June Reflections – Momentum and Milestones: Summer 2025 Director’s Blog
This month has brought further exciting news and progress.
We were delighted to see formal confirmation in the UK Government’s Spending Review of the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone’s sectoral focus and shortlisted projects. This is a significant milestone. The Investment Zone is expected to generate around £300 million of private investment and support up to 10,000 jobs, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, driving innovation in space, maritime and semiconductors. It is a clear signal of confidence in the Region’s ability to deliver and a further boost to our innovation economy.
The announcement builds on the strong foundations we’ve laid through our Regional Economic Strategy and the collaborative work of our eight member councils and partners. It also reflects the strength of our Regional sectoral clusters, as evidence by our Intelligence Hub, and the ambition of our business base.
Last week I attended the official opening of Chemify’s new Chemifarm facility in Maryhill – a world-first in automated chemistry. Chemify is one of the 11 projects funded through the Region’s Innovation Accelerator programme.
This £12 million, 21,500 square foot site is a game-changer for molecular design and manufacture, combining robotics, AI and chemical programming to accelerate the discovery of new medicines and materials. The new facility will create 60 new jobs and safeguard over 50 existing roles in Glasgow. It is a fantastic example of local-bred cutting-edge innovation and a testament to the power of Regional collaboration.
Glasgow’s smart innovation ecosystem has been in the spotlight too, with the launch of the Smart Things campaign by Invest Glasgow. The campaign showcases the city’s evolution beyond IoT – from smart homes and connected infrastructure to cutting-edge digital health and climate tech. It is another reminder of the Region’s leadership in digital innovation and our commitment to building a smarter, more sustainable future.
I also had the opportunity to speak at the Renfrewshire Economy Conference this month, where I joined business leaders, public sector partners and policy makers to explore the future direction of the Renfrewshire economy. It was a great to meet with and collectively explore the challenges and opportunities faced by our local business communities and to reinforce the importance of collaboration in delivering inclusive, sustainable growth.
And finally, we were delighted to receive formal confirmation this week that Glasgow City Region has successfully passed our second City Deal Gateway Review, releasing £300 million government funding for the next five years.
As part of this, both governments noted our strong governance, programme management, outputs and agility in response to changing economic circumstances.
Glasgow City Region has proven time and again that we can deliver. We have the partnership, the plans and the track record.
While we celebrate the announcement on our Investment Zone, the innovation on display at Chemify and our recent City Deal Gateway Review confirmation, it is clear that Glasgow City Region could do so much more if we were empowered in the same way as other major city regions in the UK. The flexibility of Integrated Settlements for those areas allow them to make long term investment decisions based on the needs of their regions. There is a concern that we are treated as delivery arms for government rather than autonomous, empowered city regions.
We will continue to press for further powers and resources to allow us to accelerate the momentum of the past ten years and truly fully unlock the Region’s full potential.
