SWINDON is near the top of a regional league table of areas with the highest proportion of firms developing new products and services, according to new figures.

The research, published by the Enterprise Research Centre shows the UK has a clear arc of innovation stretching from Cambridge through the south east Midlands and along the M4 corridor to take in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Other beacons of innovation elsewhere include the Tees Valley, Dorset and Liverpool.

London, meanwhile, is way down the list, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also show below-average levels of innovation.

The study, Benchmarking local innovation – the innovation geography of the UK, has been produced by the Enterprise Research Centre, the UK’s leading independent research institute on the drivers behind business growth and success.

In the south west, Swindon and Wiltshire was ranked in ninth place.

The findings are based on new analysis of data from 14,000 firms which responded to the UK Innovation Survey 2013, relating to their innovation activity over the period 2010 to 2012.

Professor Stephen Roper, who led the ERC research, said: “For the first time, This research gives us a picture of which localities of the UK have the highest proportion of firms introducing new products and services.

“The findings run counter to the dominant narrative of a country dependent on London, with innovation being much more dispersed across the country than was previously thought.

“Innovation is strongly linked to growth, exporting and productivity - all areas in which the UK economy needs to improve if we want to boost our international competitiveness.

In the South West, Dorset and Swindon have high proportions of innovative firms, while Bristol is ranked surprisingly low on the list.

"What’s also interesting is that Cornwall scores highly on innovation, despite being distant from major conurbations,” said Prof Roper.

“Policymakers and researchers need to examine the local factors that could be contributing to this so that we can create the conditions for firms to become more innovative – creating jobs and growth - in every corner of the UK.”

In response Kevin Baughan, director of technology at Swindon-based Innovate UK, said: “Just as it is important that research, innovation and commercialisation is developed across all parts of the economy, so is it important to society that it is now developed right across all parts of the UK.

"That’s the benefit of an organisation like Innovate UK in both responding to the innovation needs of businesses wherever they are located as well as developing the strengths of local areas in the pursuit of the global markets of the future.

“How do we approach the ambition of accelerating economic growth and productivity locally and regionally? How do we avoid fragmentation and duplication?

"Innovate UK and the Research Councils have a very powerful role they can play in that process by looking at the evidence that emerges from their previous investments, to create a geographic picture right across the UK.

"If we can see where businesses and universities are investing, we can see where our economy is heading and how we are thinking about the future; not just as it was in the past.

"This lets everyone involved in technology and innovation have a very different, evidence based discussion about local and regional economic growth and how it can be supported to get the biggest impact.”