Innovation Accelerator Fund to drive green growth in the East Midlands

A new £1.2 million innovation fund has been launched to boost economic growth, inward investment, and innovation across the East Midlands’ clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The second iteration of the East Midlands Investment Zone (EMIZ) Innovation Accelerator Fund aims to strengthen collaboration between regional businesses and the area’s world-leading universities – the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University, and the University of Derby.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “The East Midlands has the talent, research strength, and industrial heritage to lead the UK’s transition to a clean, low-carbon future. Our Innovation Accelerator Fund is about turning ambition and potential into real economic growth, deepening collaboration with our universities, and driving the creation of world-class technologies right here in our region.

“By supporting innovation from early feasibility through to demonstrator projects, we’re helping ideas move faster from the lab to the marketplace. This isn’t just about innovation – our East Midlands Investment Zone projects are creating high-value jobs and long-term opportunities for communities across the East Midlands.”

Supporting innovation from idea to market

The EMIZ Innovation Accelerator Fund is designed to support projects that showcase leadership in green industries and advanced manufacturing, helping businesses develop new products, services, and processes while progressing university research towards commercial use.

The programme will focus on four interconnected priority clusters within the region:

• Nuclear
• Zero-emissions propulsion
• Sustainable construction
• Advanced manufacturing

Funding will be available through two competitive streams:

• Feasibility stream –to support early-stage ideas.
• Demonstrator stream – offering grants of up to £100,000 per project to support more advanced projects.

Feasibility projects will be completed by October 2026, with demonstrator projects finishing by March 2027.

Professor Jane Norman, President and Vice Chancellor, University of Nottingham, said: “By bridging the gap between world-class academic research and commercial application, this fund ensures that the groundbreaking innovations developed here stay rooted in the East Midlands.

We need to anchor high-value technologies in our region and develop the long-term partnerships that solve real-world industrial challenges. Through this exciting and important collaboration, we are helping local firms to turn technical expertise into a competitive global advantage.”

Building on a successful pilot

Examples of pilot projects include:

• Vibration Energy Harvesting, a collaboration between Unipart Rail and the University of Derby, developing technology to convert unwanted rail vibration into usable electrical energy.
• Enabling Electric Propulsion through Power Electronics, delivered by The Thinking Pod innovations and the University of Nottingham, focusing on lightweight, high-efficiency power converters for hydrogen fuel cell applications.
• Intelligent Digital Twins for Sustainable Industry, led by Bloc Digital and the University of Derby, using AI-driven digital twins to improve asset maintenance, extend aircraft lifespan, and unlock new commercial opportunities.

A long-term, inclusive vision for growth

Technology roadmaps for each priority sector have been developed, led by the University of Nottingham alongside sector specialists. These roadmaps identify areas of competitive advantage for the East Midlands and will guide future EMIZ investment decisions.

Together, EMIZ Innovation Accelerator Fund and the broader East Midlands Investment Zone programme form part of a ten-year, £160 million government commitment to transform the East Midlands into a nationally significant hub for clean technology, innovation-led growth, and high-value jobs.

If you are interested in learning more about the fund, and whether you are eligible, please get in touch with Ben Sumner, Innovation Clusters Director at the University of Nottingham at: ben.sumner@nottingham.ac.uk