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DTI Competition for Innovation£80m DTI funding for collaborative industrial research National competition for innovation and technology funds launched Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt MP today offered £80million investment to British business for research and development into the latest world-beating innovative technologies. Underpinned by a long-term funding commitment, initially around £150M over the next 3 years, the Programme is focussed on key technologies identified by business via the Technology Strategy Board as critical to UK strength. The deadline for submitting a 5-page outline application is 7th February and will be available for companies to carry out Collaborative Research and Development in nine high-priority technology areas: * Design, simulation and modelling - powerful computing tools that allow designers and developers to envisage new systems, products and services. * Micro and nanotechnology - exploitation at the micro and nano-scale (atom and molecule) to produce materials with commercially valuable properties, e.g. strong, lightweight, hard wearing * Pervasive computing - finding ways of embedding devices and computer systems around us to provide access to content, applications and services that are on tap and dynamically personalised. * Waste management and minimisation - developing new technologies to reduce or eliminate creation of wastes, find new ways to re-use and recover waste products, treatment of hazardous wastes, and finding new alternatives to landfill. * Smart materials - materials that respond to environmental stimuli, such as temperature, moisture, pH, or electric and magnetic fields that can be used for novel commercial purposes e.g. reducing the effects of earthquakes in bridges, or in sportswear. * Bio-based industrial products - using biological agents to produce new products that lower costs through reduction in water and energy consumption, waste production and depletion of natural resources. * Energy technologies - technologies that can help the sustainable development of new and renewable energy sources. * Imaging technologies - a key technology for obtaining information about the location, shape and composition of people and objects, with a wide range of applications particularly in healthcare and security. * Opto-electronic and disruptive electronic technologies - transmission and manipulation of information and energy in the form of light rather than electricity that could transform the world of silicon- based microelectronics. The £80 million funding is available through two of the DTI's new business support products in the form of grants for research and development and to promote networks in specific technology areas. Further information can be found at http://www.dti.gov.uk/technologyprogramme/apply.html |
