UK government invites bids for first Technology and Innovation Centre

The UK government has invited organisations to register their interest in forming a technology and innovation centre focused on the area of high value manufacturing.

This will be the first of a national network of centres, modelled on Germany’s Fraunhofer Centres, to be established and overseen by the UK Technology Strategy Board, which has government funding of GBP200 million for the scheme. Each centre will work in partnership with universities and businesses to help commercialise the results of research in specific technology areas where there are potential multi-billion pound markets.

The Technology Strategy Board has published a prospectus outlining the requirement for the high value manufacturing centre and giving details of the plan to establish a network of six to eight centres in total. Business, academic and other interest groups are invited to comment on the proposals and help shape how the centres are developed.

The focus of the other centres will be: Energy & Resource Efficiency; Transport Systems; Healthcare; ICT and Electronics; and Photonics & Electrical Systems. It calls for the business, academic and other interest groups to comment on the proposals and help shape how the centres will be developed.

A decision will be taken on the establishment of the first centre in March 2011. The Technology Strategy Board is also inviting views by the end of January 2011 on the initial list of candidate areas, and other potential areas, for future centres. These will be established in two phases, with the first phase starting in 2011/2012 and the second during 2012/2013.

Prospectus: http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/corporate-publications/prospectus%20v10final.pdf