Nick Clegg and Tech Strategy Board launch details of UK tech centres

Priority will be given to high value manufacturing in a bid to rebalance the economy

The government's Technology Strategy Board is to roll out up to eight technology and innovation centres, worth £200m in total, as part of the government's bid to restructure the economy.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, today released a prospectus giving details of proposals for the centres.

On launching the prospectus, he said: "The programme for technology and innovation centres is a key part of our strategy to rebalance the economy.

"We have so much potential here in Britain, and now is the time to harness it and build the stable, prosperous economy we want."

The prospectus describes the role of technology and information centres, detailing how they will be run and developed and how interested parties can get involved.

The centres will see £200m in investment, one-third of which will come from the Board itself, with one-third from competitive grants and a final third from business contracts.

There will be between six and eight centres in total, with the first phase - to be rolled in late 2011 or early 2012 - seeing three or four centres built.

These centres will service areas selected from the following list: high-value manufacturing; energy and resource efficiency; transport systems; healthcare; ICT; electronics, photonics and electrical systems.

Industry feedback regarding the suitability of these areas should be given to the Board before 18 February.

The Technology Strategy Board plans to fast track an innovation centre in high-value manufacturing and has asked parties with an interest in forming all or part of this centre to register their interest by 31 January.

The results of this consultation will be announced in April this year as will the final strategy and implementation plan for the centres.

The second phase of the project will be rolled out in 2012-13.