“Being innovative involves recognising tomorrow’s problems and finding the solutions today” says Adel Sharif, founding director of Surrey Aquatechnology.

Developing aerodynamic side skirts for truck trailers wasn’t exactly what Ephicas' founders had in mind when they started studying, but it has put them on the fast track.

The pipeline of drugs in development in French biotechs saw a significant increase in 2008, but the funding climate may undermine this advance, says France Biotech.