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South West Investment Fund backs sports tech platform growth

A Wiltshire referee passionate about sport is expanding his online platform to match trained officials with the grassroots and amateur clubs who need them, with the help of a £60,000 loan from the South West Investment Fund.

Olly Ballinger combined decades of experience on the pitch with a talent for software to create YesRef, which is designed to “take the hassle out of finding games and...

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Antonia Casey

Antonia Casey

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Digital Catapult builds on the South West of England and Wales’ deep tech potential with new office

Digital Catapult, the deep tech innovation organisation, has today announced the opening of a new office for South Gloucestershire, Bristol and Bath, strengthening its long-term commitment to working in partnership across the South West of England and Wales. To deliver shared economic and skills ambitions, Digital Catapult is primed to deliver in-demand innovation services to local startups...

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A bright future: SWIG Finance supports 21st century technology to the tune of £500,000

A Bristol company developing and prototyping technology capable of sending data at the speed of light is forging ahead thanks to loans equalling half a million pounds, courtesy of SWIG Finance.

Duality Quantum Photonics is dedicated to finding a 21st century solution to a 21st century problem: the speed and energy required to carry out the hundreds of billions of operations that make...

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Arts University Plymouth launches Centre for Circular Materials

A new academic-led hub bringing together established research and making, rooted in the materials, resources and stories of the South West

Founded in 1856 as the Plymouth Drawing School, Arts University Plymouth has 170 years of practice-led teaching and skilled making rooted in the South West. From regenerative dye grown in Plymouth to experiments with locally sourced clay and...

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Exeter Science Park appoints Lindsay Lucas as new CEO to lead next phase of growth

Exeter Science Park has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation as it embarks on the next phase of its development.

Lindsay Lucas, who brings more than 18 years’ experience in the tech industry, will step into the key regional leadership position this May. She has most recently served as Head of Training and Consultancy (Deputy CEO) at the digital social...

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Cosmic leads new digital inclusion and employability work across Cornwall and the South West

Digital inclusion champion Cosmic is delivering a series of new projects across Cornwall and the wider South West after partners Good Things Foundation and FutureDotNow secured funding from the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. These projects aim to better understand digital exclusion, strengthen community insight, and support people to gain the skills they need to find and stay in work....

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Bristol welcomes new scale-up lab space as the UK’s top deep tech city outside the Golden Triangle

Science Creates and the University of Bristol to open OMX this March — 30,000 sq ft of flexible lab space ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft in Bristol city centre

Bristol, UK: 26 January 2026

OMX , a new 30,000 sq ft laboratory and scale-up facility in Bristol city centre, opens this March — offering flexible lab space for rent from 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft for deep tech...

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Launch of ambitious Marine Sector Growth Plan for Cornwall

An ambitious Cornwall marine sector growth plan 2026-2031 has been launched today by Cornwall Marine Network and University of Exeter.

‘Cornwall’s Marine Future’ is a blueprint for sustainable economic growth of the marine sector in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. It aligns with all key national, regional and local economic plans and leverages Cornish strengths in marine innovation,...

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Growth Forge 2026: A New Era of Always‑On, Stage‑Based Support for South West Tech Founders

Growth Forge returns for 2026 with its most flexible and founder‑focused evolution yet. This year introduces a stage‑based learning journey , giving founders a pathway tailored to where they are right now — Early, Growth or Scale — ensuring every module and interaction is directly relevant to their challenges. Alongside this, Growth Forge now runs as an evergreen accelerator ,...

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Kelpi chosen as one of 13 change makers to join L’Oréal’s Eur 100 million sustainable Innovation “L’accelerator” Program

Kelpi are pleased to announce that they have been chosen as one of 13 startups and SME’s from nearly 1000 applications from 101 countries across the globe, to join “L’Accelerator” – L’Oréal’s flagship sustainable innovation program. With €100 million committed over 5 years and run in partnership with University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), “L’Accelerator” aims...

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South West Innovation Outlook 2026: growth opportunities and the path ahead

Article by Tara Gillam, Manager of Innovate UK Business Growth operations

As Head of Innovation at Business West and Partner Manager of Innovate UK Business Growth in the South West, my focus for 2026 is clear: deliver the right support at the right time to help innovators turn ideas into commercial success, growth, and scale. With the new year underway, I’m sharing my perspective on...

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