It is hoped that the rural communities in South Yorkshire will benefit from the thousands of new jobs and £1.2 billion of investment promised as part of the UK’s first Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone.

The area has been announced as the first of twelve Investment Zones being established across the UK.  They are being based around a university and clusters of high growth industries like Advanced Manufacturing, life sciences or green industries.  It is hoped they will deliver benefits directly to local communities.

The zone in South Yorkshire is focused on Advanced Manufacturing and includes the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.  It is expected to help leverage more than £1.2bn of private funding and help support more than 8,000 jobs by 2030.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove says it is another step to growing the economy:

“We want to build on South Yorkshire’s proud heritage so that it can make an even greater contribution to the UK economy. This is what levelling up is all about, promoting growth and providing opportunities so people can thrive in the communities they are from.”

The Government is now continuing to work to deliver investment zones in partnership with eight mayoral combined authorities, which are:

• The proposed East Midlands Mayoral Combined County Authority
• Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authority
• Liverpool City Region Mayoral Combined Authority
• The proposed North East Mayoral Combined Authority
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
• Tees Valley Mayoral Combined Authority
• West Midlands Mayoral Combined Authority
• West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority