Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone Wins Double Global Award 2026

Key Points

• The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone has bagged the Global Rising Star and the European Rising Star awards at the Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2026.
• The awards have been announced on 15 October 2026 by fDi Intelligence, the foreign direct investment publication from Financial Times Group.
• The Innovation Zone brings together Liverpool City Region Freeport and Life Sciences Investment Zone.
• It has been able to attract investments worth £510m and create more than 16,000 jobs.
• The program is being funded by £185m from the UK government over the next 10 years and aims to attract investments worth more than £1.6bn.
• Goods worth £257m have been processed through its Freeport customs sites.
• Notable projects include the £20m Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory that conducts infectious diseases research with robotics and AI, and the £20m logistics headquarters of Finsa in Birkenhead.
• Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Mayor said that the Innovation Zone is supposed to create good jobs, training opportunities and investment opportunities in the region.
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that the economy of the area has grown by 11.8%, against 8.4% in England since 2017.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 15, 2026 — The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone has received international recognition after winning both the Global and European Rising Stars awards at the Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2026. The double award places the programme among the leading investment and innovation zones recognised worldwide this year.

As reported by Prolific North, the Innovation Zone secured the two honours after attracting £510m in committed investment. The programme is forecast to create more than 16,000 jobs across the city region.

The awards were presented as part of the Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2026, organised by fDi Intelligence. In the Global Rising Stars category, fDi Intelligence listed the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone as the winner, with Tamchy Special Financial Investment Territory named as the following entry.

What Is the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone?

The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone brings together the city region’s Freeport and its Life Sciences Investment Zone. According to Prolific North, the programme combines support for innovation and strategic development sites with tax and customs incentives for investors and occupiers.

The programme is backed by £185m of government funding over a 10-year period. The combined authority expects it to generate more than £1.6bn in investment.

The Innovation Zone’s work spans several sectors, including life sciences, advanced manufacturing and global trade. The awards recognise its progress in attracting investment across those areas.

Why Did the Innovation Zone Receive the Awards?

The Global and European Rising Stars awards recognise the programme’s progress in attracting investment and developing its innovation offer. Prolific North reported that the awards reflect the zone’s performance in life sciences, advanced manufacturing and global trade.

The programme’s Freeport customs sites have handled goods worth £257m. This forms part of the wider economic activity linked to the Innovation Zone.

The Innovation Zone also supports major local projects. Among those highlighted by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are the Infection Innovation Consortium’s £20m robotic, AI-enabled Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory and Finsa’s £20m logistics headquarters in Birkenhead.

Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory

The Liverpool Accelerate Laboratory combines robotics and artificial intelligence to support research into infectious diseases and the development of drugs and vaccines. Prolific North reported that the £20m facility forms part of the Infection Innovation Consortium’s work.

The laboratory is one of the projects used to illustrate the Innovation Zone’s focus on life sciences. Its work links research capability with the development of medical technologies and treatments.

Finsa Logistics Headquarters

Finsa’s £20m logistics headquarters in Birkenhead is another project associated with the Innovation Zone. The development reflects the programme’s role in supporting logistics and trade-related investment across the city region.

Birkenhead’s inclusion in the programme highlights the geographic spread of the Innovation Zone beyond Liverpool city centre. The project is one of the examples cited by the combined authority when describing the zone’s investment pipeline.

What Did Steve Rotheram Say?

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said the Innovation Zone was designed to deliver benefits beyond financial incentives. As reported by Prolific North, he said:

“Back when we first launched our Innovation Zone, I made it clear that the benefits had to go beyond purely financial incentives. I wanted it to be a force for good – creating secure, well-paid jobs and training opportunities for local people, while attracting new investment and new opportunities to our area. We’re already seeing that ambition become a reality.”

Rotheram added that innovation was central to the economy he wanted to build in the Liverpool City Region. He said the area should build on existing strengths in health and life sciences and advanced manufacturing, support the local workforce and attract international investment.

He also said that, with major investment already secured and further projects in the pipeline, the Innovation Zone was helping to create high-value jobs, unlock opportunities and build a stronger and more productive economy.

How Much Investment Has the Zone Secured?

The Innovation Zone has secured £510m in committed investment, according to Prolific North. The programme is forecast to create more than 16,000 jobs.

The zone is supported by £185m of government funding over 10 years. The combined authority expects the programme to generate more than £1.6bn in investment overall.

Goods worth £257m have been handled across the Freeport customs sites linked to the programme. These figures were reported by Prolific North as part of the combined authority’s assessment of the Innovation Zone’s progress.

What Does the Award Mean for Liverpool City Region?

The double award provides international visibility for the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone. It recognises the programme’s performance in attracting investment and developing projects in life sciences, advanced manufacturing and global trade.

The result also follows earlier recognition for the city region’s Freeport. Invest Liverpool’s investment materials state that the Liverpool City Region Freeport won the Financial Times Global Free Zones of the Year 2023 awards’ inaugural Rising Star Award.

The latest award comes as the Innovation Zone continues to develop its portfolio of projects. The combined authority has pointed to investment in laboratories, logistics facilities and innovation infrastructure as evidence of the programme’s progress.

Background of the Development

The Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone combines the Liverpool City Region Freeport with the Life Sciences Investment Zone. It is designed to use innovation support, strategic development sites and tax and customs incentives to encourage investment and business growth.

The Life Sciences Investment Zone is part of the Government’s national Investment Zone programme. The University of Liverpool states that the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone launched in December 2024 and has the potential to deliver £800m of public and private investment, create 8,000 new jobs and run for 10 years.

The wider Innovation Zone programme is supported by £185m of government funding over 10 years and is expected to generate more than £1.6bn in investment. Prolific North reported that it has already secured £510m in committed investment and is forecast to create more than 16,000 jobs.

The Global Free Zones of the Year Awards are published by fDi Intelligence. Its 2026 Rising Stars listing, published on 15 October 2026, named the Liverpool City Region Innovation Zone as the Global Rising Star winner.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Local Businesses and Investors

For local businesses, the award may increase awareness of the Innovation Zone’s incentives, development sites and sector networks. Companies in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, logistics and international trade could see greater interest from suppliers, partners and potential investors seeking to connect with the programme.

For investors, the recognition may strengthen the visibility of Liverpool City Region as a location for innovation-led investment. The reported £510m in committed investment, the £185m government funding commitment and the forecast of more than 16,000 jobs provide a measurable picture of the programme’s scale.

For residents and jobseekers, the development could affect future employment opportunities if the forecast job creation is realised. The Mayor’s comments indicate that the programme is intended to support secure, well-paid jobs and training opportunities for local people, alongside inward investment.

For the wider regional economy, the award may support efforts to promote Liverpool City Region internationally. The combined authority’s reported figures show economic growth of 11.8% since 2017, compared with 8.4% across England, while the Innovation Zone continues to develop projects in health, manufacturing and trade.