The Partnership is the first time all seven UK Research Councils and Innovate UK have come together to address the complex challenges and opportunities of urban living.
The first step will be to invest £2million in creating up to five individual pilot city projects, each led by a consortium of researchers, local authorities, service providers and businesses. Taking a ‘whole city’ approach, these teams will use their diverse experience and expertise to identify, understand and address key interconnected challenges ranging from community health and crime to social inclusion and employment.
Universities and Science Minister, Jo Johnson said: “As a One Nation Government, we are backing our great cities and towns, ensuring they drive economic growth, embrace innovation and have resilient infrastructure.”
Cities disproportionately contribute to innovation, creativity and economic activity and are vital to a successful global economy. In the UK, 80% of us live in urban areas and 61% of UK growth is generated by city regions. Cities already account for up to 80% of global growth.
To succeed in the future, cities will have to deliver economic activity, high quality infrastructure and quality of life with a lower environmental footprint, and also meet the increasingly diverse needs and aspirations of changing urban populations. Each city will have a unique heritage, culture and set of assets to build upon in achieving its future vision.
Professor Rick Rylance, chair of Research Councils UK, said: “By bringing together capabilities across RCUK and Innovate UK, the Partnership will open up new opportunities for creativity, innovation and co-design in responding to the challenges of future urban living.”
The ambition is to scale up the Partnership to a UK programme with international reach, positioning the UK as a global leader in urban research and innovation, and supporting sustainable urban growth for UK cities.
