Blackpool Innovation Catalyst Graphical Journey Text Description

The diagram illustrates the learning journey carried out by participants on the Blackpool Innovation Catalyst.

It lists each element of the process, the research challenge groups and also highlights five key areas identified as a result of the Innovation Catalyst process to support the participants achieve the vision for Blackpool.

The vision for Blackpool

Blackpool has a once in a generation opportunity to become the UKs home for sustainable data centres, bringing wide-reaching benefits for the whole town

The innovation process included

  • Catalyst activation
  • Innovation collaboratories
  • Challenge action groups
  • Review and reflection
  • Symposium

Three Challenge Groups to map out a new vision for Blackpool

  • Investment
  • Research
  • Social and environment impact

The Vision.

Blackpool has once in a generation opportunity to become the UKs home for sustainable data centres, bringing wide-reaching benefits for the whole town

Why Now?

  • The data capacity opportunity
  • Data cable passing through Blackpool
  • Wind farms development off the coast
  • To reach Net Zero goals and need to move away from fossil fuels
  • The Governments levelling up agenda means an appetite for support exists
  • Blackpool Council is supportive
  • Energy security is more important than ever


1. Unique Opportunity

  • Blackpool has a critical advantage with its close proximity to a number of key energy sources with offshore wind turbines. The Blackpool location is in an area rich in renewable energy.
  • The North Atlantic loop high speed cable passes through Blackpool. If we can tap into it, it can help us drive economic growth for the area.

2. Building on our opportunity

  • Potential to create support/participate in local energy market
  • Connect into the grid

3. Creating our ecosystem / Technical infrastructure

  • Using the speed and capacity available to create an ethically-powered data centre at the core of the ecosystem.
  • Connected hubs - explore energy storage development and engage with battery farm developers
  • Bring a new purpose to the airport enterprise zone

4. Support social and economic growth / Social and environmental impact

  • Build a heat network using the surplus heat generated by the data centres. Generated heat could be diverted into social housing, public buildings and transport.
  • Education and skills - develop new educational focus on green skills and build partnerships to be sure we are teaching the right skills. Blackpool is more investable if we're the cutting edge of green digital skills which will help create local, diverse and quality jobs for the future.

5. The Future

  • Blackpool can showcase growth and sustainability
  • On the path to net zero and whole community prosperity
  • Make it work here first
  • Expand to Lancashire then UK wide


What we've learned from our time together

  • The ambition will only be achieved through collaboration
  • The process has built trust and we've built a great team
  • It has made the project more viable
  • Gained great perspective from Lancaster expertise
  • We assumed that data centres would add to our eco problems, but we had a breakthrough in our understanding that we can do this sustainably
  • We increased our scope from tech sector to real innovation which reaches far beyond Blackpool


Project logos at the bottom of the illustration include Blackpool Council, UK Government and Lancaster University.