The government has announced up to £20 million for regions across England and Wales to strengthen their local innovation economies.

The money comes from the competition element of the UK government’s £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

The funding will help the the South West become one of the best places in the world to develop, test and use autonomous technology like drones on land, at sea and in the air.

It will also bring together the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor’s strengths in autonomous vehicles, high‑performance engineering and space technology, helping ideas move faster from test track to real‑world use.

The money will support Greater Lincolnshire in turning its mix of agri‑tech and defence expertise into real‑world products and growing businesses.

In South-West Wales, it will be spent on Energy Security, helping scale offshore wind, hydrogen and cleaner industrial energy using the region’s ports and infrastructure; and Materials Security, developing new ways to recover, recycle and process critical materials so UK manufacturers rely less on imports.

Elsewhere, it will help East Midlands manufacturers to scale up clean energy and advanced production technologies and jointly support the regions of East Yorkshire and Hull, and separately Tees Valley, with up to £30m to support those regions working on a powerful clean energy and industrial decarbonisation programme that brings together the strengths and opportunities across them.

UK Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: "It is a tribute to the pioneering spirit in every corner of our country that we are backing nations and regions across the UK to advance innovation in everything from defence to AI and clean energy to space tech.

"This latest funding will take local expertise to the next level, helping to create jobs and growth from Teesside to Cornwall and build on our backing for local innovation in all 4 nations of the UK.

"By working with local leaders, researchers, and businesses, we can unleash transformational research and products that improve lives."

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: "This UK government funding is vital to boost jobs and investment in 2 leading sectors in South West Wales.

"This is just one of a range of steps we are taking to build an economy for Wales that is fit for the future, creating well-paid and skilled jobs that put money into people’s pockets and provide employment for decades to come."