£316m Covid fightback plan unveiled by universities and NHS in Sheffield

The ‘New Model for Economic and Social Transformation’ would also support 2,500 firms, create 1,500 apprenticeships and add £1.6bn to the value of the economy, it is hoped.

It was created by the city’s three ‘anchor institutions’ - the two universities and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

The unprecedented partnership has set out a raft of ways to work more closely than ever with business. It reflects the need for a huge boost in the region following the devastation wrought by the pandemic.

In summer, the University of Sheffield alone was looking at a £100m financial black hole and scores of jobs are being lost in the city each week.

Now, the proposal has been sent to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review. It states it is ‘shovel-ready’ and can deliver results within the next five years.

But it is fighting for funding from similar bids from around the country - not least a £1.7bn plea to stave off a ‘Great Depression’ from the Sheffield City Region organisation led by mayor Dan Jarvis.

Prof Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “As anchor institutions, we take seriously our responsibility to support our region’s people, businesses and economy.

“We have a proven track record in delivering innovation-led economic regeneration and, by using our collective expertise through this powerful partnership, we can drive real transformational change for our communities.

“The Sheffield City Region has the talent, assets and vision to lead the levelling up agenda and I hope the government will back this ambitious proposal.”

The plan would pump money into areas with a concentration of research-intensive companies - such as the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham - and create new ones, generating thousands of highly-skilled employment opportunities, it claims.

It is also designed to transform the region’s skills base for the advanced economy, tackle complex social and health challenges, boost the ‘agility and sustainability’ of the business community, and address key environmental questions.

And it includes creating research centres focused on sustainable manufacturing, nuclear, gene therapy, and cancer therapies. Meanwhile, skills programmes would create 1,500 apprenticeships and SME support schemes.

To extend average life expectancy by five years it would invest in advanced medical technologies and Covid-19 recovery research.

These activities would be delivered with other bodies including local authorities, FE colleges, the private sector and other healthcare providers.

Prof Sir Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, said the submission responded to the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda, and offered a new model based on improved life chances for everyone, underpinned by education, innovation and health.

He added: “This is a genuine partnership of outstanding institutions, rooted in place and committed to the success of our region. Through this considered and cohesive plan, and ultimately with backing from the government, we can support the recovery and renewal of our region through this incredibly challenging period.

“Through our collective strengths, facilities and expertise, our proposal outlines a new model for economic and social transformation which could provide a blueprint for place-based policy - and I would urge the government to look closely at what we have put forwards.”

The plan includes a new Advanced Economy Institute to bring together skills training and SME support. An Office of Data Analytics would share data to address the economic, health, and social issues.

A £47m Sustainable Manufacturing Centre would be built alongside Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Rotherham. It would ‘support the development of globally competitive, sustainable manufacturing technologies in the UK’s drive towards a net zero economy’.

Some £54m would be spent on a Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre and an Advanced Nuclear Technologies Centre.

In health, the partnership wants £100m to create a Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre, expand Weston Park Cancer Centre and create laboratory space incubation facilities.

A further £50m would be spent in the Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Centre in Attercliffe, upscaling its business ‘accelerator’, creating a ‘Living Lab’ to support economically disadvanted communities, boost skills and expand its ‘RICOVR-plus’ Covid-19 research unit.

The report states: ‘With a Government investment of £50m, we can improve the health of tens of thousands of residents in the region through the Living Lab, as well as helping to start, grow and spread new medical innovations that create economic value and improve lives. With our RICOVR-plus unit we can support the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.’

Kirsten Major, chief executive, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our response to COVID-19 has been nothing short of Herculean but as an anchor institution we have an equally large task ahead to help reset our city and wider region’s health.

“We are one of the largest employers in the South Yorkshire region and with our university partners contribute almost £2bn to the local economy. The link between employment, education and opportunity is key to good population health which means there has never been a more important time for us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners across the city to create and drive an achievable but exciting future.

“This new blueprint draws the assets and expertise of three exceptional research and innovation institutions, working together for a common purpose and is based on a nationally-unique model of transformation.”

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