RESEARCH into the production of complex medicines in Warrington is set to be boosted by a government grant.

Led by Medicines Discovery Catapult and working with the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, the aim is to position the town and county as an ‘international powerhouse’ in the medicines of the future.

Funding has also been announced to 16 other ‘pioneering’ research and innovation projects across the UK.

A total of £50,000 will be given to the projects by the Government to help respond to challenges such as medicine production and climate change.

These include researching quicker ways of diagnosing cancer; heating homes and businesses using energy from disused mines and accelerating the building of large-scale offshore wind farms in the south west.

Through the second round of UK Research and Innovation's flagship Strength in Places Fund, each project will be able to apply for a further longer-term investment of £10 to £50 million later this year if the early stages of development are successful.

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Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the projects will help to create jobs and boost skills.

“We are backing our innovators and with the support they need to turn great ideas into first-class industries, products and technologies,” he said.

“The pioneering projects we are funding today will help create jobs and boost skills across the UK as we continue to drive forward our economic recovery.”