Tag: Department for Science Innovation and Technology

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 12 April 2024.

UK and Republic of Korea forging ahead with plans for the AI Seoul Summit on 21 and 22 May.

The UK and the Republic of Korea are forging ahead with plans for the next wave of global discussions on the safe development of Artificial Intelligence, with the AI Seoul Summit set for 21 and 22 May.

The summit will spearhead discussions on AI safety, addressing the potential capabilities of the most advanced AI models, building on the Bletchley Declaration and wider agreements which were reached at the AI Safety Summit in the UK last November, which included commitments from developers on AI safety.

Countries will also gather for talks on how the technology can be made more inclusive, ensuring the benefits and opportunities of AI are shared equally – and how attendees can further advance innovation. AI innovations have already helped to realise important breakthroughs in areas such as healthcare and drug discovery, and is being used to increasing effect in other settings such as education and tackling climate change.

Day one of the AI Seoul Summit will see a virtual leaders’ session co-chaired by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol. A select number of global industry leaders will also be invited, to update on how they are fulfilling the commitments made at Bletchley Park to ensure the safety of their models. This comes ahead of an in-person meeting of Digital Ministers on the second day, which is co-hosted by UK Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, and Korean Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-Ho.

Next month’s summit continues the legacy of the Bletchley Park discussions, capitalising on its momentum to once again bring international governments, AI companies, academia, and civil society together to advance the global AI safety agenda. This next round of talks comes at a critical time for the technology, with increasingly capable and advanced AI models expected to be released over the course of 2024.

UK Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan said:

The summit we held at Bletchley Park in November was a generational moment. We agreed the historic Bletchley Declaration and have ensured discussions around AI safely are firmly on the international agenda.

If we continue to bring international governments and a broad range of voices together, I have every confidence that we can continue to develop a global approach which will allow us to realise the transformative potential of this generation-defining technology safely and responsibly.

I am looking forward to building on the ‘Bletchley effect’ with this next round of talks in the Republic of Korea, who are perfectly placed with their rich history of technological innovation to advance the global conversation on AI safety.

Minister Lee Jong-Ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea said:

The AI Safety Summit held in Bletchley, UK last year marked a milestone in which the government, industry and academia coming together to address the potential risks of AI, and I am pleased that the Republic of Korea takes the baton from the UK.

AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace that exceeds our expectations, and it is crucial to establish global norms and governance to harness such technological innovations to enhance the welfare of humanity.

We hope that the AI Seoul Summit will serve as an opportunity to strengthen global cooperation on not only AI safety but also AI innovation and inclusion, and promote sustainable AI development.

Innovation is a particular focus for the UK’s overall approach to AI, with projects such as the Manchester Prize marking a decade-long commitment of £1 million every year by the government to tap into the technology and advance solutions to pressing challenges such as climate change and energy efficiency.

The UK continues to drive forward international collaboration on AI safety through the AI Safety Institute – the world’s first state-backed body dedicated to AI safety. The Institute has already published a detailed approach to model safety evaluations, rapidly expanded its researcher ranks, and earlier this month put pen to paper on an historic agreement with the United States on AI safety.

The AI Seoul Summit will be accompanied by the release of the first iteration of the International Scientific Report on Advanced AI Safety – a key commitment from the Bletchley Park Summit which is being independently led by Turing Prize winner Yoshua Bengio and brings together the best existing scientific research on AI safety from across the globe. The international expert review panel for the report includes representatives from the UK, the Republic of Korea, and other leading AI nations.

The UK will continue to work closely with international governments, AI companies and civil society, to ensure people across the globe can safely realise the transformative benefits of AI to unlock new opportunities, transform productivity and public services, and power economic growth.

Notes to editors

Further details on summit attendees will be announced in due course.

The virtual Leaders’ session on day one ‘Building upon the AI Safety Summit: towards an Innovative and Inclusive Future’ will deepen the consensus on AI safety while also focusing on broader aspects of global AI governance around innovation and inclusivity.

Talks on day two will be held in Seoul, and ministers will discuss ways to ensure AI safety and explore ways to foster the sustainable development of AI.

The AI Seoul Summit is the latest international summit on AI safety, kickstarted at Bletchley Park last November and continuing with a further planned summit in France over the next 12 months.

Ahead of the AI Seoul Summit the UK has appointed Imran Shafi, Director of AI Policy at the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, and Henry De Zoete, the Prime Minister’s adviser on Artificial Intelligence, to spearhead preparations. Approaches to AI should complement a country’s existing strengths, which is why the UK has cemented its regulatory approach in the wake of the discussions at Bletchley Park. In February, the government published its response to the AI Regulation White Paper consultation.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 10 April 2024.

Thousands of remote homes and businesses to benefit from lightning-fast broadband as new figures show a record £714 million invested in the broadband rollout so far this year.

• A record £714 million committed to boosting rural broadband coverage in 2024 brings total investment in next-generation connection to £1.3 billion
• Nearly 380,000 homes and businesses, including in Devon and The Isles of Scilly, are set to benefit from the contracts awarded this year alone
• £165 million announced today to connect properties across England, including Yorkshire and Cornwall

Hundreds of thousands of remote homes and businesses across the country will be able to benefit from lightning-fast broadband, as new figures show a record £714 million has been invested in the broadband rollout so far this year.

New data published today reveals that since the start of 2024, the UK Government is boosting access to fast and reliable internet at an unprecedented speed, putting nearly 380,000 rural premises in line to access a better broadband connection.

The upgrades will give rural communities access to the fastest internet on the market, helping to grow the economy. Households will be able to download high-definition films in under one minute, stream and download entertainment and shop online across several devices at once. Full fibre broadband will also make it easier for rural residents to set up businesses, increasing local productivity and delivering long-term growth for a brighter future.

Areas set to benefit include Yorkshire, The Isles of Scilly and Dorset, with the funding forming part of the UK Government’s flagship £5 billion Project Gigabit programme.

The funding brings the total invested so far to £1.3 billion. Nearly 82% of properties across the country can now access lightning-fast broadband, up from just 7% this time five years ago.

It comes as the UK continues to rollout Gigabit broadband faster than any other EU nation, ensuring everyone, no matter where they live or work, can thrive in the 21st century.

Minister for Data and Digital Julia Lopez said:

Connectivity has never been more important for people and businesses. It is increasingly the enabler for so many services that we rely on every day, from using maps to doing business.

The figures published today demonstrate just how rapidly we are getting higher quality, gigabit broadband to every part of the country – even some of our most remote, rural areas.

Whether that be to a business on the coast of Cornwall or the hills of the Peak District, patchy and poor connection should never be a barrier to economic growth or somebody’s life chances.

As part of this year’s investment, the UK Government has today also announced £165 million in contracts to build full fibre networks in areas spanning South Yorkshire, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Herefordshire, the Forest of Dean, the Peak District, Dorset and Somerset*.

Almost 90,000 premises are set to benefit from the contracts, with full fibre connections capable of delivering speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second. This is up to 30 times faster than superfast connections relying on traditional copper cables.

Over one million rural homes, businesses and public buildings have already been upgraded to gigabit-capable networks thanks to UK Government investment.

Properties connected through Project Gigabit are in hard-to-reach rural locations, where residents and businesses previously would have struggled to perform basic online tasks because of poor and patchy connection.

On top of this, the Government has awarded separate contracts to connect up to 800 primary schools in England, jointly funded through Project Gigabit and the Department for Education. The Schools Gigabit Connectivity Project will help students and teachers access the latest digital technology in education.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 9 April 2024.

Rural towns and villages in the Lake District are the first to benefit as government delivers on its plan to improve 4G mobile coverage in hard-to-reach areas.

• People living, working and travelling near the market town of Keswick, Cumbria are first in England to benefit from government-funded mobile network upgrades
• First of dozens of UK Government-funded 4G mast upgrades planned as part of the Shared Rural Network – a joint £1 billion programme with telecoms firms to improve rural mobile coverage
• It means local residents and businesses, as well as visitors to the area, can now access fast and reliable mobile coverage – regardless of which operators they’re signed up with

Rural towns and villages in the Lake District have become the first in England to benefit as government delivers on its plan to improve 4G mobile coverage in hard-to-reach areas.

The first of 83 government-funded mast upgrades planned in England were switched on today (9 April) near the market town of Keswick in Cumbria.

It means dozens of local businesses and community organisations in areas including Naddle, Thirlmere and St Johns-in-the-Vale, can now take advantage of better connectivity thanks to the Shared Rural Network – a £1 billion programme brokered by the government and joint-funded with mobile network operators aimed at increasing mobile coverage in rural areas.

The boost has been carried out by upgrading existing mobile masts which previously only connected EE customers and anyone making 999 calls, meaning communities can benefit from improved connectivity without the visual impact involved when building new masts.

It will enable residents, tourists and businesses to access reliable 4G coverage from all four mobile network operators – EE, VMO2, Three and Vodafone – closing the connectivity blackhole and boosting economic growth in the region.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said:

We’re dialling up fast and reliable mobile coverage across the UK through the Shared Rural Network. Our latest upgrade in the Lake District is one of many we’re working hard to deliver as part of our mission to clamp down on the headache of mobile ‘not spots’.

The coverage boost will provide endless benefits for communities and visitors, ensuring people stay connected on the go, enabling people to work more efficiently and attracting vital investment to the rural economy.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited (DMSL) said:

In England, since the Shared Rural Network was announced in March 2020, 4G coverage from all four operators has expanded across an additional 5,400 square kilometres – an area larger than Norfolk. As more shared mobile sites go live, people visiting and living in rural areas will see better 4G service thanks to this programme.

Today marks an important milestone in the rollout of the Shared Rural Network aiming to bring reliable 4G signal to 95 per cent of UK landmass by the end of 2025.

Since the Shared Rural Network programme began in 2020, an additional 13,000 sq km – roughly the size of Northern Ireland or two million football pitches – have been able to receive coverage from all four operators, EE, Three VMO2 and Vodafone.

The government and the UK’s four mobile network operators aim to provide coverage to an additional 280,000 premises and 16,000km of the UK’s roads.

The programme also aims to improve geographic coverage to 79% of Areas of Natural Beauty, up from 51% before the programme launched, and 74% of National Parks up from 41%, benefitting millions of visitors every year.

The UK government is investing around £500 million into the Shared Rural Network, including £184 million to upgrade Extended Area Service (EAS) masts to provide coverage from all four mobile operators. Currently, commercial coverage from EAS masts is only available from EE – the operator responsible for the Emergency Services Network. The remaining government funding will go towards eliminating total ‘not spots’, places where there is no coverage from any mobile operator.

The telecoms sector is also investing over £500 million to target partial ‘not spots’, where customers can only access 4G if they’re signed up with a mobile network operator that is active in the area. This part of the programme has already delivered significant coverage improvements across the UK, including in the areas of Shetland, Yorkshire, Fermanagh and Devon.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 13 March 2024.

British semiconductor researchers and businesses now have enhanced access to research funding backed by the UK government and Horizon Europe, now the UK has joined the EU’s ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’.

Semiconductor sector to benefit from up to £35 million, plus European funds, in a boost to British leadership in research of cutting-edge chip technology
UK joins European initiative to access €1.3 billion Horizon Europe funding pot for collaborative semiconductor research projects
Boost to help push boundary of semiconductor design, improving tech used in all digital devices and advances the government’s plan to secure long term growth
British semiconductor researchers and businesses now have enhanced access to research funding backed by the UK government and Horizon Europe, now the UK has joined the EU’s ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’.

The move provides the UK semiconductor sector enhanced access to a €1.3 billion pot of funds set aside from Horizon Europe to support research in semiconductor technologies up to 2027.

Access to the one of the Chips Joint Undertaking’s funds is being backed by an initial £5 million this year from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and delivered by Innovate UK. An additional £30 million is due to support UK participation in further research between 2025 and 2027.

By joining the fund and contributing in the same way as all other countries who take part, the UK sector has enhanced access to bid for funding support from the €1.3 billion pot, funded by Horizon Europe.

Announcing the move at a conference of global semiconductor leaders in London, Technology Minister Saqib Bhatti said:

Our membership of the Chips Joint Undertaking will boost Britain’s strengths in semiconductor science and research to secure our position in the global chip supply chain.

This underscores our unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and cements our important role in shaping the future of semiconductor technologies around the world.

This follows the UK joining Horizon Europe through a bespoke new agreement with the EU last year. The programme is giving UK companies and research institutions unrivalled opportunities to lead global work to develop new technologies and research projects, in areas from health to AI.

Tens of thousands of UK companies are now eligible for Horizon Europe grants, which are worth £450,000 to a business on average. UK firms already benefitting from Horizon funding include Nova Innovation, whose consortium won over £17 million to develop tidal energy in Orkney, and South Yorkshire tech firm The Floow who are part of a project awarded just under £3 million, looking into road safety.

Jari Kinaret, Chips JU Executive Director, said:

We are very happy to welcome the UK to the Chips Joint Undertaking as a participating state. We are looking forward to working with the UK partners to develop the European industrial ecosystem in microelectronics and its applications, contributing to the continent’s scientific excellence and innovation leadership in semiconductor technologies and related fields.

This year, the Chips Joint Undertaking fund is well aligned to UK research expertise. In 2024, it includes two focussed calls for funding bids on semiconductors for cars and other vehicles as well as RISC-V, an open-source architecture that aims to accelerate semiconductor innovation by lowering the cost of chip design. It also provides more open opportunities for scientists and firms to bid for research support.

Sean Redmond, Managing Partner at SiliconCatalyst, said:

UK Semiconductor startups have a rich history of collaboration with the European Union. Our semiconductor research base is the fourth largest in the world.

Commercialising these inventions with the help of the EU Chips Joint Undertaking will significantly increase their probability of success, mitigating risks by local collaborations that provide a clear path from lab to fab.

Jalal Bagherli, Chairman, PTSL, Chair, Williams Advanced Engineering and Co-Chair of UK Semiconductor Advisory Panel, said:

As the UK Semiconductor Strategy ramps up its implementation phase in support of a thriving industry, I believe this initiative is the next major step enabling engagement with our global partners to advance the state of the art in chip development and innovative packaging technologies in the UK.

The UK has joined the initiative as a “Participating State”, allowing the country to collaborate more closely with European partners on semiconductor innovation. As a Participating State, the UK will have a role in setting research priorities and funding decisions as the fund evolves in the years ahead.

This includes the opportunity for the UK to be a part of a new funding opportunity with the Republic of Korea to research ways to combine semiconductor chips to improve performance through advanced packaging – which the UK-Republic of Korea Semiconductor Framework, signed in November last year.

British research has elsewhere led global efforts to push semiconductor technology forward in fields like “silicon photonics”, which creates faster chips by using light instead of electricity, and compound semiconductors, which enable improved performance over silicon in key applications such as power transmission and radiofrequency communications.

Martin Kuball, Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering in Emerging Technologies, professor in physics at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and director of the Centre for Device Thermography and Reliability, said:

We are excited for the UK to participate in the EU Chips Joint Undertaking. This will enable us to work with key EU partners to advance and commercialize high voltage power electronics we develop within in the IKC REWIRE, as well as high power high frequency RF technology we develop within UK, US and European Space Agency (ESA) programmes.

This follows DSIT and UK Research and Innovation investing £22 million in two Innovation and Knowledge Centres located in Southampton and Bristol, aimed at reinforcing these key areas of British research leadership. These centres are dedicated to advancing cutting-edge chip technologies, such as silicon photonics and compound semiconductors, toward commercialisation.

Chris Meadows, Director, CSconnected, said:

CSconnected, the organisation representing the South Wales Compound Semiconductor sector, warmly welcomes the news that the UK is to join the EU Chips Joint Undertaking.

Collaboration is at the very heart of our fast growing and rapidly evolving semiconductor sector that underpins technologies of today and is key to enabling our future connected world, AI, robotics, and in meeting global net-zero ambitions.

Jen Walls, Chief Executive Officer Clas-Sic Wafer Fab, said:

This is good news for UK Semiconductors, opening up opportunities for UK Companies to compete with our European peers on a more level playing field. The UK has a lot to offer in this sector and we are grateful as this will foster a more supportive environment for innovation.

Vaysh Kewada, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Salience Labs, said:

Semiconductors are critical to the UK’s economic and national security. They underpin crucial technologies such as advancement in AI. The UK produces world-leading research in silicon photonics, compound semiconductors and others. This government support is a good step forward to foster growth and to ensure that the UK remains relevant in the critical technologies of tomorrow.

Martin McHugh, CEO at CSA Catapult, said:

This is an excellent opportunity for UK researchers and businesses to strengthen links with our EU partners and collaborate on cutting-edge semiconductor projects of national importance.

Access to the Horizon Europe funds will enable the UK to partner on projects where we have mutual and significant strengths, such as design, advanced packaging and compound semiconductors.

Dr. Giorgia Longobardi, Founder and CEO Cambridge GaN Devices, said:

The UK joining the European initiative to access €1.3 billion Horizon Europe fund for collaborative research in semiconductors is an exciting news.

Semiconductors are at the base of core technologies that can solve important societal challenges, among which net zero and electrification, and significant advancements in the field can be achieved only thanks to collaborative efforts and government support.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 12 March 2024.

New partnership to turbocharge science and research links signed by UK and Germany.

A new agreement to boost science and research ties, and plans for a joint group of science and research experts, are part of shared measures announced by the UK and Germany today. (Tuesday 12 March).

The UK Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan, and German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger will announce these latest plans in London today, where they will sign a Joint Declaration of Intent committing both countries to broadening and deepening their science and research links.

Today’s meeting also brings together a unique forum featuring some of the leading lights from both countries’ science and research communities – including the Max-Planck Society, the Royal Society, Universities UK and the Helmholtz Association – to share and agree promising opportunities for R&D teamwork ranging from quantum and AI, to clean technology and research security. Moving forward, the UK and German governments will establish a Strategic Working Group to ensure that these high ambitions are matched with concrete plans on delivery.

UK Secretary of State Michelle Donelan said:

Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner, as well as a critical science and research partner through the likes of Horizon Europe and CERN. To capitalise on this, bringing our shared strengths in science and technology together will be essential.

By supporting our brightest minds and leading institutions to work together, we will maximise the opportunities for them to create new jobs, build new businesses, and ultimately deliver a better quality of life for us all.

German Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger said:

The United Kingdom with its excellent research and its renowned science institutions, universities and companies is one of Germany’s key partners. In the face of current challenges, it is all the more important that we move ahead together and prepare the ground for joint research solutions.

The UK’s association to Horizon Europe is a major step in this direction. But we must also deepen bilateral cooperation. Today’s exchange of views together with the science communities in Germany and the UK is only the beginning. Our Joint Declaration of Intent provides the basis for good and close cooperation to strengthen science and research.

The UK-Germany relationship on science, technology, and research is already deep and extensive. Germany is the UK’s 2nd largest research collaborator globally (after the United States) and is the UK’s biggest research partner in Europe. The two countries also play a key role together in some of the world’s foremost international scientific organisations, such as CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, and the European Space Agency.

With a view to deepening links further still, the UK government will also look at using funds available through the £337 million International Science Partnerships Fund to enable UK researchers and innovators to collaborate with German partners, on key projects.

Today also sees the award of the first two Global Innovation Fellowships, being delivered by the British Academy and the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). These one-year fellowships, to be hosted at DGAP’s headquarters in Berlin, will support collaborative work on the changing dynamics of global order. A second call for a further round of Global Innovation Fellowships between the Academy and DGAP will open later this year.

Together with Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the British Academy are also announcing that building on this June’s UK-Germany Knowledge Frontiers Symposium, they will host three further symposia in the next 3 years that will bring together early career researchers from each country, boosting opportunities for joint work across the humanities and social sciences.

The Declaration builds on efforts are already underway to supercharge UK researchers’ opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in Germany and beyond through Horizon Europe: the world’s largest programme of research collaboration. UK and German researchers worked together at the cutting edge of innovation through Horizon’s predecessor, such as through EAVI2020, an international effort that brought HIV–AIDS vaccines to the clinical trial stage. Collaboration with Germany is also an important part of work at Imperial – who recently renewed their flagship partnership with Germany’s number 1 ranked university, the Technical University of Munich, working together on AI, health, sustainability and more.

This push includes an international campaign emphasising the opportunities for European firms and researchers to collaborate with the tens of thousands of UK companies eligible for Horizon Europe grants. The UK is also participating in the Copernicus component of the EU space programme, providing a host of opportunities for our Earth observation sector, researchers, and the public.

This is the latest in a series of bilateral international science deals the UK has signed recently. In the last fortnight alone, partnerships have been announced with fellow research powerhouses France, and Saudi Arabia.

Bilateral agreements like these, alongside Horizon association, demonstrate the UK’s global ambitions to deepen collaboration with leading lights in science right across the globe. This agreement is a further demonstration of the UK’s ambition to cement its status as a science superpower, through deepening collaboration on science and tech breakthroughs with like-minded nations like Germany, as well as the rest of the G7, to secure our collective future, drive economic growth and improve lives.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 March 2024.

A new campaign aimed at driving up investment opportunities in scale-ups was launched by the Technology Secretary today.

A new campaign aimed at driving up investment opportunities in scale-ups was launched by the Technology Secretary today, with podcast adverts, billboards and more showing off science and technology scale-ups to British investment hubs.

The ‘Science and Tech is our Superpower’ campaign aims to make sure science and technology firms in the UK that are ready for growth can access the funding they need from the UK to boost long term economic growth and create jobs.

While the UK continues to outpace the rest of Europe in raising venture capital funds, securing more than France and Germany, last year saw a substantial drop in investment globally. In the UK, this particularly impacted science and technology scale-ups.

Britain has produced 152 ‘unicorns’ or companies valued at over $1 billion, which is more than France, Germany and Sweden put together. These companies, including Darktrace and Monzo have pushed forward global innovation in a range of areas – and help grow our economy.

But, without venture capital funding, the next generation of UK unicorns may be forced to look abroad for funding and even move away from the UK – or risk placing a cap on their growth, which hinders innovation and puts a lid on new jobs in the UK.

While British leadership in fintech, AI and life sciences is well recognised by investors domestically and around the world, but emerging strengths in deeptech are yet to receive the same support and recognition.

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

The UK has built a £1 trillion tech sector with a thriving start-up scene. With further capital, there is no limit to where British start-ups can take their ideas.

There has never been a better time to invest in British tech companies – with the UK leading on every key European metric and leading the world on emerging technologies like safe AI.

Our Science and Tech Superpower campaign drives home the message to investors that we need to seize the extraordinary opportunities here on home turf – or risk promising companies travelling to international competitors for funding.

The new push to promote private sector investment in high-growth companies comes after the Chancellor’s Mansion House Reforms, which are unlocking up to £75 billion for high growth businesses like tech start-ups, underpinned by a commitment from UK pension funds and the venture capital community to work together to drive even more finance into scale-ups.

Targeting investors in key financial hubs across the country in cities such as London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, the campaign will run on billboards strategically placed 200 metres within investor offices and on key commuter routes. Wrapped copies of The Times will also be delivered to venture capital offices, and digital adverts will run online and across podcasts.

The marketing push will show off regional ‘clusters’ of innovation excellence from across the UK, including spin-out companies that were started from research at leading universities.

Norwich-based Colorifix was created following discoveries at the University of Cambridge, and has now developed ways using bacteria to produce, deposit and fix dyes onto textiles, helping the clothing industry to dramatically reduce its environmental impact in a cost-effective way.

Spurred by earlier InnovateUK funding, Colorifix raised £18 million in one of its early stage funding rounds, securing the support of fashion giant H&M. This was in addition to being nominated for an Earthshot prize.

Orr Yarkoni, CEO and Co-Founder of Colorifix, said:

Since starting Colorifix as a spinout from the University of Cambridge, we have received important grants and support from governmental institutions to finance our scale-up journey, as well as valuable collaborations with world-class institutions.

More so, locating our sites in Norwich and Cambridge has given us access to brilliant minds and enabled us to build a stellar team, which has been fundamental for the success of our company.

We hope the government and investors will continue to address challenges such as inadequate funding and supporting networks to scale world-changing solutions and further strengthen the UK’s position in engineering biology.

Science and technology hubs outside of London have seen huge increases in venture capital investments since 2019, with Liverpool, Sheffield and Glasgow all seeing more than 500% growth.

Far exceeding all other cities, Birmingham saw 1183% increase in venture capital funding raised, driven by a specialist ecosystem surrounding autonomous vehicle technology.

Close to the city, Coventry based ‘Aurrigo’ makes self-driving vehicles that are used to transport passengers, baggage and cargo in airports all over the world.

Aurrigo’s recent growth journey was kickstarted by £16 million in funding from Innovate UK, where the company also received direct support through the organisation’s Scale up Programme in 2021. Here, it began to consider a flotation on the London Stock Exchange which initially listed Aurrigo at 48p per share, with a market capitalisation of £20 million.

Since listing on Alternative Investment Market (AIM), Aurrigo has almost doubled in value, reaching a market capitalisation of £42 million. Commenting on his company’s growth journey, Aurrigo’s CEO and Founder, David Keene, added that:

“Aurrigo International plc is very proud to be disrupting the global aviation market with autonomous solutions designed, developed, and built at our Advanced Engineering Centre in Coventry.

We have tapped into outstanding support from the government for commercialising our innovation and leveraged every bit of academic collaboration we can from universities, including Aston, Coventry, and Warwick.

This has aided us in getting to market quicker with our Auto-DollyTug product, an all-electric autonomous vehicle that is moving baggage and cargo around six international airports. The outstanding graduates they produce have also been crucial to our recruitment plans as we expand at pace.

I’m delighted to put the Aurrigo International name fully behind the campaign to promote the UK as a Science and Tech Superpower.

Michael Moore, Chief Executive of the BVCA, said:

The UK has a thriving science and tech ecosystem built on world-class research and development, a strong talent pool and connectivity. These key factors position the UK as a global Hub for technological advancement.

Our research shows that private equity and venture capital (private capital) invests billions in the UK science and tech sector. It’s vital that the UK remains the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) welcomes the drive to encourage further private capital investment in these sectors in the UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 March 2024.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has secured a further agreement with telecoms companies to protect vulnerable customers as landlines are upgraded.

Companies in charge of maintaining the UK’s internet and phone infrastructure have today agreed to new measures to protect vulnerable customers as their landlines are upgraded to a new digital network.

Seven network operators – including Openreach, CityFibre and Community Fibre – have signed up to new protections which will ensure people who rely on personal alarms to call for help are not left without a working device during the migration. Nearly two million people use these vital alarms in the UK.

The new measures agreed today include a commitment from network operators to take steps to ensure their customers’ lifesaving buttons continue to work and functioning alternatives are in place before any migration takes place.

It means the Technology Secretary has now secured agreement from the majority of the telecoms sector – from operators in charge of maintaining the network infrastructure all the way to internet and phone providers, including VMO2 and BT, who agreed to similar mitigations in December 2023.

The charter follows ongoing and active collaboration from telecoms operators, and is a positive step to make sure safety continues to be at the heart of the nationwide switchover – providing reassurance to vulnerable households.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

The safety of vulnerable customers comes before anything else and that’s why I called on the industry to listen to concerns and take action to make sure the right protections are in place.

I welcome more telecoms companies joining forces to make this a priority, meaning we now have agreement from those responsible for our telecoms infrastructure and those providing mobile and broadband services.

This will provide much needed reassurance to those relying on these vital devices and I will continue to pressure organisations to do everything in their power to make sure the switchover is seamless and safe.

Other commitments agreed today include:

• Operators will have to work with partners, including internet providers, to check if their customers own a telecare device.
• Operators will provide at least 12 months’ notice to phone providers before enforcing the switchover of a customer and will jointly discuss suitable migration options.
• No telecare user will be migrated to a digital landline service without the provider, customer or telephone company confirming that they have functioning solution in place.
• Telecom operators will work with Ofcom, Government, and phone providers to create a shared definition of ‘vulnerable’ customer, so it is no longer dependent on the company and establishes an industry wide standard.

Digital Infrastructure Minister Julia Lopez said:

When a person needs urgent medical attention, they must have confidence that their call for help will be responded to as quickly as possible.

The recent incidents that left some people disconnected are unacceptable and must not happen again. The Technology Secretary and I are united in pressuring all those responsible to implement mitigations that meet the needs of the most at risk.

I hope today’s agreement provides some peace of mind to those affected and reassures the millions of vulnerable people in our country that their concerns have been heard far and wide across the whole industry.

Today’s agreement will better protect those using personal alarms, known as telecare, which offer remote support to elderly, disabled, and vulnerable people – with many located in rural and isolated areas.

Last year, UK phone providers agreed to new measures to protect vulnerable customers when upgrading phone lines to a new digital network with the Technology Secretary asking all providers not to force people to switch over until enhanced protections are in place. The agreement also meant vulnerable households would have better access to emergency services during power outages.

Phone providers have been upgrading household landlines to digital technology which uses an internet connection, to deliver a modern network which is secure, efficient, and fit for the future. For the vast majority of consumers and businesses, this change has been and continues to be straightforward. Nobody will have to lose their landline service because of this change, as there are still options for a ‘landline only’ service should a customer not wish to purchase a general internet connection. Telecoms companies will continue to be bound by the same regulatory obligations as they are today, and this Charter will further strengthen protections for vulnerable consumers.

The upgrade of the UK’s telephone lines is not a government programme and does not result from a government decision or policy, and therefore specific questions about how the upgrade programme might affect individuals should be directed service providers.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:

We’ve heard of vulnerable people being left unable to contact emergency services due to issues with digital migration, so it is positive that the government is getting assurances from operators as well as providers that they will protect customers during the switchover.

The government and Ofcom must be prepared to take tough action if firms fail to keep up their side of the bargain. The transition to digital landlines is necessary and offers advantages, but it is vital that no one is left behind as the migration continues.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 7 March 2024.

Yesterday’s budget unveiled an ambitious package of announcements designed to boost the UK’s science and technology sectors, unleashing innovation to drive growth, create jobs, and improve lives.

Alongside tax cuts for workers, harnessing technology to benefit the public sector was at the heart of the Chancellor’s Spring Budget that will deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain, and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.

An £800 million reform package will free-up time for staff at the frontline of public services including cutting result waiting times in the NHS and slashing admin tasks for the police.

In a further boost for the UK’s world-class life sciences sector, charities including Cancer Research UK will receive £45 million to help launch the next generation of medical research careers. The move will assist in the fight against some the biggest global health challenges including diseases such as dementia, cancer, and epilepsy – while making the innovations that will help grow the economy.

The statement also backed science and tech businesses through investments in critical life science manufacturing projects worth £92 million, set to increase health resilience whilst supporting innovation and job creation. This is part of the wider Government plan to keep building a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded, ambition and aspiration are celebrated, and young people get the skills they need to succeed in life.

Two major pharmaceutical companies are already investing a combined £84 million in their UK manufacturing sites and will receive an extra cash injection from government. Almac in Northern Ireland produces drugs to treat diseases such as cancer and heart disease whilst Ortho Clinical diagnostics in Pencoed Wales is expanding testing facilities to help identify a range of conditions and diseases.

To ensure the UK remains an international leader in AI safety and to support the transition to an AI-enabled economy to fuel growth, funding of the world-leading Turing Institute will be boosted to £100 million. This will help cement the institutes leadership in setting research agendas alongside supporting UK business and government’s adoption of AI.

The funding comes on top of the £100 million already invested to establish the UK’s AI Safety Institute – the world’s first state-backed institute dedicated to AI Safety.

Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Michelle Donelan said:

The public and economic benefits technological and scientific innovation can drive are immense. That is why I am focused on delivering this government’s record level of investment to cement the UK’s place as a Science and Technology Superpower.

Yesterday’s Budget puts us firmly on the path to achieving this goal. Whether channelling technological advances into the public sector or doubling down on our leadership in AI advances and safety, we are unleashing innovation to drive economic growth and prosperity for everyone.

The Chancellor also announced innovative new pilots to improve nationwide data access whilst placing data protection and security at the centre of the UK’s approach. Two new Data Access Pilots in education and adult social care will help generate new AI services to support teachers alongside promoting better data access supporting productivity in the social care sector.

To help foster a resilient UK space sector, the full £160 million Connectivity Low Earth Orbit programme was launched to ensure British R&D is at the forefront of satellite communication innovation. The programme is key to offering connectivity and high-speed broadband to remote and rural communities, helping bridge the digital divide and level-up across the UK.

The budget also announced £10 million has been made available for the SaxaVord Spaceport – the UK’s first licensed vertical spaceport. Building on the growing spaceport capability across the country, the funding will help deliver on the National Space Strategy goal for the UK to become the first European country to launch a satellite into orbit.

Among the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology policies announced in the Spring Budget are:

Medical research

Life science manufacturing investment

New investment in the UK’s life sciences sector worth £92 million will help, boost health resilience encourage innovation whilst supporting jobs and growing the economy.

Ortho Clinical diagnostics in Pencoed, Wales and pharmaceutical company Almac based in Norther Ireland are already investing £84 million in their UK sites and will receive a further £7.5 million from government.

This investment will be geared towards Almac’s development of drugs to treat diseases including cancer, heart disease and depression, whilst Ortho Clinical is expanding product testing facilities used to identify a variety of diseases and conditions.

Medical research career funding

To help secure the long-term future of the UK’s Science Superpower mission, charities including Cancer Research UK, Epilepsy Research UK and Medical Research Scotland will receive £45 million to launch the careers of the next generation of medical researchers.

Delivered through the Medical Research Charities Early-Career Researcher Fund, which has already supported 1,600 researchers to date, the funding will nurture a new pipeline of talent to tackle some of the biggest global health challenges.

Artificial Intelligence

Alan Turing Institute funding boost

The Chancellor announced the doubling of investment for the Alan Turing Institute (ATI), the internationally leading body for data science AI, bringing its total funding to £100 million.

The ambitious new £50 million package over five-years will build on the ATI’s work to-date to help address national and international challenges in areas such as health, environment and sustainability alongside defence and security.

This significant boost to the UK’s AI ecosystem will drive better value for years to come and boost the Institutes’ ability to provide organisations with the skills, open access infrastructure, and R&I resources alongside training provision.

AI Safety Institute update

The Budget also updated on the AI Safety Institute’s (AISI) progress in delivering its goal to test the most advanced AI systems, ensuring the UK and world is prepared for the impact of frontier AI models.

The Chancellor confirmed the AISI has conducted the world’s first evaluations by any government of frontier AI models before and after release. This means the UK has the most advanced capability of any country in understanding how AI can be used safely to benefit society.

AI upskilling fund launched

Following on from the launch of the AI Opportunity Forum in January this year to encourage the adoption of AI across the private sector, the Budget also launched a new £7.4 million flexible AI business upskilling fund. The pilot will help SME’s unlock the opportunities AI brings and develop AI skills of the future, helping fuel growth across the economy.

AI Research Resource

Also announced was the intention to publish a plan later this year setting how government will manage access to the UK’s cutting-edge public AI compute facilities which are critical for AI development. The resources will provide researchers and innovative companies with the compute power needed to use AI for cutting-edge research and development of the most advanced AI products anywhere in the world.

Data

New public sector data pilots

DSIT funding for two new data pilots worth £3.5 million will help create coherent, safely accessible data assets to support staff and researchers in the adult social care and education sectors.

The funding will support a Department for Education initiative for innovative and high-quality education AI tools and extend a Department for Health and Social Care project to improve data access in adult social care.

Data research cloud details confirmed

Details of four data research cloud projects worth £5.29 million were also revealed to unlock data’s potential for research innovation. The pilots will give researchers access to highest quality data to help cement the UK’s status as a world leading research hub. Confirmation of the pilots can be found on the UKRI website.

Space

C-LEO launch

The full £160 million Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) programme was also announced yesterday. Building on the initial £15 million C-LEO call announced at Autumn Statement, the four-year programme will ensure the UK becomes a global leader in next generation satellite communication technologies whilst creating hundreds of highly skilled jobs. The cutting-edge technology is critical for bringing connectivity to harder to reach areas, bridging the digital divide across the UK whilst growing the economy.

The programme will ensure the UK space sector is able to compete in a rapidly growing global market of LEO constellations. Building on an already well established and growing small satellites industry in the UK, the initiative will provide researchers and businesses with critical support to drive the development of new constellations.

SaxaVord Spaceport investment

The government has made available £10 million in the UK’s first licensed vertical spaceport located on the Shetland Islands, SaxaVord Spaceport. This will help achieve the goal set out in the National Space Strategy for the UK to become the first European country to launch a satellite into orbit and a leading small satellite launch destination by 2030.

Establishing orbital launch capabilities across the UK is helping bring new jobs and investment to communities including rural areas and inspiring the next generation of space professionals.

Quantum investment

As part of the growth measure package, £1.6 million was announced for an error correction programme to progress delivery of the UK’s Quantum Computing Mission. The programme will enhance the UK’s leading position globally in quantum computing by understanding how to reduce unwanted disturbances in the hardware. This will help to make quantum computers bigger and more powerful, bringing about significant positive changes for society.

Innovate UK Launchpads

Following successful Launchpad pilots in Liverpool and Tees Valley, and eight further projects announced in October last year, a new agri-food Launchpad was announced in partnership with Ceredigion Council and the Welsh government. The Innovate UK Launchpads programme supports emerging clusters of SMEs through funding, wrap-around support and networking opportunities to help businesses innovate and grow.

The latest launch will support business-led projects focused on vital issues like net zero farming, helping to grow innovation clusters across Mid and North Wales.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 4 March 2024.

UK and Saudi Arabia agree deal to boost research links, supporting work from food security to clean energy, to boosting business and R&D connections.

UK government Science Minister Andrew Griffith, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Research Development and Innovation Authority, His Excellency (HE) Abdullah Alswaha, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on plans to elevate the two countries’ science and research links, in Riyadh today (Monday 4 March).

The agreement paves the way for the UK and Saudi Arabia to work together on the deep science and tech breakthroughs that underpin progress, in tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, from food security to clean energy. It will be signed whilst Minister Griffith is in Saudi Arabia to attend LEAP 2024, attended by some of the world’s most innovative companies. He will also meet leading figures from some of the Kingdom most promising research-intensive sectors.

UK Science Minister Andrew Griffith said:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on an ambitious journey to modernise its economy and harnessing the power of science and technology is central to that transformation. This is a huge opportunity for UK businesses, scientists and researchers.

Collaboration on a global scale is an essential part of realising the UK’s ambitions in science and innovation. The sheer scale of Saudi Arabia’s aspirations means this relationship will be a key part of our own hopes for science and tech, in the years to come.

His Excellency (HE) Abdullah Alswaha said:

We are proud to partner with the United Kingdom to advance science and technology and strengthen the research and development capabilities across both nations. This agreement will drive collaborative efforts to harness innovation and address health, clean energy, and climate change challenges.

Innovations in science and technology form a key part of Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’, the country’s plan to diversify its economy and deliver on the Kingdom’s research, development and innovation priorities. Saudi Arabia is going a significant transformation that offers enormous opportunities for the UK economy to export its expertise in science and tech. As home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities, and as just the third country in the world to boast a tech sector valued at over one trillion dollars, the UK has a huge amount to offer Saudi Arabia as a research and innovation partner.

The Memorandum of Understanding that will be signed today has the UK’s world-leading research expertise at its heart, setting out how the two countries will work together on the deep science, and deep tech that is fundamental to progress in health, tackling climate change, space and more. It also covers how links can be built between UK and KSA businesses, to harness innovative technologies and take the front foot on R&D. There are also plans for a series of regular meetings, to bring together key decisionmakers from both countries’ research sectors, the first of which will take place later this year.

The UK already has strong and significant economic links with Saudi Arabia – with SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) and Alfanar committing to investing a combined total of £1.85 billion into decarbonisation and clean energy technology in Teesside. There are also growing science and technology links between the two Kingdoms – with the UK and Saudi Arabia working together on the development of space-based solar power, a technology which could deliver clean energy, day and night.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 29 February 2024.

New funding to boost research collaboration and a new partnership to further global AI safety are part of measures announced by the UK and France.

New funding to boost research collaboration and a new partnership to further global AI safety are part of measures announced by the UK and France today (Thursday 29 February).

The French Minister for Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau will visit London today for her first face-to-face meeting with Secretary of State Michelle Donelan since the UK’s association to Horizon Europe.

The two ministers will build on the already extensive links between British and French scientists, researchers, and businesses – which historically has led innovations like the Concorde making commercial supersonic flight a reality and the engineering marvel of the Channel Tunnel – by endorsing a joint declaration to strengthen UK-French research ties even further.

This includes a commitment to £800,000 in new funding towards joint research efforts both the UK and France are already involved in, such as Horizon Europe, to unlock more UK-France joint bids for grants to support cutting-edge R&D. This could spearhead research that improves lives around the world; under Horizon’s predecessor, British and French experts worked together to bring potential HIV–AIDS vaccines to the clinical trial stage.

They will also announce a landmark new partnership between the UK AI Safety Institute and France’s Inria (The National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology), to jointly support the safe and responsible development of AI technology. This comes ahead of France hosting the next in-person AI Safety Summit later this year, which will build on the historic agreement on frontier AI testing struck between world leaders and businesses at the UK’s world-first Summit, last year.

The French-British joint committee on Science, Technology and Innovation – which meets for the first time today – also represents a unique opportunity to bring key influencers from across both countries’ research sectors together, to work on shared and promising opportunities for R&D teamwork across the Channel: from low-carbon hydrogen and space observation, to AI and research security. It will meet every two years with a view to boosting UK-France scientific cooperation in priority fields such as emerging technologies like AI and quantum.

UK Secretary of State Michelle Donelan said:

The links between the UK and France’s brightest minds are deep and longstanding, from breakthroughs in aerospace to tackling climate change. It is only right that we support our innovators, to unleash the power of their ideas to create jobs and grow businesses in concert with our closest neighbour on the continent.

Research is fundamentally collaborative, and alongside our bespoke deal on Horizon Europe, this deepening partnership with France – along with our joint work on AI safety – is another key step in realising the UK’s science superpower ambitions.

French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, said:

This joint committee is a perfect illustration of the international component of research, from identifying key priorities such as Hydrogen, AI, Space and Research Security, to enabling collaborative work and exchange of ideas and good practices through funding.

Doing so with a trusted partner as the UK, who just associated to Horizon Europe, is a great opportunity to strengthen France’s science capabilities abroad, and participate in Europe’s strategic autonomy openness.

The UK-France joint declaration reinforces the campaign that is underway to supercharge UK researchers’ opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in France, across Europe, and beyond through Horizon Europe: the world’s largest programme of research collaboration. This push is emphasising the opportunities for European firms and researchers to collaborate with the tens of thousands of UK companies eligible for Horizon Europe grants. The UK is also participating in the Copernicus component of the EU space programme, providing a host of opportunities for our Earth observation sector, researchers, and the public.

Besides AI safety, the agreement looks at joint work on space, hydrogen and research security.

The AI partnership between the UK and France’s AI institutes brings France into a growing global network that is collaborating on AI safety testing. The UK has already agreed similar partnerships with the US AI Safety Institute, as well as the government of Singapore.

As the UK’s nearest continental neighbour and a science and tech world leader, France is a natural partner for UK researchers – while the UK, as home to 4 of the world’s top 10 universities, and a larger share of its own research among the world’s most highly-cited than any other G7 country, brings its own exceptional research and innovation strengths to the table.

In the past, pooling our expertise achieved things that were previously thought impossible – from Concorde making commercial supersonic flight a reality, to the engineering marvel of the Channel Tunnel. Today that work continues at the cutting edge of science and research, such as through the MicroCarb joint satellite project, and both countries’ membership of CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. And all of this comes alongside 2024 marking the 120th anniversary of the UK and France signing the Entente Cordiale.

This is the latest in a series of bilateral international science deals the UK has signed recently, which include partnerships with the Republic of Korea, Israel, India, Switzerland and South Africa, as well as recent international digital deals such as the UK-Japan Digital Partnership.

These bilateral agreements, alongside Horizon association, demonstrate the UK’s global ambitions to deepen collaboration with leading lights in science right across the globe. The government is determined to open up the broadest range of opportunities, for the brightest British minds to unlock breakthroughs with colleagues, the world over.