Derry City and Strabane secures £105m innovation boost

The UK government has announced a £105m funding package to boost the Derry City and Strabane area's digital sector and invest in innovation, with further funding expected to come.

The Derry City and Strabane District Council has secured a significant investment in the future of the area, which is split into a £50m "City Deal" and a £55m "Inclusive Future Fund." This investment model has been used recently in the Belfast area, where the UK government pledged £350m in the Belfast Region City Deal and the NI Executive and other interested parties topped it up to £850m.

If this investment is similarly matched by the NI executive and followed up by further investment from research organisations, universities, and industry, it's expected that the total investment in the plan will exceed £300m. The plan will focus on long-term educational outcomes, tech and innovation, job creation, investment in skills development, and the expansion of the Ulster University Magee campus.

Among the projects that can now be put into action are proposals for investment in a new university-led medical education and innovation hub that will perform research in data-driven personalised medicine and medical robotics. Other projects include smart city initiatives, digital infrastructure investments, and other initiatives designed to boost Derry's digital innovation capacity.

Source: Derry Journal Image © Mark McGaughey