SOMERSET could become part of a major hub for digital technology and engineering if a £15m bid for central government funding is successful.

Universities, colleges and businesses from Somerset, Devon and Cornwall could come together to form a new South West Institute of Technology.

The proposal would see six new training centres created, interlinked with existing education providers, to deliver “industry-led” innovation.

The government launched its Institutes of Technology competition on December 15, 2017, with £170m set to be shared between the winning bids from across the UK.

The groups involved in the south west consortium are:

Five colleges – Bridgwater and Taunton College, Exeter College, City College Plymouth, PETROC in Tiverton, and Truro and Penwith College

Two universities – the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth

Five businesses – Babcock LDP, The Met Office, Oxygen House, TDK Lambda and Watson Marlow

The consortium is bidding for £15.1m towards a total project cost of £26m, according to Phill Adams, Devon County Council’s senior manager for employment and skills.

If the funding bid is successful, the money would be used to create six training centres which would deliver “tailored provision to businesses and individuals” within these sectors.

The centres would be co-ordinated alongside existing provision through colleges and universities, and would be designed around the needs of specific industries.

In Bridgwater and Taunton, the funding would see existing facilities “refurbished and expanded” to increase the capacity for engineering and nuclear training, including high value welding and fabrication.

The bid was submitted to the government on March 1, with a final decision expected later in the year.

If the bid is successful, the new institute and its training centres could open as early as 2019.

The consortium’s efforts were discussed by councillors from all three counties on Friday (March 23), at a meeting of the Heart of the South West joint committee in Plymouth.

The committee, which is chaired by Somerset County Council leader David Fothergill, exists to drive up “productivity and prosperity” through projects across the region, with a broader aim to doubling the south west’s productivity by 2038.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Adams said that the list of partners “isn’t exclusive”, with EDF Energy, IBM and Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. all expressing a desire to come on board.

He added: “What we’re seeking now is really strong support when we meet with government colleagues and other colleagues to make sure we can put our strength behind the bid.”