South Yorkshire Investment Zone can be catalyst for growth - The Yorkshire Post says

South Yorkshire has built up an impressive cluster of advanced manufacturing expertise over the years.

The Treasury says communities in Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley are set to benefit from thousands of new jobs and £1.2bn of investment. A lot of emphasis has been placed on economic growth and rightly so but the key to it is bridging regional inequality.

There are parts of the country that have not realised their potential and if Investment Zones can bring in jobs then that will not only benefit these communities but the UK economy as a whole.

The Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone has already secured more than £80m of private investment, including backing from Boeing.

That is a vote of confidence in the scheme but should only be the start. The Government will need to show commitment long term for the Investment Zone is a success.

One of Yorkshire’s often overlooked strengths is the quality of its universities. The Government is right to look to leverage the expertise of these institutes to equip people with the skills necessary to win the confidence of the private sector.

University of Sheffield is a great example of an institute that is doing this. And its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has announced a groundbreaking new research and development facility as part of the new South Yorkshire Investment Zone. These are the sort of opportunities that need to be opened up for people living in this region.