Priority 1 - Promoting Innovation, Research & Development

 Priority 1 aims to improve the region's capacity to translate innovation into commercial outcomes that result in a step change in business productivity and performance. A particualfocus will be on the regions's high class science base, notably universities and research institutions.

 The aim is to:

• Raise levels of business investment in research, development and innovation
• Increase levels of knowledge transfer between these institutions and businesses
• Improve opportunities for skilled people, students and graduates to contribute to increased economic activity via innovation
• Improve levels of commercialisation of ideas for new business ventures with the establishment of demonstrator projects