Devolution – Vice Chancellor Professor Neal Juster Welcomes Government Approval

The University will have a vital role for the region following devolution. We will play our part in a new business board that will enable the region to attract more investment and create better-paid jobs.

As a centre for research and innovation, the University will continue to support local businesses, attract new industries to the region and in turn help develop new technologies,  all of which will help improve the economy and create high-quality employment opportunities.

Centralisaton of the adult education budget will enable the University to work with regional stakeholders and better meet local needs. This will help to ensure that the workforce is expertly equipped for the regional economy.

Devolution is a boost to our sector leading work in agri-tech, supporting the success and sustainability of the food and farming industries regionally and nationally through innovations in research, education, and technology.

Decarbonisation and renewable energy will also benefit from the devolution deal, alongside the huge progress made on offshore wind and opportunities arising from industrial decarbonisation. The Humber Freeport will also attract more investment in the renewable energy, clean growth and advanced manufacturing sectors. These emergent industries will play an important role in raising aspiration, increasing opportunities and changing lives.

In addition, the University will use the impetus of devolution to work with partners across Greater Lincolnshire to improve the health of our region – specifically in the training of healthcare professionals and addressing health inequalities. The University has secured substantial research funding to expand our research in rural and coastal health: a topic vitally relevant to Lincolnshire.

Last month, Lincoln Medical School’s inaugural cohort of undergraduates received their Medicine degrees with several new graduates joining the NHS workforce here in Lincolnshire. Devolution will help to bring a focus on regional needs as we continue to address them, not least in our aspirations to help develop dentistry provision for the county.

In the long-term devolution will bring around £4bn of extra funding to Greater Lincolnshire and, just as importantly, it will give our area a stronger voice and better access to the levers that drive our economy. This should lead to improved outcomes and greater prosperity for us all.

The University is well-positioned to be a key driver of regional development and innovation in Greater Lincolnshire following devolution. Our aim, together with partners and stakeholders, is to create a more prosperous, sustainable, and healthy future for the region.