New Scale-up Pathway connects regional strengths to keep British innovation growing in the UK
The UK today welcomes a new Scale-up Pathway to enable the scaling of sovereign innovation and manufacturing.
WestTech London and the West Midlands have joined forces to deepen the connection between the two leading regional innovation ecosystems. Convened by Imperial College London and the University of Warwick, the new Scale-up Pathway strengthens the UK’s ability to commercialise its research, grow innovative companies, retain strategically important manufacturing and production capability, all of which will enhance UK global competitiveness.
The Pathway has been created to address one of the UK’s biggest innovation challenges, as pioneering technologies and innovative businesses across energy and climatetech, defence and security, medtech and biotech move from discovery and R&D to commercial production and scale.
The new initiative will bring together deep tech innovation and commercialisation as well as broad industrial and advanced manufacturing capabilities. It will provide companies with the tools, expertise and capabilities they need at every stage of growth, including access to investment and highly skilled talent, specialist spaces, manufacturing facilities and supply chains. The Scale-Up Pathway will enhance collaboration between the two regions and support growth across the UK.
The Pathway is supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Greater London Authority, together with Ealing Council, the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council.
In addition to Imperial College London and the University of Warwick, the two regions house other leading knowledge and research institutions, including the University of Birmingham, the University of West London, Brunel University, Aston University, Coventry University, Birmingham City University and the University of Wolverhampton.
Commenting on behalf of WestTech London, Professor Hugh Brady, President at Imperial College London, said: “The UK already has all the ingredients needed to be a global science and technology powerhouse. The opportunity now is to connect these strengths more intentionally, recognising what different places do best and enabling businesses to access the expertise, infrastructure and investment they need as they grow. The Scale-up Pathway will connect our complementary ecosystems and in doing so, help more British innovations to scale here in the UK, supporting a new era of industrial growth and strengthening our competitiveness on the world stage.”
WestTech London, established and anchored by Imperial College London with the support of key partners including Imperial College NHS Trust, is unlocking the potential of West London to deliver a thriving, globally competitive innovation ecosystem. WestTech London is home to 1,000 frontier innovation companies which generate more than £9 billion in annual turnover and employ over 20,000 people.
The West Midlands, the UK’s core engine of advanced manufacturing, generates over £22 billion annually in manufacturing output and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs. The region is actively transitioning into next-generation manufacturing, focusing on Electric Light Vehicles, battery technology and smart energy systems.
Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Warwick, added: ‘Universities have an important role to play as engines of inclusive economic growth. Here at Warwick, we have a long history of partnering with industry and businesses translating our research into real world impact through education, skills training and business support. The Scale-Up Pathway will build on these strengths. By working together, we can help even more businesses expand, resulting in greater growth across the UK and our region. This will further position the UK as a world-leading destination for innovation, investment and scale-up success”.
The Scale-up Pathway announcement comes as the West Midlands prepares to unveil new plans surrounding ‘reindustrialisation’. The region will bring together a number of existing and new initiatives linked to investment, innovation and business support, with the aim of strengthening Britain's productive capacity, accelerating industrial renewal and creating the industries, investment and high-value jobs of the future.
The Scale-up Pathway will be further enhanced by the arrival of HS2, creating an even stronger physical connection between the two ecosystems. Anchored by Old Oak in WestTech London and Birmingham and Arden Cross in the West Midlands, HS2 will become an ‘innovation line’ connecting major growth locations, supporting development and regeneration, and helping to power a UK-wide innovation economy.
Howard Dawber, Deputy Mayor of London for Business and Growth, said: “By connecting West London’s research and technology expertise with the West Midlands’ manufacturing strengths, this partnership will help innovative businesses access what they need to grow.
“London has close ties with regions across the country, including the West Midlands. By working together, we can support growth and create good jobs across both regions, helping to build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands said: “For generations the West Midlands has been a powerhouse of innovation and technology, manufacturing the products that built Britain's economy. Today, that pioneering, tech-first mindset persists and is shared, alongside world-class universities and companies, with West London.”
“This is the region where breakthroughs begin and this unique collaboration will attract even greater investment, create high-value jobs and retain more of the economic value generated by British innovation.
“With HS2 set to bring the West Midlands and West London within a few minutes of each other, this partnership shows how strategic infrastructure can amplify the strengths we share and unlock new opportunities for growth across the UK.”
ENDS
Contacts
Matt Higgs, University of Warwick, Media and Communications Manager:
matt.higgs@warwick.ac.uk / 07880 175 403
Claire Burgess, Imperial, Head of Communications and Marketing: claire.burgess@imperial.ac.uk / 07736 039904
About WestTech London: WestTech London
WestTech London is the innovation ecosystem at the heart of the UK capital that is empowering the future of scientific and technological collaboration. Established by Imperial College London, the world-leading STEMB university, WestTech London unites partners and stakeholders around a shared mission to unlock the potential of west London’s innovation landscape – capitalising on world-class universities and research institutions, a diverse talent pool, rich industrial heritage and major transport links to Britain and the world to deliver a thriving, globally competitive innovation ecosystem. It is a new powerhouse for frontier innovation and entrepreneurship that is creating jobs, attracting investment, driving growth and cementing the UK’s position as a leader in science and technology.
WestTech London brings together leading universities and research institutions – Imperial, Brunel University and the University of West London – and the globally influential Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. It is supported by ambitious local authorities including the London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, as well as Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, the Mayoral Development Corporation.
WestTech London also connects leading organisations, such as West London Business and West London Alliance, and major developers, innovation partners and venture builders including Earls Court Development Company, ARC, Blenheim Chalcot and Sciopolis.
Together, they are powering the future of innovation.
About Imperial: Imperial College London
We are Imperial – a world-leading university for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business (STEMB), where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact. As a global top ten university in London, we use science to try to understand more of the universe and improve the lives of more people in it. Across our 10 campuses and throughout our Imperial Global network, our 22,000 students, 8,000 staff, and partners work together on scientific discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. Their work navigates some of the world’s toughest challenges in global health, climate change, AI, business leadership and more. Founded in 1907, Imperial’s future builds on a distinguished past, having pioneered penicillin, holography and fibre optics. Today, Imperial combines exceptional teaching, world-class facilities and a habit of interdisciplinary practice to unlock scientific imagination.
About the University of Warwick: https://warwick.ac.uk
Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world.
The Warwick Manufacturing Group is a model for how industrial partnership with employers in the region, the UK and the world can deliver opportunities from apprenticeships to global businesses. WMG has longstanding partnerships with companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Bosch, and the Tata Group.
The University of Warwick Science Park is one of the top 5% of Science Parks in Europe to start and scale a business. Wholly owned by the University of Warwick, it spans five locations across the region, currently housing over 160 innovative companies.
The University of Warwick’s overall economic impact on the UK is £3.8bn*. Since 2020, 4,000 founders have been supported by the University’s Warwick Innovation District creating approximately 4,000 jobs, and more than £200 million in investment has been raised. The University of Warwick Science Park worked with 704 businesses and helped companies secure £6.66 million in finance in 2024-5, underlining Warwick’s role in turning research, talent and entrepreneurship into real economic impact.
The University of Warwick is also the lead academic partner for a unique HealthTech Campus that will anchor the Arden Cross Innovation District enabling partners to scale up and enter global markets, driving significant improvements in healthcare systems and patient outcomes. Arden Cross is one of the UK's most exciting development opportunities, bringing together world-class connectivity and innovation to drive economic growth at scale.
*Source: London Economics
07 October 2026