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DENHAM LAUNCHES £100M COMPETITION TO FUND INNOVATION

Eight priority areas have been chosen to benefit from a £100m fund to boost research and innovation, John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills announced today (8 November).

Businesses will be encouraged to bid for a share of the £100m fund to support research and development of new technologies in areas covering healthcare and carbon reduction to support Britain's competitiveness as a global economy.

In time, it is believed that this competition will lead to the development of products and services that directly effect people's lives and will help keep the UK at the leading edge in this field.

The eight key areas - and examples of what they might do - are:

To help the global effort to tackle climate change, by research on the development of:

  • New materials for the generation of efficient energy production - for example in the production of wind turbines or tidal barrage systems.
  • Lower energy, advanced lighting, lasers and displays, which currently account for around 20% of UK emissions, for example research that could help bring the end of high energy, inefficient shop front displays.
  • Low Carbon Technologies for example the development of systems to enable national grids to make the best use of local, small scale energy production and intermittent power sources.

To support business competitiveness by research on:

  • New High Value Manufacturing techniques to secure the nation's future manufacturing base with research on the next generation of production techniques.
  • Creative industries to maintain the UK's position as a global leader in this area, for instance to ensure that we are well placed to develop and produce future generations of video games and films.
  • Gathering data in complex environments for example to improve the collection of important information in the aftermath of natural disasters, to ensure data from the emergency services, environment and transport can be used and analysed simultaneously.

To improve healthcare by supporting the development of:

  • New Cell Therapies, to support the application of the latest medical techniques that have the potential to treat problems such as chronic wounds and possibly laying the foundations for new techniques that could in future help repair damaged organs.
  • Technologies for health for example this could help the development of new technologies to enable the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions without them even leaving home.

Mr Denham said:

New research in these important eight key technology areas will make a real difference to the economy and to our lives. It will also help the UK to maintain its position as a world leader in innovation.

John Denham was speaking to business leaders and academics today in his first keynote speech on innovation at the Technology Strategy Board's Innovate 2007 Conference.

Mr Denham said:

I believe that innovation can and will make a real difference to the wellbeing of individuals and the country at large while helping UK businesses secure a competitive commercial edge in the future.

Our work on innovation will help businesses to succeed and improve public services, meeting the challenges of the 21st century and enhancing peoples' life chances.

We are investing in research and learning to give everyone in the UK a chance to fulfil their innovative potential. Our success in innovation will help us to achieve a more prosperous economy and a more cohesive society.

Notes to Editors

  1. John Denham also announced two major new and groundbreaking areas where Government and businesses will work together to tackle environmental and social issues. The two projects, developed by the Technology Strategy Board and called Innovation Platforms, will look to develop technology to assist independent living for the older people and the chronically ill - and also boost energy efficiency.
  2. The first of the two new Innovation Platforms is the Assisted Living platform, which will drive forward technology to meet society's increasing demand for independent living among older people and those with long term health problems. The second is the Low Impact Building platform, which will focus on improvements to the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings.
  3. The collaborative research and development competition proposals covers eight key technology areas: materials for energy; high value manufacturing; cell therapy; low carbon energy technologies; advanced lighting, lasers and displays; technologies for health; creative industries; and gathering data in complex environments.
  4. The business-led Technology Strategy Board was set up on 1 July 2007. It is an independent executive Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB), with a key goal of ensuring that the UK is a global leader in the development of new technologies to drive economic growth. It is sponsored by DIUS.
  5. Innovation Platforms represent a new way of working for both Government and business. The platforms provide an opportunity to bring business and Government closer together to generate more innovative solutions to major policy and societal challenges. By bringing together stakeholders focused on a particular challenge and identifying appropriate actions, the platforms enable the integration of a range of technologies with better co-ordination of policy, regulation and procurement.
  6. Knowledge Transfer Networks are over-arching national networks which aim to improve the UK's innovation performance by increasing the breadth and depth of the knowledge transfer of technology into UK-based businesses. There are currently 22 networks, with two further networks covering Digital Communications and Creative Industries being developed.
  7. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships stimulate innovation through collaborative projects between business (including social enterprises) and the knowledge base by facilitating the transfer of knowledge and the spread of technical and business skills through projects undertaken by high calibre, recently qualified people under the joint supervision of personnel from business and the knowledge base. There were over 1,066 Partnerships on 1 January 2007, with 86% of the partnerships involving SMEs. Total Government expenditure in 2005/06 was in the order £25M.
  8. David Evans has been appointed as Director of Innovation at Board level in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). Mr Evans was previously interim Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board. He will push forward the Innovation agenda, including a cross government drive to improve public sector innovation.
  9. The Innovate 07 event comes one month after the publication of the Sainsbury Review into the UK science and innovation system, which found that the UK has significantly improved its innovation performance in recent years but more needed to be done to stimulate innovation in industry. Progress made so far includes:
    • £3.4 billion investment a year in supporting science research;
    • A new Office for the Co-ordination of Strategic Health Research;
    • The launch of the Energy Technologies Institute to encourage public-private sector partnership in energy, science and engineering.
  10. Future projects include:
    • An annual Cross-Government Innovation Report, as recommended by the Sainsbury Review;
    • A Science and Innovation Strategy to be published in the Spring;
    • An increase to the size of the Higher Education Innovation Fund to £150m a year by the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.