AN enterprise alliance spanning most of Hampshire has been named one of Britain’s most pioneering regions for business.

The Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – covering mid and north Hampshire and parts of Surrey – was named a key innovation centre by a leading think tank for its role in bringing new products to the market.

The partnership unites leaders from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors to help drive growth.

The prize was given by the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC), established in 2013 to find new ways of boosting small and medium-sized businesses.

Enterprise M3 beat more than 30 rivals to be named among the top five areas for innovation, outperforming all of Britain’s major cities and beaten only by a band of LEPs outside London known as the ‘arc of innovation’.

It suggests Hampshire is leading the way in productivity – identified by chancellor George Osborne as a vital step to accelerating Britain’s recovery.

Professor Stephen Roper, who led the ERC research, said: “The significant variation between different parts of the UK suggests that some localities are succeeding in creating a more innovation-friendly environment than others.”

Regions were ranked on collaboration, research, marketing, strategic development and how many products and services had been launched to the market.

Among Enterprise M3’s biggest projects is the 5G Innovation Centre.