Government Growth Deal backs Innovation Centre

Funding worth £2m has been awarded to the Innovation Centre at the University of Essex’s Knowledge Gateway research and technology park.The Innovation Centre is one of seven strategic projects in Essex to secure funding from the government to drive growth and job creation in the region.The funding is part of a cash injection of £102m targeted at capital projects in the south east and will be delivered through the Local Growth Fund overseen by South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) which covers East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock.Other projects in Essex, Southend and Thurrock include: Southend Airport Business Park Phase 2, Gilden Way upgrading in Harlow, Technical and Professional Skills Centre at Stansted Airport, STEM Innovation Campus at Colchester Institute, A127 at Fairglen, M11 junction 8 improvements and Grays South.This latest award of Local Growth Funding is on top of £488m of Growth Deals monies already awarded to the SELEP. This latest investment of £102m will deliver an additional 6,129 new homes, create or safeguard 30,785 jobs and secure a further £141m of private sector investment across the region.In total the SELEP Growth Deal from 2014 – 2020 now stands at £590.8m which is set to deliver 78,000 jobs, 29,000 homes in total and attract a further £960 million extra investment into the South East over the next five years.