Influential House of Commons Select Committee visit iiCON

The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee toured the Infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), a consortium led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. They visited the Accelerator building and met with iiCON’s Founding Director Professor Janet Hemingway and academic researchers, and toured the building’s cutting-edge research and clinical facilities.

MPs heard about iiCON’s role in supporting local innovation and economic growth. They were able to view research undertaken by the non-invasive diagnostics, natural product antibiotic discovery and human challenge clinical trial platforms of iiCON.

  

  

During the day-long visit, MPs also visited key assets at Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, including the Materials Innovation Factory partnership between the University of Liverpool and Unilever, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) at Liverpool Science Park, where MPs were welcomed by Mayor Steve Rotheram. 

Select Committee Chair Chi Onwurah MP chose the city region as an example of good practice after being impressed during an innovation-themed fringe event at the Labour Party Conference in September. 

Home to the UK’s first sub-national Innovation Board, the Liverpool City Region has been developing its place-based innovation approach – founded on UK-leading collaborations between industry, academia and the public sector – for more than 10 years. Mayor Rotheram has set a target to invest 5% of Liverpool City Region’s GVA in Research & Development by 2030, which would deliver an estimated 44,000 extra jobs, £20m GVA, and a 10% increase in productivity. 

Professor Janet Hemingway, Founding Director of iiCON, said: 

“LSTM has just celebrated its 125th Anniversary. The journey began with support from local business. It is timely that the Select Committee is able to see for itself the relevance of its activity to industry today, as highlighted by the LSTM-Led Consortium iiCON, a £222M programme which provides access to cutting edge technology to support business and brings much needed new infection therapeutics to market.”

The Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, Chi Onwurah MP, said:

“The Committee was delighted to visit Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter today and see some of the ground-breaking science and technology developments it houses. Not only this, but the KQ is a great example of how innovation can boost regional economic growth and benefit local communities.”