June Director’s Blog
A Devolution Deal for Glasgow City Region
Firstly, we welcome the findings from the latest Scottish Parliamentary Inquiry into Scotland’s City Deals and the recommendation to the Scottish and UK Governments to expedite discussions on next steps for a second phase of growth deals.
The Committee leading the Inquiry strongly recommended the continuation of growth deal funding and recognised the significant benefits of local funding powers as crucial for future growth and boosting local economies.
As ever, we continue to engage with the Scottish and UK Government on a Devolution Deal for Glasgow City Region which will place us on a level footing with Manchester, the West Midlands and other UK regions and cities – and the Inquiry findings certainly support this case.
Intelligence Hub Economic Briefing
Our latest Economic Briefing considers impacts for the Region on the Annual Population Survey and the UK Government Immigration White Paper.
The latest UK and Scottish economic data indicate a continued trend of sluggish growth. In fact, a recent study estimates that average wages in Scotland are over £15,000 lower than they would have been if wages had remained on the same growth rate seen between 1997 and 2007.
The Annual Population Survey data shows some real challenges facing the Region with inactivity due to long-term sickness at its highest rate since 2007.
The UK Government published a White Paper aimed at reforming the immigration system. The Region has relied on migrants to ensure its working-age population does not decrease and this will generate challenges locally, at least in the short-term.
The latest economic news certainly strengthens the case for further devolution of powers and funding to enable Glasgow City Region to create place-based policies and solutions to respond to these and future challenges.
City Deal Update
In May we marked a major City Deal milestone with the formal opening of the Renfrew Bridge
A celebratory event involving ministers, communities and local schools at Renfrew and Clydebank was widely covered by local tv and media.
The £117 million bridge and adjoining roads will enhance connectivity on both sides of the river and improve access for people, businesses and suppliers to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland which is being developed by Renfrewshire Council next to Glasgow Airport in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise.
You can watch a short video on the bridge project on the GCR YouTube channel.
Further up the river, another City Deal funded project, the Govan – Partick Bridge in Glasgow has been a tremendous success, with more than one million pedestrian and cyclist crossings on the bridge since the formal opening in early September 2024.
The bridge has re-established the historic connection between Govan and Partick, crossing between Water Row on the south side and Pointhouse Quay beside the Riverside Museum on the north.
It is significant economically, environmentally and socially through the link it provides not only between communities, but also to a number of visitor attractions and institutions of national economic importance. It is also key to and complements public and private sector investments such as the £38 million UK Government Strength In Places funding to help the University of Glasgow develop the Clyde Waterfront Innovation Campus next to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital; the Water Row housing and commercial development; and proposals for more than 1,000 homes at Yorkhill Quay. And it will be critical to the ongoing regeneration of the riverside.
The appointment of the contractor for George Square and the surrounding streets is another positive milestone, with work due to begin this month and the Square itself expected to be complete by August 2026.
The project is part of the wider City Deal Avenues programme, which is making the city centre more attractive, greener, better connected and a great place to stay and do business.
Innovation Economy
Our local innovation economy continues to go from strength to strength, with each week heralding further progress and announcements.
I recently attended UKREiiF with colleagues from Glasgow City Council where we showcased current and upcoming investment opportunities across the Region, many from the innovation sector where the Region has real strengths and enormous potential for growth.
Our local urban regeneration company, Clyde Gateway, unveiled a fantastic £500 million green regeneration plan for Glasgow and Rutherglen which would convert over 100 hectares of land into new homes, hotels and business space, with a strong focus on the innovation economy.
Just recently, ZeroAvia confirmed plans to build a new manufacturing centre for zero-emission aircraft technology at AMIDS. The new facility to develop and manufacture hydrogen fuel cells for small electric planes could be in operation by 2028, creating around 350 jobs. Further evidence of Glasgow’s increasing growth as a world leader in advanced manufacturing.
This week the Region hosted an event to highlight how Glasgow is leading the charge in UK innovation.
The Glasgow City Region Innovation Accelerator Summit and Showcase welcomed over 100 business leaders, researchers, technologists, innovators and entrepreneurs at Glasgow’s Science Centre.
The event featured an introduced by the Region’s Cabinet Chair, Susan Aitken and a range of discussion panels, with an exhibition showcase of our fantastic Innovation Accelerator projects, supported through the UK Government Innovation Accelerator Programme.
Since its launch, the Innovation Accelerator programme has invested £100 million in 26 transformative R&D projects across three UK regions – Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Glasgow City Region and which has been extended by £30 million for 2025/26. The success of the Innovation Accelerator programme underscores the importance of long-term regional autonomy in funding decisions.
Two years since its launch the 11 Glasgow City Region projects supported are demonstrating globally competitive research and development that is putting the Region’s innovation strengths on the map, including FRIL.
FRIL’s industry-led accelerator model has demonstrated how to drive economic growth, job creation, and productivity in financial services and the broader economy as well as positioning Glasgow City Region’s as a global powerhouse for next-generation fintech innovation. It is accelerating business development by up to 12 months, advancing technology adoption and enabling fintech partnerships that are driving strong commercial outcomes.
This has all been reinforced by the industry co-investment in FRIL, with commitments reaching up to £20 million across financial services institutions such as Morgan Stanley, Lloyds Banking Group, Aberdeen, NatWest, TSB and Advanced Credit Union that have enabled the new services to be created and new fintech enterprises to emerge, as well as job creation committed and realised by FRIL FinTech grant award winners.
