Liverpool’s iiCON Enters Second Phase With £6m UKRI Grant 2026

Key Points

• LSTM-led Infection Innovation Consortium iiCON has begun its second phase of activities on 22 September 2026.
• The program is funded by a £6 million UK Research and Innovation grant via the Local Innovation Partnership Fund.
• iiCON aims to build a long-term, global research and development center in the Liverpool City Region.
• Six specific platforms will help to develop drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, including drug discovery, organoid modeling, and rapid clinical trials.
• According to the consortium, its first phase created 770 new jobs and advanced 36 products towards the market.
• iiCON evolved from the £18.6 million UKRI investment into the £260 million program.
• The new investment attracted £9.25 million in private investment, with a potential private investment of £75 million by 2033.
• The newly opened £20 million Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory will facilitate human organoid infection research in a secure Category Level 3 laboratory.
• The second phase is meant to bring more firms, research, and foreign direct investment into the Liverpool City Region.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 22, 2026 – The Infection Innovation Consortium has launched the second phase of its programme to accelerate research and development in drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and other products aimed at tackling infectious diseases.

Inverted pyramid: the most important development is that iiCON, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and supported by a new £6 million UK Research and Innovation grant, will establish a permanent, globally focused research and development hub in the Liverpool City Region.

According to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s announcement, the second phase will place greater emphasis on supporting industry innovation and helping companies move infectious disease products from early research towards clinical use and the market.

The consortium will introduce six specialist platforms designed to reduce risk and speed up development pathways. The platforms will cover early-stage drug discovery, advanced organoid modelling, rapid clinical trials, nanotherapeutics and long-lasting drug delivery systems, antibody humanisation, and broad-based molecular diagnostics.

The programme will also include sensor, artificial intelligence and machine-learning-enabled wearable diagnostic devices.

What is iiCON’s second phase intended to achieve?

The second phase is intended to create a long-term research and development infrastructure for the Liverpool City Region rather than operate only as a time-limited innovation project.

LSTM said the new phase would develop a permanent hub with a global outlook and a focus on working with businesses of different sizes. The hub is expected to connect academic researchers, companies, public bodies and funders to support the development of new products for infectious disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

The new £6 million grant comes from UKRI’s Local Innovation Partnership Fund. LSTM described the funding as support for the continued development of a programme that combines scientific research with commercial and economic activity.

The consortium’s work is being delivered through partnerships across academia, industry, government and funding organisations. Its stated aim is to close gaps in the development process, improve efficiency and help promising products reach patients and communities more quickly and safely.

Which six platforms will support infection innovation?

The six planned specialist platforms will target different stages of the research and development process.

Early-stage drug discovery

The first platform will support early-stage drug discovery. This work is intended to help researchers and companies identify and assess potential treatments before they progress to later development stages.

Advanced organoid modelling

The second platform will focus on advanced organoid modelling through the recently launched Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory.

Organoids are laboratory-grown models that can be used to study biological processes and disease responses. The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory will support human organoid infection research and is expected to provide a platform for research and commercial collaborators developing drugs and vaccines.

Rapid clinical trials

A third platform will focus on rapid clinical trials. The aim is to support faster testing and evaluation of potential infectious disease products while maintaining the necessary research and safety processes.

Nanotherapeutics and long-lasting drug delivery

The fourth platform will cover nanotherapeutics and systems designed to deliver medicines over longer periods. This area may support the development of treatments that can be delivered more efficiently or remain active for longer, although the consortium’s announcement does not identify individual products or clinical candidates.

Antibody humanisation

The fifth platform will focus on antibody humanisation. This work can support the development of antibody-based treatments and research tools intended for use in human disease settings.

Molecular diagnostics and wearable devices

The sixth platform will develop broad-based molecular diagnostics, including sensor technology and wearable devices using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The announcement did not provide specific launch dates, product names or commercial partners for each platform. It presented the six areas as the central focus of iiCON’s second phase.

What did LSTM leaders say about the programme?

Professor David Lalloo, Vice-Chancellor of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said LSTM was proud of iiCON’s impact during its first five years.

“The continued investment by UKRI is a testament to the translational nature of the cutting-edge research carried out at LSTM and across the Liverpool City Region,” Professor Lalloo said, according to the LSTM announcement.

He described the programme as an example of how collaboration between academia, industry, government and funders could help move research “from bench to bedside and beyond”.

Professor Lalloo also linked the programme with economic growth, high-value employment and health security.

His comments placed the second phase within both a scientific and regional development context. The programme is designed not only to support infection research but also to increase employment, attract investment and strengthen the area’s life sciences sector.

Professor Janet Hemingway, iiCON’s founding director, said the consortium would use strategic partnerships to give companies access to infection-control research and development facilities in the Liverpool City Region.

She said the programme would support the discovery and development of future drugs, vaccines and diagnostics by addressing gaps, improving efficiency and overcoming barriers to market.

Professor Hemingway added that the second phase would focus on six pioneering platforms supporting local companies in one of the region’s recognised Smart Specialisations.

She said the consortium aimed to attract increased local research and development activity, new companies and major foreign direct investment into the UK.

How much has iiCON grown since its launch?

The Infection Innovation Consortium was launched in 2020 with an initial £18.6 million investment from UKRI’s Strength in Place Fund.

LSTM said iiCON has since grown into a programme valued at £260 million. It has created more than 770 jobs and accelerated 36 new products to market, according to the institution’s announcement.

The consortium has also become a central part of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone. LSTM said iiCON had significantly increased spending on infectious disease research and development in the North West.

The second phase begins with further public and private financial backing. The £6 million UKRI grant has already generated £9.25 million in private funding, while private investment is projected to reach £75 million by 2033.

Those figures represent the programme’s expected ability to draw additional investment alongside public funding. However, the announcement does not list all private investors or provide a breakdown of the projected investment.

What is the Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory?

The £20 million Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory launched earlier in September 2026 and will support LSTM and iiCON’s human organoid infection research and development programme.

LSTM said the laboratory is the first facility of its kind in the UK. It is a high-security, Category Level 3 laboratory designed to enable automated organoid research.

The facility will support commercial and research partners working on new drugs and vaccines through human organoid technology. LSTM said the approach could help phase out animal testing in some areas of research.

The laboratory is therefore expected to become one of the main facilities supporting the second phase of iiCON. Its work will combine infection research, human organoid models and automated laboratory processes.

The announcement did not state how many projects the laboratory will initially host or identify the companies expected to use it.

What role will the Liverpool City Region play?

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said the region was placing its scientific knowledge and ambition at the centre of international efforts against infectious diseases.

“The Liverpool City Region is the UK’s capital of innovation,” Mayor Rotheram said, according to the LSTM announcement.

He connected iiCON with the creation of high-value jobs and investment and said the region should play a leading role in the next generation of life sciences innovation.

The mayor’s statement reflects the economic importance attached to the programme by regional authorities. The second phase is expected to strengthen the area’s position as a location for infectious disease research, biotechnology companies and related investment.

The programme also has a wider UK dimension because its stated ambitions include attracting international companies and foreign direct investment.

What could the development mean for infectious disease research?

The second phase is intended to shorten the distance between laboratory research and usable health products.

Its six platforms cover several linked stages: discovering possible medicines, modelling infection in human organoids, conducting clinical trials, developing delivery systems, creating antibody-based products and improving diagnostics.

A programme combining these capabilities could give researchers and businesses access to specialist facilities in one regional network. It could also allow companies to work with academic and public-sector partners without developing every capability independently.

However, the launch is the beginning of the second phase rather than evidence that specific new medicines or vaccines have already been approved. Any product developed through the programme would still need to pass appropriate research, clinical and regulatory processes.

Background: How did iiCON develop?

The Infection Innovation Consortium was launched in 2020 with £18.6 million from UKRI’s Strength in Place Fund. It was established as a collaboration led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and grew into a wider programme connecting research institutions, businesses, government bodies and funders.

LSTM said the programme has developed into a £260 million initiative, created more than 770 jobs and accelerated 36 products to market.

The consortium became a central pillar of the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone and contributed to increased infectious disease research and development spending in the North West.

The latest phase follows the launch of the £20 million Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory. That facility is intended to support human organoid research in a Category Level 3 environment and provide commercial and academic collaborators with access to advanced infection research capabilities.

The second phase is supported by a further £6 million UKRI grant. LSTM said this funding had generated £9.25 million in private investment and that private investment could reach £75 million by 2033.

Prediction: How could iiCON affect the Liverpool audience?

For people living in the Liverpool City Region, the most direct expected impact is likely to be the creation and support of specialised jobs in life sciences, laboratory research, biotechnology, clinical research, diagnostics and related services.

The programme could also bring more companies and investment to the region if its plans to attract new businesses and foreign direct investment are achieved. That may increase demand for scientific, technical, administrative and support roles connected with research and development.

For patients and communities, the potential longer-term effect is access to products developed through faster and more coordinated research. The six platforms could support new diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, but the timing and outcomes will depend on the progress of individual projects and regulatory approvals.

For universities, researchers and local businesses, the second phase may provide access to specialist facilities that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to establish independently. The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory and the wider iiCON network could therefore strengthen the region’s research base.

The development is unlikely to produce an immediate change in everyday healthcare. Its principal effects are expected to emerge over time through investment, employment, research partnerships and the successful development of new infectious disease products.