The UK’s innovation accelerator for transport,
The Diatomic Programme is led by Connected Places Catapult in partnership with Birmingham and Wolverhampton City Councils, Aston University, Birmingham City University, and the University of Birmingham. Now in its third year, the programme is designed to increase innovation capacity in the West Midlands, support economic growth, and strengthen the region’s research and development ecosystem.
Through four connected workstreams, Diatomic supports SMEs, builds global partnerships, and leverages the West Midlands’ strengths in advanced digital technologies.
At its core is the development of a Digital Twin platform, enabling SMEs to test and demonstrate new digital models in secure environments. These models are helping to unlock smart investment zones in Birmingham’s Knowledge Quarter and Wolverhampton’s Green Innovation Corridor. This digital infrastructure connects local authorities and academic partners with SMEs, allowing real-world challenges to be addressed through innovative solutions. It supports the translation of research into commercial applications, leading to more effective, data-led decision-making.
Internationally, the programme continues to raise the region’s profile through partnerships with countries like South Korea and India. These collaborations help attract inward investment, create skilled jobs, and position the West Midlands as a leader in digital innovation.
Aligned with regional priorities, Diatomic is helping to close funding gaps, reduce economic disparities, and strengthen local supply chains. So far, it has supported over 40 SMEs, generated £23 million in co-investment, and accelerated the development of key technologies.
In its third year, Diatomic will support 10 more SMEs, deliver five new Digital Twin use cases, and generate an additional £10 million in co-investment. With a strong focus on the Black Country, the programme continues to create an innovation-led, resilient economy for the West Midlands.
Connected Places Catapult is working with industry and academic partners to deliver two programmes, DIATOMIC and Clean Futures, as part of the wider West Midlands Innovation Accelerator. The region has strong potential to create jobs and boost economic growth through innovation.
As set out in the West Midlands Plan for Growth, it is a centre for advanced manufacturing and a key player in the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’. DIATOMIC and Clean Futures build on this foundation by supporting local innovators and strengthening the region’s ability to drive commercial growth and attract investment.
The DIATOMIC and Clean Futures programmes harness the West Midlands’ strengths in advanced manufacturing and the Green Industrial Revolution by encouraging strategic partnerships between industry, academia, and local government. This approach accelerates innovation, drives economic growth, and enhances the region’s capability to attract investment and create jobs, delivering value to businesses, universities, and local communities.
For any enquiries about the DIATOMIC programme, please contact Iain Mansell, Head of Regional Engagement.
About the West Midlands Innovation Accelerator
Led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation, the pilot Innovation Accelerators programme invested £100m in 26 transformative R&D projects between 2022-25 to accelerate the growth of three high-potential innovation ecosystems – Glasgow City Region, Greater Manchester and West Midlands. The programme was boosted by an additional £30m of public funding for 2025/26 spread equally across the regions. Innovation Accelerators is piloting a new model of R&D decision making that empowers local partnerships to harness innovation to drive regional economic growth, attract private investment, and develop future technologies.
