation of research in these areas.

This investment is due to the government recognising Kirklees and wider West Yorkshire as being a region of ‘high potential’, and Kirklees Council have been working closely with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to produce their detailed business plan for the funding.

The council’s plans for the Investment Zone will build on Kirklees’ existing local strengths in innovation and research, and will aim to develop a strong cluster of interconnected businesses, suppliers and other local research institutions, extending beyond Kirklees to other Investment Zone sites across Leeds, Bradford and the rest of West Yorkshire.

The proposals centre on the council’s Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, a scheme of work that’s all about boosting economic development in Huddersfield, creating new opportunities for businesses to grow and develop, and more high quality jobs for local people.  

This ‘corridor’ stretches from Huddersfield Railway Station to the John Smith’s Stadium, anchored by the new National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC). The NHIC is a transformative project led by the University of Huddersfield, set to improve health outcomes and lead innovation in healthcare for the north of England, the UK and internationally.  

The NHIC will deliver a mix of ‘world-class’ research, teaching and public health facilities, which build on the university’s existing specialisms, including clinical diagnostics, skin integrity and infection prevention.

The Innovation Zone programme will speed up delivery of the NHIC, and bring forward high quality investment sites within the area to attract more businesses looking to colocate and benefit from links to the campus.  The plans include investment in key infrastructure to unlock barriers to development, and also improve walking and cycling links across the area.

Councillor Cathy Scott, Leader of Kirklees Council, says: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be part of the health and wellbeing sector in Kirklees. The West Yorkshire Life Sciences Investment Zone will allow us to build on all the fantastic research and innovation already taking place, and really put us on the map for health tech.”