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.

Abstract Connections Banner

Innovation Catalyst

Creating prosperity in place

About the Catalyst

The challenges, economic, social, technological and health, posed by the 21st Century are more complex than ever before and radically changing the environment within which organisations operate. To navigate this uncertain world and the rapid rate of change, organisations need to be ever more agile and innovate differently, if they are to be successful in the future.

Lancaster University Management School's research shows that through the collaboration of key stakeholders to address these challenges, the resulting innovation can be transformative. Based on this research and experience, the Innovation Catalyst has been developed as a platform to bring together key stakeholders to create collaborative solutions to the grand/regional challenges, leveraging Lancaster University’s expertise and knowledge.

Driving place based change for long term prosperity, each stakeholder brings their knowledge, expertise, insight and ideas which are shared and utilised to co-create solutions to co-identified challenges.

Current Catalysts

  • CRF Innovation Catalyst Blackpool

    Taskforce collaborations for key stakeholders looking to accelerate the development of net zero data centres in Blackpool, to drive economic growth

  • CRF Innovation Catalyst Lancashire

    Taskforce collaborations for the manufacturing and engineering sector to innovate for a prosperous and sustainable future in Lancashire

  • Eco-I NW Innovation Catalyst

    Taskforce collaborations for north west businesses to collaborate and develop new low carbon innovations for a prosperous and sustainable future.

Success in Cumbria

Our Cumbrian food & drink sector cohort of Eco-I North West's Innovation Catalyst worked to develop effective and sustainable solutions to the big environmental issues that effect their organisations and the region. Play video to learn more about their ongoing success.

Benefits to your Business

The Innovation Catalyst is designed for influential business leaders to innovate, develop and become a part of a regional ecosystem at the forefront of innovation for their sector and place.

Develop your leadership

Develop your own leadership through critical thinking, reflection, collaboration, generating greater capacity and confidence.

Plan for the future

Future proof your business in the current challenging and changing environment.

Join a peer-network

Work with like-minded leaders to tackle key challenges in your sector/place and mobilise new ideas through collective experimentation, testing, prototyping and innovation.

Access key regional networks and resources

Collaborate and engage with key stakeholders to accelerate idea creation while accessing cutting edge research, facilities and expertise at Lancaster University

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