Published 14th Jun 2023, 12:22 BST

Updated 14th Jun 2023, 14:26 BST

The hub based at Production Park, near Wakefield, will form part of what has been described as the “largest virtual production research and development network in Europe”, with the national lab based at Pinewood Studios and two other facilities in Belfast and Dundee. Between them they are expected to create more than 820 new jobs across the UK.

The development was announced as part of the UK Government’s Sector Vision to grow the creative industries by £50bn and support 1m more jobs by 2030.

As well as £77m government funding the projects have attracted £63m of new industry investment.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The creative industries are a true British success story, from global music stars like Adele and Ed Sheeran to world-class cultural institutions like the National Theatre.

“These industries have a special place in our national life and make a unique contribution to how we feel about ourselves as a country.

“We want to build on this incredible success to drive growth in our economy - one of my key priorities – and to ensure that UK creative industries continue to lead the world long into the future.”

The national CoSTAR lab and three regional R&D labs aim to ensure the UK remains on the cutting-edge of new virtual production techniques in film, TV and live events, which involve using computer-generated imagery (CGI), augmented reality and motion capture to create “virtual sets”.

Virtual production set up at Production Park in South Kirkby

Instead of adding visual effects and CGI in post-production, virtual production allows filmmakers and theatre directors to create large-scale digitally-generated environments using LED panels that performers can interact with in real-time, as a quicker and less expensive alternative to green screens.

The technology has been used in the ABBA Voyage live concert and the Batman and Minecraft immersive experiences in the UK, as well on Disney’s hit show The Mandalorian.

Production Park, which is based at South Kirkby, said "Real time video processing is already pushing the boundary of what’s possible and the new facilities at Production Park and across the country will ensure the UK has the skills and infrastructure to continue to be the forefront of driving this forward”.

It has 100,000 square feet of studios including space for testing, modelling, and building physical and virtual environments.

A team called Xplor aims to “solve some of the biggest challenges in the industry through technical consultancy, prototyping, testing and advanced production”.

It worked with Final Pixel to create the launch film for this season’s Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 car, taking it on a journey across the US without ever leaving the studio.

XPLOR have also worked with ITV, workshopping ideas and testing how virtual production can enhance shows.

Lee Brooks, CEO and founder of Production Park said: “It’s brilliant to see the creative industries getting the recognition they deserve with the support announced in the Sector Vision today.

"We’re thrilled that Production Park is to be one of the four hubs dedicated to advancing both the screen and live industries through specialised R&D labs.

“The CoSTAR project is a great example of how the creative industries can and do work together to cross collaborate and drive the sector forward – supporting jobs and contributing to the economy through the creation of extraordinary experiences.”

New screen and performance technologies lab to open at Production Park in West Yorkshire as part of £77m government investment