MALVERN Hills Science Park is set to expand in the wake of a £22 million handout by the Government.

Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, announced the cash boost this week to help the creation of three "technology corridors" in the West Midlands.

One of them, the Birmingham-Worcestershire corridor, would link QinetiQ and the Science Park with universities in the Birmingham area.

Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire County Council have been working closely with Advantage West Midlands to look at the prospects for high-tech development.

The next stage will be detailed bids to bring funding into the Malvern area. These include the creation of up to 40,000 square feet of extra space at the Science Park.

Nigel Shaw, Science Park manager, said: "I am optimistic that this new funding pot will help to advance expansion plans for the Science Park and bring more high-calibre companies and high-quality jobs to the area."

The initiative grew out of the Rover Task Force, set up to promote diversification of the West Midlands industry following the sale of Rover to BMW. The aim is to make the economy less dependent on the car industry.