| answer text |
<p>The Industrial Strategy is our long-term plan to boost productivity by backing
businesses to create high-quality, well paid jobs throughout the United Kingdom, with
investment in skills, industries and infrastructure. The Government is supporting
businesses in the East Midlands through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which
brings together world-class UK research with business investment to develop the technologies
that will transform existing industries and create entirely new ones. We have to date
allocated £6m of ISCF grant funding to projects in the East Midlands and already support
a wider range of projects in the East Midlands. For example, we support a robotics
project based with the University of Nottingham, in partnership with businesses based
at the National Space Centre in Leicester, which is dedicated to investigating the
potential of manufacturing in space; which could enable the in-orbit manufacture of
replacement parts and tools.</p><p> </p><p>Also, since its launch in 2012, the Start-Up
Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, has delivered more than 59,000
loans, totalling over £450m. 65 Start-Up Loans have been provided to the Mansfield
constituency with a total value of £488,200.</p><p> </p><p>Another example of our
help to local businesses to create more highly skilled jobs in East Midlands, is through
the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). They are developing Local Industrial Strategies
setting out how they will support the growth in their local economies.Through the
Midlands Engine Strategy, we are investing in skills, industries, and infrastructure
to boost productivity and create highly skilled jobs. One such instrument is the Midlands
Engine Investment Fund, which provides over £250 million to support small businesses
to grow. Examples of investments made by LEPs across the East Midlands that are designed
to support businesses to create more highly skilled jobs include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>D2N2
LEP’s £5 million Local Growth Fund investment in the recently opened University of
Nottingham’s Advanced Manufacturing Building shows the Industrial Strategy in action.
The state-of-the-art facility will benefit the East Midlands and the whole UK economy
by driving innovation, supporting manufacturing businesses of all sizes to thrive
and crucially equipping people to secure highly skilled jobs.</li><li>A collaboration
between the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Derby City Council
and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has seen the recent opening of a research
and innovation centre for cutting-edge nuclear technology on the Infinity Park Enterprise
Zone; helping to boost local jobs, growth and expertise.</li><li>The Boole Technology
Centre on the Lincoln Science and Technology Park has been supported by £3.4m Local
Growth Fund; providing laboratory, workshop and office space targeting high-growth
SMEs in advanced engineering and manufacturing.</li><li>The Mira Technical Institute
based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, has been supported by £9.5m of Local Growth Fund.
Based on MIRA Technology park, MTI will enable delivery of specialist skills and qualifications
to industry leaders, engineers, technicians and other professionals across the automotive
sector, that are key to fuelling their career ambitions and their employer’s business
success.</li></ul>
|
|
