The East Midlands Investment Zone (EMIZ) has completed its first year by awarding over £500,000 in funding to 15 pilot projects aimed at accelerating the commercialisation of low-emission technologies. The initiative is part of a £160 million, ten-year commitment from the UK Government to position the region as a national leader in innovation-led, clean growth.
These “fast start” projects pair businesses with academic researchers from the University of Nottingham, University of Derby, and Nottingham Trent University. The partnerships are focused on four strategic sectors: zero-emission propulsion, clean energy, green construction, and sustainable advanced manufacturing. These sectors were selected based on the East Midlands’ existing industrial strengths, research expertise, and relevance to emerging clean technology markets.
The grant programme has a broad regional footprint, with more than half of the funded businesses located outside of Nottingham and Derby. Projects include hydrogen fuel cell applications for rail transport, AI-enhanced digital twins for industrial maintenance, rail-based vibration energy harvesting, and lightweight power converters for electric propulsion systems.
Alongside the grants, sector-specific technology roadmaps are being developed to identify the region’s competitive advantages and shape future investments. Led by the University of Nottingham in collaboration with industry specialists, these roadmaps are expected to be published in summer 2025 and will help guide the allocation of subsequent EMIZ funding.
EMIZ operates under the East Midlands Combined County Authority and sits into a broader suite of regional growth initiatives, including the East Midlands Freeport and the upcoming Local Growth Plan. The programme combines direct financial support with incentives such as tax relief and business rate retention to encourage the development of commercially viable, net-zero-aligned technologies.
