The three universities of Liverpool – Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Hope University – are collaborating with Liverpool City Council on a strategy to create 30,000 new high-skilled jobs over the next decade, the recent North West Development Conference heard.

“Universities are about 40% of the local economy of Liverpool,” according to Professor Mark Power, Chief Operating Officer at Liverpool John Moores. [emaillocker id=”71749″]

The university is undergoing an estates development programme to aid in their contribution to the job market.

One such example of this is the Tithebarn Building where the university is investing £28m to develop a “state-of-the-art health building.”

The University is also developing a new nursing and allied health building in 2020, refurbishing all of its libraries and finishing work on its 7-acre Copperas Hill development on Lime Street.

The university also takes part in the Knowledge Quarter, Power explained: “The Knowledge Quarter takes ourselves, the University of Liverpool, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the Royal Hospital, into an organisation where we can have conversations around masterplanning.”

The central project of the Knowledge Quarter is the £1bn Paddington Village expansion to the east of the city, focused on life science, healthcare and technology.

The University of Lancaster is also prioritising innovation in similar areas. Paul Morris, Director of Capital Development and Estate Operations said: “We have a new health innovation development to the north of our campus, the first building of which will open in April.”

Bailrigg Garden Village has been proposed to be built adjacent to the University, providing an addition 3,500-5,000 new homes which will help to drive more industry-oriented development.

The University is committed to sustainable development, and is developing its own building standards, as Morris explained: “We have a good while now been involved in sustainable construction, but we are now looking to go beyond BREEAM, we don’t think it provides enough carbon reduction.”

Renewable energy production is also a key part of Lancaster University’s sustainable estates strategy, and Morris outlined their solar energy plans: “We are planning to build at least a 3MW PV farm but I am looking at plans to see whether we could achieve up to 30MW and then we would be carbon neutral with our energy use.”

15% of the campus’ energy requirements are already met by wind power, but there are not currently plans to expand this, Morris explained: “We have made substantial investment into sustainability. We have already got a wind turbine and I’d love another wind turbine but the planning policy isn’t with us for that at the moment.”

The University of Cumbria is seeking to create a new campus in Carlisle according to Deputy Vice Chancellor David Chesser. He said: “We want a site that is highly accessible in the city centre.”

A revitalisation of Carlisle is planned to be achieved off the back of new campus development, as it will bring more skills, footfall and vibrancy to the city: “It’s about people, it’s about the place, and it’s partnership.”

The Liverpool City Region is directly taking on the skills shortage “allowing colleges to chart the courses they offer,” according to Principal and Chief Executive of Knowsley College, Monica Box.

Box discussed the changing demands of students and how that had led to an increased focused on green issues: “Student pressure was and still is, for things like good value pricing for sandwiches in the canteen, but we are now seeing pressure for efficient lighting and sustainability.”

Education and industry in the North West are creating stronger ties than ever, which can ultimately help industry solve the skills gap and allow institutions to flourish. [/emaillocker]