Lancaster University said it is to lead a £4.9 million project called CyberFocus that combines the expertise of seven universities across the North West in an effort to boost the region’s cyber sector and keep the UK at the forefront of cutting-edge cyber security.
The new project aims to create 85 new collaborative partnerships, develop 400 new products, processes, or services, secure £40 million in additional funding for the region and train 300 individuals in cyber innovation skills.
CyberFocus is one of seven new projects supported through £22 million of funding by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Place Based Impact Acceleration Account (PBIAA) scheme to strengthen emerging and existing research and innovation clusters to kickstart economic growth and address regional needs.
Developing trusted partnerships between academia, industry, and civic bodies, CyberFocus will strengthen and deliver strategic investments in the region’s cyber ‘ecosystem’. The North West has one of the largest clusters of cyber security businesses outside London with around 300 companies in the sector. The region’s strength in cyber is also benefitting from the arrival of GCHQ in Manchester and the imminent arrival of the National Cyber Force in Lancashire.
The CyberFocus project brings together the Universities of Lancaster, Manchester, Salford, Central Lancashire, Cumbria, Manchester Metropolitan and Liverpool. It will also be supported by other partners including Team Barrow (Westmorland & Furness Council, and BAE Systems), Cumbria LEP (now Enterprising Cumbria), Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Liverpool City Regional Combined Authority and Lancashire County Council.
Daniel Prince, Professor of Cyber Security at Lancaster University and Principal Investigator of CyberFocus, said: “CyberFocus is a transformative initiative that aims to position the North West as a national leader in cyber security. This project will connect and empower regional expertise, from universities and industry to civic partners, to address the complex and evolving challenges in the cyber domain.”
“With the arrival of GCHQ in Manchester and the National Cyber Force in Lancashire, the North West has a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to drive forward national cyber resilience. CyberFocus will leverage this momentum, combining cutting-edge research with real-world applications that can secure critical sectors such as health, social care, nuclear, and digital manufacturing.”