KQ Liverpool backs culture and innovation to fuel Liverpool’s economic resurgence
Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter (KQ Liverpool) announces five-year vision to power Liverpool’s innovation-led economic recovery plan
KQ Liverpool, the world-leading innovation district, located at the heart of Liverpool City Centre, has today launched its new strategic vision for the next five years.
Developed in consultation with over 60 key stakeholders, the KQ Liverpool 2025 Vision will respond to the City Region’s immediate economic challenges, following the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst laying out a future roadmap for ambitious yet sustainable future growth.
City Mayor, Joe Anderson, said: “In just four years, the KQ Liverpool Mayoral Development Zone has put Liverpool on the global innovation map. I’m confident that this strategy will enable us to push on further with the transformation of our city’s economy to a focus on world leading health, science and technology. Upper Central and Paddington Village are key components of our vision of creating opportunities based on the innovation and excellence we already have in the city”
Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec Liverpool, said: “The timing of this launch could not be more crucial, as we in Liverpool, and across the globe, plan our economic recovery from coronavirus. We know it’s not over yet and that only by creativity, flexibility and ingenuity will we get through this together using culture and innovation to fuel Liverpool’s economic resurgence.
“Our new strategic plan to drive forward our health, life sciences and tech innovation district will empower Liverpool and the wider City Region to adapt more quickly, play to our strengths and push forward with positivity.”
The KQ Liverpool 2025 strategic vision was formed following a thorough consultation process with city leaders, innovators and change-makers, which started at the beginning of the year.
The vision reflects on the substantial success of the KQ Liverpool Mayoral Development Zone since its inception in 2016 and goes on to provide a picture of what the future will look like for the growing innovation district as part of a thriving city region over the next five years.
With reference to new KQ Liverpool developments, including new commercial space at Paddington Central, the HILL at Paddington North and Central Park, and the expansion of the near fully occupied Liverpool Science Park, the 2025 vision encompasses five key areas of focus that will bring together the aspirations of its partner and stakeholder organisations, whilst also responding to both the city and city region’s fully aligned economic recovery plans.
The five highlighted areas of focus are attracting and retaining talent, growing businesses and attracting inward investment, being a better neighbour, collaborating with purpose and creating a smarter city.
Professor Dame Janet Beer, Chair of KQ Liverpool and Sciontec Liverpool, added: “KQ Liverpool is a place that is greater than the sum of its parts, linking up like-minded cultural and commercial organisations, academics, clinicians and scientists, to promote the world-class innovation that exists within our city region.
“Our 2025 vision will shape the delivery of our strategic growth plan, enabling KQ Liverpool to use the changing economic landscape to seize new opportunities.”
The ongoing success of KQ Liverpool has in turn led to the creation of Sciontec, a commercial partnership between Liverpool City Council, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Bruntwood SciTech, with plans to further develop Paddington Village, expand Liverpool Science Park, and create a tech cluster close to Sensor City at Copperas Hill in Upper Central.
With Sciontec bringing the private and public sector together to create new jobs, in both construction and innovation led business, both the short-term health crisis recovery planning and the long-term KQ Liverpool 2025 Vision will be crucial to maintaining the momentum of recent years and will help Liverpool to literally build its economic recovery on the foundations of its most recent achievements.
As Sciontec Liverpool takes forward much of the KQ Liverpool property development mantle, KQ Liverpool will itself focus even more on place making, improving people’s lives and driving sustainable inclusive growth, through partnership and collaboration.
Building on its existing strengths, KQ Liverpool will play a key role in growing the city region’s economy, whilst recognising that the future must be built back better with the environment and sustainable inclusive growth at the heart of its shared vision