Liverpool shortlisted as Capital of Innovation
Liverpool is in the running to be crowned European Capital of Innovation 2026 after reaching the semi-final stage of the prestigious competition.
River of Light returns with scientific glow-up
River of Light – the much-loved, free light festival which every year transforms Liverpool’s iconic waterfront into an outdoor art gallery – has announced its 2025 line-up with a brand new theme.
He came, he ran, he conquered!
Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and Sciontec, has completed the incredible feat of running 52 miles across the Liverpool City Region in a single day.
Colin sets out to run LCR in a day
Colin Sinclair, chief executive of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and Sciontec, is today embarking on an epic double-marathon attempt to run across the Liverpool City Region in a day to raise money for local charities.
BLOG – How Catapults help ideas fly in innovation districts
Catapults play a critical role in the UK’s innovation ecosystem and its prospects for further economic growth. Established and supported by Innovate UK, Catapults help innovation organisations to turn their bright ideas into reality by providing them with a commercial interface between academia and the private sector.
At Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool), we are fortunate to have seen first-hand the positive impact they can have across our innovation district and the wider city region.
The UK has nine Catapults with a national presence spanning over 65 locations. Their specialisms range from Medicines Discovery to Compound Semiconductors and Offshore Renewables, each with a particular focus on late-stage R&D, helping innovative businesses get their high potential ideas to market.
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult, calls Liverpool Science Park its home in the north west. Since 2010 it has established a proven record in helping to deliver innovation in manufacturing and technology solutions through collaboration with purpose, helping to transform industries and change lives for the better.
As a leading research and technology organisation at the forefront of manufacturing innovation, MTC transforms how products are designed, made and built so that they can be produced on a commercial scale – more sustainably, effectively and safely.
Charlie Whitford, Director of North West Region at MTC says:
“As the MTC celebrates our 10th year in Liverpool we continue to grow our support for industry in the region and draw on regional capabilities to support industry across the UK. In particular, the MTC in LCR hosts the Digital Manufacturing Accelerator, the UK’s leading hub for the commercial acceleration of digital manufacturing technologies supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.”
CPI, which also has an office at Sciontec-owned Liverpool Science Park, is part of HVM Catapult. This gives CPI direct involvement in UK and EU science and innovation strategy alongside sustained investment to ensure staff and facilities are at the cutting-edge of product and process development.
For pioneering businesses, this means they have a deep tech innovation partner that can help them to scale-up their ideas across sectors such as energy, medical tech, pharma or materials. A fantastic asset for our innovation district.
Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth, is another member of the Catapult Network, with a home in KQ Liverpool, this time at Sciontec AI in The Spine.
Connected Places Catapult is working actively in Liverpool with a key focus on sustainability in the maritime sector, having published a study on the Liverpool to Belfast green shipping corridor. As part of this, the team has been looking at ‘ports as energy hubs’ with a focus on Liverpool and the Stanlow refinery. The team is also examining the opportunity for coastal shipping to take traffic off the roads in Liverpool with Bibby Marine, Peel Ports and other regional partners.
We were proud to work directly with CPC on our illustrated children’s book, The Animates: Learning in Liverpool. Written by local author Natalie Reeves-Billing, it was specially commissioned by KQ Liverpool, in partnership with Connected Places Catapult, and is part of a major focus on inspiring and training the next generation of innovators, by helping young people to understand the many innovative careers that exist in their home city.
It follows the adventures of six animal inventors who crash-land in KQ Liverpool and must search for the innovations needed to repair their ship. With support from CPC and other partners, we then delivered more than 5,000 copies, reaching every Liverpool City Region primary school, thanks to Innovation Zone funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The Catapults in our innovation district also offer hubs, laboratories, testbeds, factories, and offices, each powered by experts who bring innovators together to prove and adopt breakthrough high-quality products, services, and technologies.
Kris Wadrop, Managing Director – Materials, at CPI says:
“Facilitated work space alongside universities, as that offered by Sciontec in the Knowledge Quarter, is essential within the Academic-Catapult-Industry ecosystem to allow people to collaborate, see each other on a daily basis, build trust and create lasting working relationships.
“Enabling the Catapults to share space with the academic institutions allows unparalleled access to transfer knowledge and build partnerships. The facilities within KQ Liverpool also allow a cost-effective regional presence to be established, enabling HVM Catapult to support the innovation ambitions of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, ensuring the capabilities and priorities within the region are exemplified and delivered. ”
Recent data shared by Innovate UK shows 80% of businesses that have worked with at least one Catapult say that their innovative projects would not have happened, or not have happened at the same speed, without Catapult involvement. The same number said that Catapults helped to improve the quality of their products and services.
Meanwhile, according to 90% of the businesses surveyed, Catapults also play a significant role in helping innovative businesses form partnerships, crucial for the success of innovative projects, enabling the pooling of expertise, resources, shared risks, market access, and accelerated development.
In turn, this means businesses working with Catapults are more likely to get a product or project to market, with the same findings showing that turnover of small and micro businesses working with Catapults rose by 27% when compared with other similar businesses, rising to a huge 50% increase after six years.
There can be little doubt that the multiplier effect of Catapults can have a significant medium-to-long-term impact on businesses prepared to invest in R&D, supported by a unique combination of facilities and expertise.
If the Liverpool City Region is to further secure its place as a global destination for innovation, international businesses need to see the UK innovation landscape as the perfect place to push their innovations forward. Catapults will continue to play an incredibly important role in those ambitions.
LCR in a Day – Our Chosen Charities
As our chief executive Colin Sinclair prepares to run the entire Liverpool City Region in a single day on September 5, we take a look at the charities who are set to benefit from his fundraising efforts.
KQ Liverpool has selected six charities, one from each borough, all of whom share its commitment to supporting young people in the Liverpool City Region. You can read more about each of them below:
Established in 1999, Home-Start Knowsley is an independent, early-intervention charity that supports local families with at least one child under the age of eleven. It offers peer-led early help in the home to prevent crisis, build family resilience and ensure that every parent has the support they need so their children have the best start in life, including a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment to thrive in, reducing the risk of Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Ykids works to improve the lives and futures of children, young people and their families living in some of the UK’s most deprived areas. While its heart and soul are in its local community of Bootle, it actively works across the Liverpool City Region; providing innovative mentoring programmes, school and literacy projects, sports and arts initiatives, large community events, parent groups and support, a community pantry and ten weekly clubs ranging from theatre and the arts, to life skills and sport.
Stick ‘n’ Step is a charity that enables, inspires and supports children with cerebral palsy and their families. It supports children and young people with cerebral palsy up to the age of 25 through the provision of free weekly conductive education sessions, delivered by highly skilled professionals from specialist centres in Runcorn and Wallasey and designed to help each child reach their personal potential in terms of mobility, confidence, and independence.
Centre 56 is a domestic abuse charity in the heart of North Liverpool which puts children first. The organisation provides childcare, information and support for families and children who have suffered, or are at risk of domestic abuse or a crisis situation. Its mission is to create a world where every family member feels safe and secure and where families have food on the table in warm homes, without the fear of violence.
A Young Carer is someone aged 6 to 18 who provides regular or ongoing care and emotional support towards a family member who is ill, disabled, has a mental health condition or misuses drugs or alcohol. They often take on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult. This charity believes every Young Carer should have the same opportunities as other children and young people of a similar age.
Claire House Children’s Hospice
Claire House Children’s Hospice in Bebington helps seriously and terminally ill children live life to the full by creating wonderful experiences and bringing back a sense of normality to family life. By providing specialist nursing and end of life care, as well as emotional support, its team of trained, passionate professionals helps families through some of the toughest times of their lives.
We are proud to be able to support these six incredible charities. If you would like to make a donation, please visit: www.givewheel.com/fundraising/8844/lcr-in-a-day.
KQ Liverpool and Sciontec shortlisted for six awards
We are thrilled to announce that KQ Liverpool and Sciontec have been shortlisted for a number of national, regional and local awards, recognising our talent and skills initiatives, property industry developments and our teams’ professional achievements.
Estates Gazette Awards 2025
Talent & Skills Initiative of the Year – Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
This award recognises projects that focus on upskilling the industry, creating jobs in the community, and bolstering the talent pipeline.
KQ Futures, part-funded via the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone, part of the Government’s Investment Zone programme across England, is KQ Liverpool’s inclusive innovation programme targeted at primary school through to sixth form students across Liverpool City Region.
There are a number of different strands to the KQ Futures programme, including the Animates children’s book, Career Insights Day, Future Innovators Programme and KQ Interns.
Insider Media: Liverpool City Region Property Awards 2025
The Liverpool City Region Property Awards Ceremony is a highlight in the property industry calendar, bringing together the placemakers, investors and property professionals who are building and regenerating the area.
Developer of the Year – Sciontec
Recognised for our ongoing innovative approach to city centre based workspace through Sciontec AI, judges were also impressed with our recent milestones, including the launch of CENTRAL TECH and our plans for our new-build, lab focused site, HEMISPHERE, at Paddington Village.
Social Impact Award – KQ Futures Programme (KQ Liverpool)
As above, KQ Futures aims to transform career aspirations and better align them into local opportunities in key future growth sectors, including health and life sciences and other cross-cutting sectors. The programme is also supporting the LCR Careers Hub and Careers and Enterprise Company with the national pilot of the Equalex project that aims to deliver a meaningful work experience for all children in secondary schools.
Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards 2025
Future Focused: Leading the Future Award – Colin Sinclair, Knowledge Quarter
This year marks the 175th anniversary of Liverpool Chamber, and with it comes a number of special recognition awards.
We are delighted that our CEO, Colin Sinclair, has been shortlisted in one of these categories, having demonstrated visionary leadership with a clear focus on driving innovation and positive change, backed by business growth and transformation.
Colin has also been recognised for championing progress in areas like sustainability and inclusion, influencing regional growth, and fostering a future-focused mindset that positions both Sciontec and KQ Liverpool, as well as the Liverpool City Region, for long-term success.
Downtown in Business – Livercool Awards 2025
The 23rd Annual “Livercool” Awards will celebrate the outstanding entrepreneurs, business leaders, and individuals who contribute to the growth of the Liverpool City Region economy.
Two of our talented team members have been shortlisted in different categories, and now require public votes in order to take home the titles!
Young Entrepreneur/One to Watch of the Year – Emily Robson
KQ Liverpool’s Assistant CEO, Emily Robson, spent four years supporting the strategic development and delivery of inclusive innovation programmes within the innovation district, before being promoted in 2024 to her current role. Emily is now helping to accelerate the work KQ Liverpool does around inclusive growth, business support and skills, and has been recognised for her laser-like focus in maintaining momentum and pushing forward plans to deliver our objectives.
PR & Communications Personality of the Year – Sally Bloor
Sally is the Head of Marketing and Communications for both Sciontec and KQ Liverpool. She leads a team of four, working to deliver a broad range of marketing and lead generation campaigns to drive inward investment and customer retention, promote community and cultural engagement, and amplify the organisations’ messaging across digital and printed platforms. Sally’s wealth of experience within the sector and unrivalled attention to detail in all aspects of her work makes her a very worthy candidate for winning this award.
The winners of each Livercool Award are determined by a public vote, rather than a judging panel! Please join us in supporting our colleagues and place your votes for them in the below link.
It is also rewarding to see so many of our Partners, stakeholders and wider supply chain shortlisted in a range of categories across these Awards too.
Key landmark demolished as innovation scheme enters new phase
Liverpool’s flagship £1bn Knowledge Quarter development is set to enter a new phase – following the completion of the demolition of a key landmark.
Removal of the former Smithdown Lane Police Station at the Paddington Village South scheme has now completed, paving the way for new development opportunities under a masterplan being co-ordinated by Liverpool City Council and the University of Liverpool.
Paddington South, which is backed by MHCLG funding, is the next instalment of the *multi award-winning Paddington Village development.
This site currently includes the WELL Platinum standard rated Spine Building, which provides Grade A office space, a multi-storey car park, and the Novotel Liverpool Paddington Village Hotel.
The ambition for the Paddington South masterplan will be to super charge the city’s research, development and innovation sector, whilst creating a vibrant new neighbourhood for the area, embedded in sustainable development principles.
Central to the 9-acre scheme will be a revamped public green space around Grove Street, with the aim of improving biodiversity by 10% as part of the city’s wider urban green up programme and, new active travel routes linked to the wider City cycle network.
The new green space will be aligned with the Liverpool Public Realm, and Design for Access for All Strategic Planning Documents with the aim of achieving zero carbon in operation, aligning with the Council’s 2030 net zero ambitions and assisting the University in its 2035 net zero campus aim.
Through the demolition of Smithdown Lane Police Station, lead contractor Morgan Sindall Construction has aimed to recycle and reuse as much of the existing materials as possible. Working in partnership with local charity ReciproCity, existing furniture from the building was recycled and donated to local charities and businesses, which avoided in excess of 250 office desks and chairs along with other furniture from going to landfill.
Morgan Sindall has previously delivered an infrastructure package of works, The Spine, The Novotel and the MSCP on the Paddington Village Central site. This, combined with the ongoing works at Paddington South has so far delivered £122.5m of social value for Liverpool, including engaging with 3,534 students, employing 123 Apprentices over 1,623 apprentice weeks and engaging over 150 people through our Knowledge Quad employment courses.
- The City Council owned Paddington Village site has earned numerous industry awards including eight Considerate Construction Awards including “Most Considerate Site”, an Innovation Award from the BCO for The Spine and three Constructing Excellence North West Awards for The Spine.
Minister for Local Growth, Alex Norris, MP, said:
“The Paddington South site is set to become a hub for research and innovation, driving growth and opportunities in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter and beyond, helping us deliver on our Plan for Change.
“Liverpool has always been at the forefront with new ideas and innovation so it’s exciting that the project has entered this new phase, and I look forward to seeing it progress in the months ahead.”
Councillor Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said:
“The clearance of the old police station at Paddington South is a landmark moment in our journey to ensuring Liverpool becomes one of Europe’s leading R&D centres in science innovation.
“An expanded Paddington Village is vital to the city’s future economic growth and to creating a conveyor belt of high skilled jobs. Once delivered, this former brownfield site will become the engine room for the delivery of our wider Investment Zone plans for the coming decade and beyond.
“I’m delighted the focus on providing a world-class development is as much on sustainability and creating a new green lung in the city and look forward to seeing the masterplan for the site take shape and develop.”
Professor Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor at the University of Liverpool, said:
“We are excited about this latest milestone in the development of Paddington South. This site provides us with an exciting opportunity to realise a step-change in our research and development activities in areas where we are already rated as world-leading.
“We are particularly passionate about the important benefits the development will have for our city in terms of jobs, reputation, wealth generation and more.”
Colin Sinclair, CEO at Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, said:
“Paddington Village is intrinsic to the future success of the KQ Liverpool innovation district, with the capability to help create upwards of 10,000 new, highly-skilled jobs in the city region, building on our existing strengths in life sciences, robotics engineering and materials chemistry.
“The provision of green space and other amenities is crucial in creating a genuine sense of place and attracting people to live and work here. We look forward to supporting Morgan Sindall and the city council in their efforts to complete this next phase of work – taking us a step closer to realising the enormous potential of Paddington Village.”
Steven Gregory, North West Area Director at Morgan Sindall, said:
“The completion of this demolition marks a key milestone not just in the transformation of Paddington Village South, but in Liverpool’s wider ambition to become a powerhouse for innovation.
“As in our previous work at the Knowledge Quarter, we’ve taken a sustainability-first approach – maximising reuse and recycling throughout the process, and working with fantastic partners like ReciproCity to ensure surplus furniture went to local charities instead of landfill. This project is about building for the future – creating opportunities, driving social value, and leaving a legacy that benefits the community for generations to come.”
LCR In a Day Charity Run
We’re proud to announce a bold and inspiring fundraising challenge led by our CEO, Colin Sinclair, who will run 50 miles across all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region in just one day.
Taking place on Friday, 5 September 2025, the run aims to raise vital funds for six incredible local charities, each one making a real difference in its community.
Our chosen charities are:
- Home-Start UK, Knowsley – Supports struggling families that are having difficulties across the borough.
- Ykids Limited, Sefton – Children’s charity making a difference to the lives of children and young people in Bootle.
- Stick ‘n’ Step, Halton – Enabling, inspiring and supporting children with cerebral palsy and their families.
- Centre 56, Liverpool – A domestic abuse nursery, supporting families who have experienced abuse or who are in crisis.
- St Helens Young Carers, St Helens – Supporting young carers across the borough to help reduce the negative impact of their caring role.
- Claire House Children’s Hospice, Wirral – Helping seriously and terminally ill children make the most of the time they have however long or short that may be.
This ambitious effort is a natural extension of KQ Liverpool’s mission to drive inclusive innovation and improve lives across the City Region. As the force behind the KQ Futures programme, funded by the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone, part of the UK Government’s Investment Zone programme, KQ Liverpool is already creating opportunities and raising aspirations for children and young people across the region.
Now, Colin Sinclair is taking that commitment a step further. The “LCR in a Day” challenge will see him cover 50 miles in a single day, crossing all six boroughs and raising funds for charities that provide life-changing support across the region.
The initiative is a call to action for the entire Liverpool City Region to rally behind a shared mission of impact and community. Everyone is invited to get involved, whether by making a donation, contributing a raffle prize, or spreading the word across social and professional networks. Donations can be made via the LCR In a Day Give Wheel donation page, and every pound raised will go directly to the charities.
With just six weeks to train, Colin is embracing the challenge wholeheartedly and counting on the support of the region to help make a meaningful difference. A detailed route map will be released soon on KQ Liverpool’s social media channels, where updates and progress will also be shared in the lead-up to the event.
IT’S TIME TO SHINE – AND WE NEED YOUR VOTE!
We are thrilled to announce that two of our most hard working colleagues have been nominated for the 23rd Annual “Livercool” Awards!
We are delighted to share that our wonderful assistant CEO, Emily Robson, has been given the opportunity to win the ‘Young Entrepreneur and One to Watch of the Year’ award. Emily has been such an asset to KQ Liverpool already and this nomination is a reflection on all of the hard work she puts into the company. Her drive for success has paid off and we would love to see her achieve this award.
Sally Bloor, Head of Marketing and Communications for Sciontec and KQ Liverpool, has also been nominated for an award, this time for the ‘PR & Communications Personality of the Year’. Sally is always giving maximum effort to help lead the companies’ marketing strategy and campaigns and we are so excited for her to hopefully win the award, because no one deserves it more than she does!
A number of our innovation district collaborators and stakeholders are featured too, including Natalie Reeves Billing & Alex Cousins for the Animates project, within the ‘Dynamic Duo of the Year 2025’ category, as well as Hope Street Hotel’s Jan Morris, for the ‘Visitor Economy & Hospitality Personality of the Year’ award.
Winners in all categories will be decided through a public vote, taking place over the next couple of months and the nominees will be invited to a lovely awards dinner on 20th November, hosted by Downtown In Business, at the amazing Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Downtown in Business themselves are an award-winning and rapidly expanding organisation, leading growth in the North of England and the West Midlands. They recognise that strong connections are key to helping businesses succeed and their network currently includes over 300 member companies from across the UK, spanning both the public and private sectors.
Voting for the ‘Livercool’ Awards is now open, and you can help Emily and Sally take home the win by voting for them online. They are so deserving of their nominated awards and it would mean the world to them to win the top spot! It only takes a few seconds so please join us and vote now!
Cast your vote here
