The University of Liverpool has received funding to establish the Liverpool Air Quality Research Centre (LARC) for air quality assessment and mitigation, a new hub for training, research and digital tools that address port-related and urban air pollution across the city region.
The centre is primarily supported with a £150k grant from the Liverpool City Region Freeport Skills Infrastructure Grant Programme, which will fund new facilities within the University, state-of-the-art calibration equipment and the installation of air-quality monitors across the region. This investment will also drive forward skills development and digital innovation in environmental science and clean technologies.
LARC will significantly enhance regional capability in air-quality assessment, building on the University's existing Liverpool Air Quality Network of around 250 fixed monitors and a suite of University-designed wearable devices.
These assets will feed into undergraduate and postgraduate teaching as well as new continuing professional development (CPD) programmes. The centre will also expand capabilities in source apportionment of pollutants, integrating these with the growing city-region air-quality dataset.
A core strand of LARC's research will develop an AI-enabled digital twin to model the impact of targeted interventions on air quality, particularly emissions associated with Freeport activities and their contribution to regional pollution. This work will connect with ongoing collaborations with Alder Hey Children's Hospital and the Civic Health Innovation Zone, focusing on maternal and child respiratory health.
Dr Jonny Higham, Director of LARC in the University's Department of Geography and Planning, said: "This centre marks a major milestone in six years of sustained development at Liverpool. We are moving from concept to blueprint to an established presence for air-quality excellence in the North West and across the UK.
"LARC will attract new students, empower communities and accelerate a skills pipeline for the Freeport through practical training in sensor engineering, data analytics and employment, while generating the evidence needed for cleaner port operations such as shoreside power."
The project is being delivered in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council.
Professor Andy Plater, Director for Ports and Maritime at LARC, said: "This Freeport Skills Infrastructure Grant will help to establish our dedicated Air Quality Assessment and Mitigation facility for assessing air quality and supporting innovative interventions that lead to improved health outcomes for communities across the Liverpool City Region, particularly those close to the port."
The LCR Freeport Skills Infrastructure Grant Programme supports education and training projects aligned with the Liverpool City Region Freeport's strategic aims. It funds skills equipment and infrastructure that create long-term value for the Freeport and the wider region.
