Sector News
UK medicine manufacturing to receive funding boost
Funding of £20m will be provided to improve medicine supply chains in the UK and help to create thousands of new jobs. The money, which is being distributed as part of the Government’s new capital investment fund,...
Axa IM acquires life sciences real estate developer Kadans
The real assets arm of Axa Investment Managers is to enter the European life sciences sector following the acquisition of Kadans Science Partner – a real estate business specialising in the science world. Axa IM has agreed to buy Kadans from Oaktree Capital Partner on...
How groundbreaking testing project has helped flatten covid curve in Norwich
The team behind the UEA Covid testing initiative. From third left, Professor Neil Hall, Earlham Institute; Dr Nick Goodwin, Anglia Innovation Partnership; Dr Kirsty Culley, Anglia Innovation Partnership; and Mark Hitchcock, UEA Health & Social Care Partners; with...
5G to give UK manufacturing £5.2bn economic boost, research says
The UK will benefit from £14.8 billion in additional economic growth from the potential of 5G networks to businesses. This is according to an independent report from research firm Analysys Mason. The study, commissioned by Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, provides...
Survey reveals impact of the pandemic on future growth plans, but says more than two thirds of start-ups in Yorkshire remain confident about the next 12 months
A new survey reveals the impact of the pandemic on future growth plans for Yorkshire businesses, but shows that more than two thirds of start-ups in the region remain confident about the next 12 months. Commissioned by Nexus, the innovation hub at the University of...
New smart factory innovation hubs launched
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Made Smarter, the UK’s manufacturing digitalisation movement, have announced a new Factory Innovation Hubs pilot to help businesses test quick-fire projects and early-stage technologies. The Innovation Hubs...
DiversIT Charter to launch to tackle the lack of women in tech in Europe
A new charter committed to increasing the number of women in tech roles in Europe will be launched on 26 November by the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS). The DiversIT Charter, which has been developed by CEPIS’ Women in IT group, will be...
Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre expands team With 50 new jobs to focus on COVID-19 response and 2021 operational readiness
The Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC), a not-for-profit organisation providing the UK’s first strategic vaccine development and advanced manufacturing capability, has appointed 50 people into new roles - growing the VMIC team from 10 to 60, since May...
Make UK an innovation superpower, says CBI
The government should prioritise a drive to establish the UK as a "global innovation superpower", according to a report published by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The country's largest business organisation is calling for the upcoming government...
University of Bristol joins UK-wide calls for government to support post-Covid recovery plans
The University of Bristol is among a UK-wide cohort of cities and their universities that is calling on the government to work towards a radical new vision to help bring social and economic prosperity post-Covid. In a joint declaration, the 11 Core cities of the UK...
UKSPA Chairman Dr Glenn Crocker MBE on how science and innovation is central to future economic rebuilding…
My last article was when the science and innovation sector – and the country – had just begun to enter the first lockdown. Back in the spring, UKSPA held a very well supported conference at the University of Leeds. The following week the Budget announcement was...
Scots life science sector raises £600m-plus in three years
More than £600 million has been raised for Scottish-headquartered life science companies in the past three years, according to data recently revealed Scotland is an emerging centre of excellence in the UK, with Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen offering “pockets of...
UKRI invests £88 million in world-class science laboratories
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is investing £88 million to modernise research laboratories and expand our world-leading facilities to equip scientists working on research challenges such as climate change and COVID-19. The funding will: support pioneering science...
Investment surges into UK startups meeting UN sustainable development goals
UK” impact startups” – startups addressing one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals – have raised €1.4 billion in 2020 – so far. The biggest rounds for UK impact startups in 2020 include Tokamak Energy (Abingdon), Octopus...
UK manufacturing expects long haul back to normal trading
The UK manufacturing sector wants business rates waived while boosting investment allowances to aid the industry recovery. The call by Make UK was made on the back of the latest Manufacturing Monitor tracker which shows that while the sector continues to stabilise,...