Tag: Department for Science Innovation and Technology

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 27 November 2023.

Plans to revamp the regulatory environment around key technologies have been announced by Science and Tech Secretary, at the Global Investment Summit.

New plans for the safe, proportionate regulation of high-potential technologies like clean aviation, and drones, as well as a boost to the government’s investor partnership programme for high potential UK science and tech businesses, have been announced at the Global Investment Summit today (Monday 27 November) by the Science and Technology Secretary.

Following on from the announcement of new regulatory sandboxes at the Autumn Statement, three further sandboxes and testbeds will help UK firms and researchers developing hydrogen as a zero emission fuel for aviation, as well as exploring the use of drones in passenger transport and deliveries, plus putting self-piloting marine tech to work. The sandboxes and testbeds will see innovators and regulators work together to safely test new technologies. Taking this flexible, pragmatic approach to regulation can help to reduce barriers for innovators and help regulators to improve their decision-making processes.

The government’s ambition to unlock greater investment in UK R&D is taking a further step forward, with the naming of 29 new partners to the Investor Partnerships programme. Previous investor partnership programmes unlocked more than £370 million in private partner backing. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), through Innovate UK, is investing over £110 million together with private investors to drive vital cash into scaling-up UK businesses that are putting game changing technologies into action to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to healthcare.

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

“From the steam engine and Jenner’s first vaccine, through to modern computers and the wonder-material graphene, brilliant British ideas have and continue to change the world. The untold story behind each of these breakthroughs is that of the investors, whose backing enabled genius ideas to spring to life out of the lab, and into the world.

“We know that unlocking investment is critical, if we are to seize the potential for science and tech breakthroughs to create new jobs and industries, grow the economy, and tackle problems from health to energy. That is precisely why we are deepening our links with private investors to help UK businesses scale-up, deepening the UK’s skills base, and working with the sector to build proportionate regulations that encourage innovation, and keep people safe.”

Game-changing new technologies and scientific innovations are front and centre at the Global Investment Summit, which is showcasing the pioneering companies across the country that make the UK one of the world’s most attractive investment destinations. They range from established global giants with significant presences in the UK, like Alphabet and Arm, to exciting newer businesses like Oxford Quantum Circuits and Birmingham University spin-out, Delta-G.

The expansion of the Innovate UK Investor Partnership Programme, working with investors such as Amadeus Capital and Anglo-American, is the government’s latest push to bring innovative small and medium-sized UK companies together with investors, to support them to take their businesses to the next level. The 15 investor partnership programmes that ran between 2017 and 2022 unlocked £42.8 million in grant funding for UK SMEs, £123 million in aligned equity investment, and a further £373 million in additional investment from private partners.

The government is deploying regulatory sandboxes as part of its commitment to seize the potential for frontier technologies like AI to create entirely new industries and jobs. It is essential to strike the right balance: regulation that is pro-innovation, stimulates demand for science and technology and attracts investment, while representing UK values and safeguarding citizens.

It follows the announcement of the Automated Vehicles Bill in the King’s Speech this month, to put safety at the heart of the roll-out of self-driving vehicle technology – ensuring smarter regulation and positioning the UK as world-leaders of a £42 billion industry.

Notes to editors

Details of the three regulatory sandboxes being funded through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF), which supports UK regulators and local authorities to adopt new and experimental regulatory approaches that seek to remove barriers to innovation and help businesses get their innovative products and services to market. For more information contact regulators.pioneerfund@dsit.gov.uk

Civil Aviation Authority – hydrogen (sandbox)

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has launched a challenge, including a sandbox, to understand the regulatory requirements for the introduction of hydrogen as a zero-carbon aviation fuel. This aligns with the government’s Jet Zero Strategy of delivering net zero UK aviation by 2050.

The CAA will engage internationally to share outcomes of the challenge. Through direct engagement with other regulators, the World Economic Forum and the Commonwealth, we will be able to influence global approaches to hydrogen developments.

The launch of the challenge was announced in November with the regulatory sandbox open as of today, to take part in this sandbox challenge and help improve understanding of hydrogen-related risks in aviation.

Plymouth City Council – autonomous marine technology (testbed)

Plymouth City Council’s project is developing an evidence base and a regulatory framework for testing autonomous and prototype vessels for R&D. This includes establishing economic benefits of new regulations, engaging with port authorities and regulators internationally to examine how their regulations work and road-testing proposed new regulations on real vessels.

The project will be led by Plymouth City Council (PCC), in partnership with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), University of Plymouth (UoP), University of Exeter (UoE) and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML).

The University of Exeter are interested in inviting businesses to take part in their user group in ventures of testing and demonstration taking place next year and the University of Plymouth are keen to invite businesses to visit and take part in the demonstration of autonomous marine technology.

Milton Keynes City Council – drones (testbed)

Milton Keynes City Council will work with Cranfield University’s Drone Innovation Hub and Satellite Applications Catapult Westcott DronePort to prove, trial, test and demonstrate new drone-based services that operate alongside our robotics delivery services and self-driving passenger shuttles. This includes a testbed that allows for ongoing experimentation.

This project will help inform Milton Keynes on how to deploy services in the city and has led to the trialling of self-driving bus, announced this month, as part of a Europe-wide research project.

The 29 new investors joining the Innovate UK Investor Partnership Programme are:

• Oxford Technology Management Ltd
• Maven Capital Partners UK LLP
• Angels@Essex
• Baltic Ventures Ltd
• Green Angel Syndicate 2 Ltd
• Ebico Ltd
• Fearless Adventures (Investments) LLP
• Hiro Capital LLP
• The Conduit Connect Ltd
• Archangel Investors Ltd
• Deeptech Seed Fund
• Twin Path Ventures Ltd
• Anticus Partners Ltd
• Cambridge Angels Group Ltd
• London Venture Partners LLP
• Astanor Ventures
• Concept VC Ltd
• Angel Academe Ltd
• Cambridge Enterprise Ltd
• Eos Advisory LLP
• Two Magnolias G.P. LLP
• Counteract Partners Ltd
• Extantia Capital
• Deepbridge Capital LLP
• FOV Fund Management Oy
• Creative UK Holdings Ltd
• Earth Capital Ltd
• Noba Cap Advisers Ltd
• Carbon13 Group Ltd

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 27 November 2023.

Thousands of people across rural parts of Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire are set to benefit from new lightning-fast broadband thanks to £43 million of UK government funding.

• Around 16,000 homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas across Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire to be upgraded with lightning-fast broadband
• £43 million in government funding will spur the rollout of next generation connectivity to thousands of businesses and local residents, with spades in the ground by Spring
• Cash boost will help level-up rural and remote communities, boosting public services and spurring economic growth

Thousands of people across rural parts of Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire are set to benefit from new lightning-fast broadband thanks to £43 million of UK government funding, in a move to tackle the long-term challenges facing hard-working people and businesses in the UK.

Backed by £26.5 million, around 10,000 homes and businesses in rural Oxfordshire communities including Stoke Row, Somerton and North Aston will benefit from fast and reliable broadband connections. Meanwhile, £16.5 million will see around 6,000 rural properties in North East Staffordshire including Longnor, Marchington and Alstonefield receive internet speeds more than 30 times faster than superfast broadband.

With gigabit-capable broadband, these households will no longer have to struggle with limited bandwidth, and businesses will be able to improve their productivity with none of the disruptions associated with ageing copper networks, helping to build a more dynamic economy that delivers prosperity across every corner of the country. Having the fastest connections also means the UK is fit-for-the-future, with broadband infrastructure designed to deliver for people’s needs for decades to come.

The investment forms part of the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, which aims to ensure people have the same access to high-speed broadband wherever they live, work and study. From the Midlands to the South East of England, work will now get underway to survey thousands of premises in rural villages and communities, with spades in the ground expected by spring next year.

Minister for Data and Digital Infrastructure, Sir John Whittingdale, said:

We want to make sure that no matter where you live or work, everyone has access to reliable internet which is why we’re spending billions to upgrade local networks.

In rural Oxfordshire and North East Staffordshire, thousands will experience the positive impact fast and reliable broadband has as their connectivity improves, supporting households and businesses, fostering growth and boosting productivity.

Work will now begin in these areas covering around 16,000 properties and by facilitating the fastest connections, we are not just reaping the benefits now but positioning the UK for a future where our broadband infrastructure remains resilient for decades to come.

Rural full fibre provider Gigaclear will roll out high-speed connectivity to premises across North and South Oxfordshire including Nettlebed and Fritwell, in a bid to transform broadband speeds and reliability for local residents.

In a boost for local schools and colleges as part of the investment, Gigaclear has committed to providing skills workshops and apprenticeship programmes to a diverse range of applicants in the local community to help them kick start a career in the telecoms industry.

Today’s announcement builds on work Gigaclear has already delivered in the area, connecting 25 vital public service buildings including schools, health centres, libraries and fire stations to gigabit-capable networks as part of the government’s Project Gigabit GigaHubs programme. Working in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, the high-speed connectivity will help improve the delivery of public services across the county. For example, GPs will be able to provide remote video consultations and whole classes of schoolchildren can be online at once with no interruptions.

Gigaclear CEO Gareth Williams said:

I welcome the award of these contracts as they reinforce the important role Gigaclear is playing in helping the Government achieve its wider broadband roll-out ambitions.

We’ve already invested more than £70 million to extend our network across many of the county’s rural communities and once these contracts have been delivered, Gigaclear will have provided a new Gigabit fibre connection to more than 85,000 rural Oxfordshire residents and businesses.

Oxfordshire County Council Leader, Councillor Liz Leffman said:

We are delighted that local firm Gigaclear has been awarded the Project Gigabit contract for delivery of full fibre broadband to thousands of Oxfordshire homes and businesses.

This public sector investment in digital infrastructure is critical to levelling up areas where commercial funding alone is insufficient to secure the money necessary to make this build happen.

The project aligns very well with all the work the council’s digital infrastructure programme is doing such as the GigaHubs project which has secured a full fibre connection to Wychwood library where we are today”.

In North East Staffordshire, Connect Fibre will be charged with rolling out full fibre broadband to those currently struggling with slow speeds, in places such as Longnor, Marchington and Alstonefield.

Local people will further benefit from Connect Fibre’s commitment to develop community initiatives aimed to foster well-being in the region, by delivering free gigabit connections to Staffordshire Community Learning and Staffordshire Libraries sites.

Connect Fibre CEO, Stefan Stanislawski, said:

Connect Fibre is incredibly proud and honoured to be awarded the Project Gigabit contract to deliver full fibre broadband to the Staffordshire Moorlands and beyond. Delivering real, reliable broadband will change the lives of people living in rural areas and the region as a whole.

With our smart farming programme and free gigabit connections for community learning and library sites, our commitment to supporting the community goes beyond just broadband. We are excited to embark on this journey and look forward to witnessing the positive impact it will have on residents in the region.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for environment, infrastructure and climate change Simon Tagg said:

Access to gigabit capable broadband speeds is essential to our communities and businesses and so it’s excellent to see this reach extended by Connect Fibre through Project Gigabit.

Faster broadband improves everyone’s day-to-day living, enabling people to access health, education, banking and leisure services and more. It is also critical for business operations, growth and increased productivity. Our Superfast Staffordshire programme was a huge success and made a real difference over the last decade – now gigabit capable connection is the next step.

Across the UK, gigabit coverage has increased rapidly in recent years – from one in ten households in 2019 to nearly eight in ten today. These latest Project Gigabit contracts come as Building Digital UK (BDUK), reports that 929,700 premises in mostly hard-to-reach areas of the UK now have access to gigabit connectivity thanks to government investment.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

• Project Gigabit is the government’s flagship £5 billion programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband
• Premises set to be reached by these contracts are subject to change following detailed planning by the suppliers or due to technical reasons during the lifetime of the contract *BDUK awarded supplier Gigaclear a £26.5 million contract to provide around 10,000 premises in North and South Oxfordshire with access to gigabit-capable broadband
• BDUK awarded supplier Connect Fibre a £16.5 million contract to provide around 6,000 premises in North East Staffordshire with access to gigabit-capable broadband
• The Oxfordshire Gigahubs project has been jointly funded by BDUK and Oxfordshire County Council, as well as other funding partners

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 24 November 2023.

Common sense changes to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will safeguard the public, prevent fraud, and unlock post-Brexit opportunities.

A raft of common-sense changes to the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill will build an innovative data protection regime in the UK, crack down on benefit fraud cheats, and allow the country to realise new post-Brexit freedoms which are expected to deliver new economic opportunities to the tune of at least £4 billion.

The changes include new powers to require data from third parties, particularly banks and financial organisations, to help the UK government reduce benefit fraud and save the taxpayer up to £600 million over the next five years. Currently, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can only undertake fraud checks on a claimant on an individual basis, where there is already a suspicion of fraud.

The new proposals would allow regular checks to be carried out on the bank accounts held by benefit claimants to spot increases in their savings which push them over the benefit eligibility threshold, or when people send more time overseas than the benefit rules allow for. This will help identify fraud take action more quickly. To make sure that privacy concerns are at the heart of these new measures, only a minimum amount of data will be accessed and only in instances which show a potential risk of fraud and error.

Another measure offers vital reassurance and support to families as they grieve the loss of a child. In cases where a child has died through suicide, a proposed ‘data preservation process’ would require social media companies to keep any relevant personal data which could then be used in subsequent investigations or inquests.

Current rules mean that social media companies aren’t obliged to hold onto this data for longer than is needed, meaning that data which could prove vital to coroner investigations could be deleted as part of a platform’s routine maintenance. The change tabled today represents an important step for families coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, and takes further steps to help ensure harmful content has no place online.

The use of biometric data, such as fingerprints, to strengthen national security is also covered by the amendments, with the ability of Counter Terrorism Police to hold onto the biometrics of individuals who pose a potential threat, and which are supplied by organisations such as Interpol, being bolstered.

This would see officers being able to retain biometric data for as long as an INTERPOL notice is in force, matching this process up with INTERPOL’s own retention rules. The amendments will also ensure that where an individual has a foreign conviction, their biometrics will be able to be retained indefinitely in the same way as is already possible for individuals with UK convictions – this is particularly important where foreign nationals may have existing convictions for serious offences, including terrorist offences.

Maintaining the UK’s high standards of data protection is central to both the wider Bill and the proposed amendments which have been laid today.

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

Britain has seized a key Brexit opportunity – boosting small businesses, protecting consumers and cracking down on criminal enterprises like nuisance calling and benefit fraud.

These changes protect our privacy and data while also injecting common sense into the system – whether it is cracking down on cookies, scrapping pointless paperwork which stifles productivity, tackling benefit fraud or making it easier to protect our citizens from criminals.

These changes help to establish the UK as a world-leading data economy; one that puts consumers and businesses at the centre and removes the ‘one-size-fits-all’ barriers that have held many British businesses back.

The Bill’s focus is to create an innovative and flexible data protection regime which will maintain the UK’s high standards of data protection, streamline processes for companies, strengthen national security, and support grieving families. Making it easier to use personal data which will improve efficiency, lead to better public services, and enable new innovations across science, innovation, and technology.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said:

These new powers send a very clear message to benefit fraudsters – we won’t stand for it. These people are taking the taxpayer for a ride and it is right that we do all we can to bring them to justice.

These powers will be used proportionately, ensuring claimants’ data is safely protected while rooting out fraudsters at the earliest possible opportunity.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

My priority is to continue cutting crime and ensuring the public is protected from security threats. Law enforcement and our security partners must have access to the best possible tools and data, including biometrics, to continue to keep us safe.

This Bill will improve the efficiency of data protection for our security and policing partners—encouraging better use of personal information and ensuring appropriate safeguards for privacy.

The amendments tabled today show the practical steps being taken by the UK government to improve how the nation uses and accesses personal data, capitalising on the UK’s departure from the European Union to introduce measures which will protect the public purse, strengthen national security, and offer important support to grieving families.

These amendments will also help the Bill realise its ambition of bulldozing burdens for businesses and removing restrictions for researchers, ensuring new advances in science, innovation, and technology can be fuelled by more practical ways to access data.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 24 November 2023.

Science Minister Andrew Griffith made his first ministerial visit yesterday to the National Physical Laboratory following the announcement of five Quantum Missions at the Autumn Statement.

Science Minister Andrew Griffith made his first ministerial visit yesterday (Thursday 23 November) to the National Physical Laboratory and its new state-of-the-art lab. The visit marks the launch of five new Quantum Missions aimed at securing the UK’s status as a world leader in the technology, by setting clear milestones for inward investment and research in areas like computing, healthcare and navigation.

On Wednesday, (22 November) the Chancellor launched the five new Quantum Missions as part of the Autumn Statement, with the stated aim of galvanising academics, industry and private investors to commit time and resource towards achieving specific key milestones over the next decade and a half.

With the biggest impacts for quantum technologies expected in the long-term, these Missions will help crystallize the activity and investment needed in the public and private sectors to achieve ambitious milestones for this technology. The advent of quantum technology could see faster and more successful financial modelling that reduces risk for businesses, new sensors detecting cancers and other diseases more quickly and the creation of batteries far more efficient than ever before.

The Missions, backed by our £2.5 billion Quantum Strategy, are:

• By 2035, there will be accessible, UK-based quantum computers capable of running 1 trillion operations and supporting applications that provide benefits well in excess of classical supercomputers across key sectors of the economy.
• By 2035, the UK will have deployed the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale, pioneering the future quantum internet.
• By 2030, every NHS Trust will benefit from quantum sensing-enabled solutions, helping those with chronic illness live healthier, longer lives through early diagnosis and treatment.
• By 2030, quantum navigation systems, including clocks, will be deployed on aircraft, providing next-generation accuracy for resilience that is independent of satellite signals.
• By 2030, mobile, networked quantum sensors will have unlocked new situational awareness capabilities, exploited across critical infrastructure in the transport, telecoms, energy, and defence sectors.

The Science Minister visited the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, home to their Advanced Quantum Metrology Lab, a new, state-of-the-art facility used for the test and evaluation of clocks, which provides super-accurate timing that researchers and companies can access to test their own technology and validate their research.

On the visit the Minister met with some of the leading quantum scientists and engineers in the country, as well as toured the state-of-the-art facilities, including those which provide the UK’s own exact time, as well as a 3 metres tall quantum refrigerator that is colder than deep space.

Minister Griffith was appointed as Science Minister last week following a sterling career in the City of London and recently serving as City Minister within the Treasury.

The Minister will leverage this experience to ensure the UK’s burgeoning science sector can secure both the domestic and foreign investment it needs to build scalable industries of tomorrow, including quantum technologies.

Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Minister Andrew Griffith said:

Quantum technology has the potential to revolutionise the way modern economies work through an exponential increase in processing speed and power.

I want to ensure the UK is in a position to be one of the first and biggest beneficiaries of this game-changing technology, which is why we are investing £2.5 billion in quantum over the next ten years, and launching these Quantum Missions to focus the minds of investors and researchers on the key concrete steps we can take.

The announcement of the Five Quantum Missions at the Autumn Statement comes alongside further support for UK compute, including an investment of £500 million into using compute for artificial intelligence (AI), spread over two years.

Quantum technologies – one of the government’s five critical technologies – are devices and systems using quantum mechanics to provide capabilities that ‘classical’ machines like binary computers cannot. They could bring enormous benefits to the economy, such as making it possible to solve complex problems impossible to solve with even the most powerful high-performance classical computers, and opening entirely new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications.

Dr Peter Thompson, CEO, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) said:

Our science and engineering facilities at National Physical Laboratory (NPL), which the Minister has seen today, are directly contributing to the realisation of the Quantum Missions. The significant investments at NPL in quantum, focus on ensuring that the UK sees the benefits to our economic prosperity, national security, and wellbeing.

Innovative UK companies of all sizes are working with us to test their quantum technologies’, leading to greater investment and scale up, and accelerating both their ability to get technologies to market quicker, and to trade more effectively.

The National Quantum Strategy, published in March 2023, commits a further £2.5 billion to developing quantum technologies in the UK over the ten years from 2024 which will aim to generate at least an additional £1 billion of private investment into the programme.

This announcement comes off the back of continued support for the sector from the government. In October, Science and Technology Michelle Donelan opened PsiQuantum’s new state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury, which is supported with £9 million from the Government. In June, Minister Freeman announced £45 million in funding to support universities and businesses working in the UK’s quantum technologies sector.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 23 November 2023.

A raft of measures worth hundreds of millions from compute to quantum and life sciences research to pro-innovation regulation were announced in the Autumn Statement yesterday (Wednesday 22 November).

Tax cuts for working people and British business headlined the Chancellor’s ‘Autumn Statement for Growth’ today to build a stronger and more resilient economy. The plan to unlock growth and productivity includes boosting business investment by £20 billion a year, getting more people into work, and cutting tax for 29 million workers – the biggest tax cut on work since the 1980s.

In science, innovation and technology, a new £500 million investment in artificial intelligence in compute will support the UK’s world leading scientists and AI researchers to continue delivering extraordinary new discoveries benefiting us all – giving AI start-ups and other businesses access to cutting edge compute that boosts productivity and innovation and helps make our country the best place in the world to create an AI start-up.

Developing this computing power also benefits society beyond lifting economic growth, helping us tackle climate change and power the discovery of new drugs.

Additionally, five new Quantum Missions were unveiled to galvanise academics, industry and private investors to commit time and resource towards hitting significant milestones, like embedding quantum sensing into the NHS.

We are also backing businesses to scale up with new funding, providing clearer rules on stakes for ‘spinout’ companies and strengthening pro-innovation regulation with new regulatory sandboxes offering supervised real-life or simulated tests to trial new products, services or business models to meet safety standards while also fostering creativity and technological advancement.

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

I believe that the UK’s incredible science and tech success story is all about having the skills for the future, investment in scale-up and sensible regulation.

The Chancellor’s Statement injects even more fuel into our science and tech economy – and will help to realise my vision for a country where more high value British jobs are driving us faster toward amazing discoveries that will help us live longer, healthier, happier, easier lives.

Among the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) policies announced in the Autumn Statement are:

Tech and investment

Compute

The Chancellor announced a £500 million investment in AI compute over two years as part of an expansion of the AI Research Resource – providing the UK’s world leading scientists and AI researchers with access to cutting-edge computing power that is necessary to process complicated, lengthy tasks.

This investment will help researchers make the extraordinary discoveries, such as better understanding climate change, discovering new drugs, and maximising the use of AI to improve lives.

This will also provide our AI start-ups and other small medium enterprises (SMEs) with access to this resource driving productivity and innovation and helping make the UK the best place in the world to create an AI start-up.

Quantum Missions

The Chancellor launched five new Quantum Missions aimed at securing the UK’s status as a world leader in the technology, by setting clear milestones for inward investment and research in areas like computing, healthcare and navigation.

Quantum technologies – one of the government’s five critical technologies – are devices and systems using quantum mechanics to provide capabilities that ‘classical’ machines like binary computers cannot. They could bring enormous benefits to the economy, such as making it possible to solve complex problems impossible to solve with even the most powerful high-performance classical computers, and opening entirely new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications.

With the biggest impacts for quantum technologies expected in the long-term, these missions will help crystallise the activity and investment needed in the public and private sectors to achieve ambitious milestones for this technology.

The Missions, backed by our £2.5 billion Quantum Strategy, are:

• By 2035, there will be accessible, UK-based quantum computers capable of running 1 trillion operations and supporting applications that provide benefits well in excess of classical supercomputers across key sectors of the economy.
• By 2035, the UK will have deployed the world’s most advanced quantum network at scale, pioneering the future quantum internet.
• By 2030, every NHS Trust will benefit from quantum sensing-enabled solutions, helping those with chronic illness live healthier, longer lives through early diagnosis and treatment.
• By 2030, quantum navigation systems, including clocks, will be deployed on aircraft, providing next-generation accuracy for resilience that is independent of satellite signals.
• By 2030, mobile, networked quantum sensors will have unlocked new situational awareness capabilities, exploited across critical infrastructure in the transport, telecoms, energy, and defence sectors.

Semiconductors

We have announced plans to make it easier for semiconductor manufacturers to grow and stay in the UK.

The Chancellor clarified the government’s priorities for the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB), to ensure it is able to invest in critical supply chains where the Bank’s strategic objectives can be met, including semiconductor manufacturing. The Bank are actively engaging with the sector and exploring market opportunities. UKIB has £22 billion of financial capacity.

Making chips isn’t cheap, and it takes a huge amount of energy. So, as well as unlocking new sources of funding, the British Industry Supercharger scheme will bring energy prices for eligible British chip makers in line with those in other major economies around the world.

Enterprise creation and scale-up

Full expensing

The Chancellor announced that full expensing – a 100% first-year allowance for main rate expenditure – and the associated 50% first-year allowance for special rate expenditure would be made permanent. This will deliver the largest business tax cut in modern British history and means the UK has the lowest headline corporation tax rate and most generous capital allowances in the G7.

This will enable businesses to invest in technology and the Office for Budget Responsibility says it will increase annual investment overall by around £3 billion a year and a total of £14 billion over the forecast period.

The overall impact of the Chancellor’s growth measures will increase business investment in the UK economy, by around £20 billion a year within a decade, nearly 1% of GDP at today’s level – the biggest ever boost for business investment in modern times, a decisive step towards closing the productivity gap with other major economies and the most effective way we can raise wages and living standards for every family in the country.

Spinouts

University spin-out companies play a hugely important role for the UK economy, with investment increasing almost five-fold since 2014. The independent review – led by Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University and Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner of Cambridge Innovation Capital – recommended innovation-friendly policies that universities and investors should adopt to make the UK the best place in the world to start a spin-out company. To capitalise on this strength, the government is accepting all the review’s recommendations and setting out how it will deliver them.

Several leading universities have endorsed the recommendations of the review, and the government will provide £20 million to foster more spin-out companies.

In the past, many spin-outs deals were created from scratch, which is both inefficient and sometimes fails to learn the lessons from previous success stories. Today’s recommendations aim to speed up the process and build on TenU’s University Spin-out Investment Terms Guide by recommending 10-25% university equity for life sciences spinouts, and 10% or less for less IP-intensive sectors, common in software. This will make it easier for investors to back companies, knowing the founders retain a significant stake in the company and its success.

Discovery Fellowship

To deliver against the government’s Science & Technology Superpower ambitions, the government is supporting the new Faraday Discovery Fellowship, which is intended to be backed by a £250 million endowment to the Royal Society.

This significant long-term investment in top research talent will support at least 30 leading mid-career scientists and researchers for up to ten years each, to conduct ground-breaking and discovery-based research in STEM in the UK. Prospective researchers will be able to apply via an application process that minimises bureaucracy.

Research projects will span a broad range of STEM subjects, which could include government priority science and technology areas such as Engineering Biology and Quantum, ensuring the UK remains at the cutting edge of scientific research.

This long-term endowment investment builds on the new £150 million Green Future Fellowship programme, announced recently by the government, which is intended to be delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Venture Capital skills fellowship programme

To further strengthen the UK’s renowned venture capital industry, the Chancellor has announced a £3 million fellowship programme scheme to develop a new generation of science and tech venture investors.

The scheme – which will be developed and piloted by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology – aims to produce the next generation of world-leading investors capable of investing in the vanguard of science and tech – helping deliver breakthroughs in such things as vaccines, AI, and robots.

Places for up to 20 people currently working in venture capital will be available in the pilot scheme, which could be rolled out over subsequent years. The Fellowship will provide participants with the training and network to fast-track their careers within the venture capital industry to become leaders within their firms, with the potential to set up their own VC funds in the longer-term.

The programme follows a recommendation from the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and will complement the world-renowned Kauffman Fellowship in the US which has trained over 800 investors who manage funds worth over $1 trillion – helping to generate growth and drive innovation in the economy.

Battery Manufacturing

Alongside the Department for Business and Trade’s battery strategy, the Chancellor announced:

• £50 million for developing the UK’s battery world-class capabilities, from R&D to industrialisation.
• £11 million to fund collaborative R&D in battery development incorporating technologies such as AI.

Government’s response to the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) organisational Landscape Review

The government has published its response to Sir Paul Nurse’s Review of the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Organisational Landscape. The response sets out ambitious actions the government is taking to evolve the landscape of organisations performing RDI in the UK to be more diverse, resilient and investable. This builds on progress already made since the publication of the Review, including the creation of the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the publication of the Science and Technology Framework.

The response makes a wide range of commitments, such as: maximising the impact of public sector RDI organisations, for example by providing £25 million to provide core small and medium-scale research infrastructure; supporting RDI talent by, for example, establishing world-class Discovery Fellowships backed by a £250 million endowment; and making the UK a world-leader for philanthropic partnerships, demonstrated by the recently announced new consortium of philanthropic funders for UK Biobank. All of this will be underpinned by a data- and evidence-driven approach.

The actions announced in the response will help to drive national prosperity and create a system that is greater than the sum of its parts, spearheading the government’s ambitions to be a Science and Technology Superpower.

Skills

National Academy focussed on mathematical sciences

The government has consistently emphasised how essential it is to build mathematical capabilities in the UK and recognises the importance of providing support to this sector in a long-term and sustainable way.

We have seen the success that the existing National Academies have had over many years in supporting research in their disciplines.

The government will support the creation of a National Academy focussed on mathematical sciences. We will be engaging key stakeholders in the mathematical community on the best way to do so and will be providing further details of this engagement shortly. As part of our commitment to supporting this work, we are willing to back this initiative with up to £6 million of seed funding over the next three years, subject to business case.

Life Sciences

Life Sciences is a key strength of the UK economy, critical to our health, wealth and resilience. As part of the £4.5 billion unveiled by the Chancellor for strategic manufacturing sectors, the government has committed £520 million for life sciences manufacturing to build resilience for future health emergencies and capitalise on the UK’s world-leading research and development.

The Chancellor also announced that we are further backing UK innovation by investing £10 million, with an additional £10 million from Scottish Enterprise, in a world-class Oligonucleotides Manufacturing Innovation Centre of Excellence.

Further to this, the government is providing £51 million to the UK’s largest ever research study – Our Future Health – a world-leading resource for health research. This funding will support Our Future Health to recruit hundreds of thousands of new volunteers and to genotype the first 1 million participants, supporting the development of better ways to prevent, detect and treat diseases.

Regulation

Regulatory sandboxes

DSIT has launched regulatory sandboxes for telecommunications spectrum sharing, engineering biology, and space to support a pro-innovation approach to regulation and standards which stimulates demand for science and technology, attracting investment while representing UK values and safeguarding citizens.

Telecommunications: Spectrum Sharing – Radio frequency spectrum (spectrum) is the range of invisible electromagnetic waves that enable all wireless technology, from mobile phones, and Wi-Fi to aircraft navigation and satellite applications The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy and Spectrum Statement outlined that increased spectrum sharing will be a key feature of 5G, 6G and future networks. The spectrum sandboxes, facilitated through Ofcom’s sandbox framework, will test and demonstrate such sharing between networks, for example, between different private networks used on a localised basis such as in a factory, farm, transport hub or office. This will inform government and Ofcom on the role of more intensive spectrum sharing supported by appropriate authorisation models.

Engineering biology – Engineering biology is the design, scaling and commercialisation of biology-derived products and services that can transform sectors or produce existing products more sustainably. Earlier this year, DSIT established the Engineering Biology Regulators Network (EBRN) and will channel the insights from the call for evidence to guide the EBRN, ensuring the sandboxes effectively tackle the most pressing regulatory challenges faced by the industry.

Space – The government is currently undertaking a regulatory review due to conclude in March 2024. In collaboration with operators and the Civil Aviation Authority, the government will develop the regulatory sandbox and testbed initiatives. This will act as an enabler for both understanding the current regulatory environment and for developing detailed, mutually agreed guidance for these missions going forwards.

Space

Earth Observation investment

The Chancellor unveiled almost £47 million in funding this financial year to boost activity and innovation in the Earth observation sector as the UK re-enters Copernicus from January 2024.

With around 18% of UK GDP underpinned by satellite services, this fund will support businesses that provide and use Earth observation data, including small and medium enterprises, to explore new projects and bolster the economy.

Low-earth orbit satellite development

The Chancellor confirmed £15 million of calls are now open under the £60 million European Space Agency Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme, allocated to the UK’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit scheme. This will fund the next generation of satellite communications development and boost the UK’s leadership in the ever-growing satellite market for the next 10-15 years.

It will support UK-based suppliers in developing the technologies needed to build the next generation of low Earth orbit satcom satellites, which are key to offering connectivity in remote and rural parts of UK, bridging the digital divide and levelling-up our country while growing the economy.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 23 November 2023.

A UK team has been awarded more than £10 million to replace Russian components in the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover.

A European mission to explore life on Mars has been given a major boost after a UK firm was awarded more than £10 million to replace Russian components in the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover, Space Minister Andrew Griffith announced today (Thursday 23 November).

The rover, which was built by Airbus in Stevenage as part of a European Space Agency programme, was due to launch in 2022 before collaboration with Russia’s space agency was cancelled following the illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Now, the UK Space Agency will provide an additional £10.7 million to a UK team to replace a Russian-made instrument on the Rosalind Franklin rover, with the aim of launching to Mars in 2028. It brings the total government investment in the Rosalind Franklin, through the UK Space Agency, to £377 million.

The rover is expected to travel several kilometres across the planet in search of a site with high potential of evidence of life on Mars. It will collect samples by drilling to a depth of around two metres below its surface, before using next-generation instruments to analyse findings in an onboard laboratory.

The new funding will allow a UK team, led by the University of Aberystwyth, to build the new instrument, named Enfys – meaning ‘rainbow’ in Welsh. It will identify targets on the surface of Mars for sampling and analysis, which could in turn reveal evidence of life on the Red Planet.

Enfys will work with University College London’s (UCL) Mullard Space team’s panoramic camera to identify minerals – enabling the rover to drill for samples to be analysed by other instruments on board.

The announcement comes on the final day of the UK Space Conference in Belfast, which has brought experts and innovators from across the world in government, industry and academia together to shape the future of space.

Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, said:

Is there life on Mars?’ That has been asked by mankind for generations and this UK investment is an exciting opportunity to enhance our understanding of the Red Planet and perhaps finally answer that very question.

It is also just the surface of our support for the UK’s growing space sector with further funds unlocked for earth observation firms to gather key climate data and low earth orbit satellites to better connect rural areas and level up the UK.

Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, Dr Paul Bate, said:

The UK-built Rosalind Franklin rover is a truly world-leading piece of technology at the frontier of space exploration. It is fantastic that experts from the UK can also provide a key instrument for this mission, using UK Space Agency funding.

As well as boosting world-class UK space technology to further our understanding of Mars and its potential to host life, this extra funding will strengthen collaboration across the fast-growing UK space sector and economy.”

It follows yesterday’s (Wednesday 22 November) announcement by the Chancellor, in his Autumn Statement, of almost £47 million in funding this financial year to boost activity and innovation in the Earth observation sector as the UK re-enters Copernicus from January 2024.

The fund will support businesses that use Earth observation data including small and medium enterprises, to explore new projects and bolster the economy, with around 18% of UK GDP underpinned by satellite services.

The Chancellor confirmed £15 million of calls are now open under the £60 million European Space Agency Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems programme, allocated to the UK’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit scheme. This will fund the next generation of satellite communications development and boost the UK’s leadership in the ever-growing satellite market for the next 10-15 years.

It will support UK-based suppliers in developing the technologies needed to build the next generation of low Earth orbit satcom satellites, which are key to offering connectivity in remote and rural parts of UK, bridging the digital divide and levelling-up our country while growing the economy.

Principal Investigator on Enfys at Aberystwyth University, Dr Matt Gunn, said:

This is a challenging and complex technical endeavour which has the potential to make a significant contribution to our search for signs of life on Mars. The instrument team, both here in Aberystwyth and in the partnering institutions are all very much looking forward to receiving measurements from the planet’s surface to expand our knowledge of the Mars environment.

We learned a lot during the development and testing of PanCam and it is a privilege to be leading the fantastic team of people who will put that knowledge into practice once again to develop a new instrument for the mission.

The latest UK Space Agency investment in the Mars Rover builds on existing work by UK institutions involved with the project, including the University of Leicester, Bradford University and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as key players in the development of the CCD camera on the Raman Laser Spectrometer (Raman LIBS).

This can detect the presence of chemical compounds including minerals and specific types of ‘biomarkers’ – chemicals indicative of past or present life – that are produced by primitive micro-organisms to enable them to adapt to life in extreme environments.

Notes to editors

The Mars Rover project will be led by the European Space Agency with further support from the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory, the Science and Technology Facilities Council RAL Space and Qioptiq Ltd.

The Rosalind Franklin, is part of the ExoMars programme that will explore the surface of Mars and will be the first mission to combine the capability to move across the surface and to study Mars at depth. It will collect samples with a drill down to a depth of two metres and analyse them with next-generation instruments in an onboard laboratory.

The UK team developing Enfys, led by the University of Aberystwyth, will replace the Russian-built Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars (ISEM).

Enfys will work with University College London’s (UCL) Mullard Space MSSL-led Pancam.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 23 November 2023.

NUAR now available across England and Wales; measures introduced to deliver efficiency and economic growth from better access to underground infrastructure data.

The emerging digital map of power and broadband cables, gas and water pipes and other underground infrastructure is now available across the whole of England and Wales in a boost to economic growth and public services for people across the country.

The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) will revolutionise the way we install, maintain, operate and repair the pipes and cables buried beneath our feet, growing our economy and reducing disruption to the public. From today, it has expanded coverage to include the South East, South West, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber and East of England.

NUAR includes data from all of the major energy and water providers, such as Welsh Water, Cadent Gas and UK Power Networks, several major telecommunications companies, including CityFibre and Virgin Media O2, as well as smaller providers of these services, transport organisations and local authorities. It is estimated to deliver £490 million per year (circa £5 billion over a decade) of economic growth through increased efficiencies in construction and development, less accidental damage to pipes and cables, and reduced disruption to the public and businesses (from extended road closures and congestion), as well as improved workers’ safety.

Measures were also tabled in Parliament yesterday to update existing legislation, taking advantage of opportunities provided by data and technology advancements, to simplify and expedite the process by which this kind of asset data is shared.

These updates will ensure workers have access to up-to-date, comprehensive and standardised data when they need it. This will reduce the time taken for workers to get all the location data they need to carry out safe digging from six days to 60 seconds – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Legislative reforms being sought would also ensure a sustainable service through fair and reasonable charges to asset owners.

Viscount Camrose, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said:

The National Underground Asset Register is on track to transform how the UK manages the pipes and cables beneath the ground. Thanks to government working closely with industry, workers across the whole of England and Wales now have data, at their fingertips, about the infrastructure under our feet.

The Register is a prime example of the Geospatial Commission and wider government driving innovation that will deliver improved public services, create new better-paid jobs and grow the economy, and I’m delighted that legislative updates are being progressed to support this.

The Geospatial Commission also published a project update, including sharing information on a discovery project, supported by the Government Office for Technology Transfer, to explore the potential for increased economic growth that could be realised through widening access to the vital national asset, including opportunities for the wider market. This could include, for example, supporting the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints, flood risk planning, emergency response or conveyancing.

Alexandra Notay, Independent Commissioner, Geospatial Commission said:

It is fantastic to see the progress being made on delivering the core ‘safe dig’ use case that NUAR is intended to meet, and I am very proud of the team at the Geospatial Commission for delivering this collaborative project for and with a wide range of industry stakeholders. The supportive statements from users in the project update is a testament to the value that NUAR is already bringing to those who manage our underground assets.

However, I am particularly excited to see work commence on exploring the potential benefits that NUAR could bring to other users, especially in the property sector. I believe that NUAR could enable huge amounts of innovation in construction, development and operations across the real estate spectrum – supporting better decisions being made more quickly.

Background

There is estimated to be around 4 million kilometres of buried pipes and cables in the UK, and a hole dug every 7 seconds to install, fix, maintain or repair these assets that are critical in keeping the water running, gas and electricity flowing and our telecommunications lines connected. Approximately 1 in every 65 holes dug results in an accidental asset strike (c. 60,000 a year), causing around £2.4 billion worth of economic cost, putting workers’ lives at risk and disrupting our day-to-day lives.

There are 700+ asset owners across the public and private sectors (including energy, water and telcos) who hold data about their own assets, which they are required by law to share for the purposes of ‘safe digging’. However, currently there is no standardised method to do this with multiple organisations having to be contacted for each dig, providing information in varied formats, scales, quality and on different timelines resulting in a complex process for installing, maintaining, operating and repairing buried assets.

NUAR is a government-led programme creating a single, comprehensive data-sharing platform on the location and condition of underground assets. The fundamental purpose of NUAR is to streamline the data-sharing process, reduce the risk of potentially lethal utility asset strikes and promote more efficient management and maintenance of underground assets.

NUAR will improve efficiency in construction and development, reduce disruption to the public and businesses (from extended road closures and congestion), improve workers’ safety and is estimated to deliver £490 million economic growth per year through increased efficiency, reduced asset strikes and reduced disruptions for citizens and businesses.

NUAR will underpin the government’s priority to get the economy growing; expediting projects like new roads, new houses and broadband roll-out and organisations who have been fully onboarded can now use NUAR in their geographical area of business.

The MVP provides users in England and Wales access to the emerging platform. In line with the Government Service Standard, the Geospatial Commission is committed to iterative delivery where users are placed at the centre of product and service design, and are given access to core functionality early and often to help ensure the service best meets user needs and expectations. NUAR will be iteratively enhanced until it is fully operational, including the service’s features, as well as data completeness, coverage and currency, and user base.

MVP coverage will be expanded to Northern Ireland by spring 2024 and the platform will be fully operational across the three nations by the end of 2025. Scotland already benefits from a system of this kind (Scottish Community Apparatus Data Vault). Scottish Government officials have helped inform the development of NUAR, ensuring consistency across the two services.

Notes to editors

Stakeholder comments can be found below:

Nigel Myers, Senior Statutory and Streetworks Manager, Virgin Media O2 said:

Virgin Media are fully aware of the benefits to being a contributing asset owner to the NUAR initiative and look forward to being part of the next steps of the journey.

As a works promoter with a national footprint, we are delighted with the news that the MVP is being rolled out and expanded across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, marking a significant contribution towards a standard and consistent process for sharing of safe digging data.

David Capon,Co-Chair, HAUC (UK) said:

As Co-Chair of HAUC (UK) I fully support what you are doing and am excited especially with the direction of travel of the project and the MVP expansion. The NUAR data is key for our industry and will provide a platform to drive better planning and execution of works.

I am also pleased that legislative reform is now at the forefront of the thinking and the potential for this being a more inclusive data set with wider community access should be applauded. The launching of a new discovery project signals the value of NUAR and the community it serves and shows the project has reached a maturity and confidence level to move forward.

Heidi Mottram, Chief Executive, Northumbrian Water said:

We are proud to already be using the national underground asset register in our northern planning and operations teams where we operate as Northumbrian Water. We are delighted with the news that the MVP is now expanding across the country sooner than planned, marking a significant step towards a smarter and more resilient future. It also means that our colleagues and customers in our Essex and Suffolk operating region will soon also benefit from more efficient ways of working.

Colin Sawkins, Assurance and Enabling Specialist, Cadent Gas said:

The continued updating of the NUAR platform and expansion of the MVP area gives asset owners the confidence that those enquiring about asset locations will have the available tools at their fingertips to plan accordingly. Furthermore, the potential for NUAR to become legislation for all asset owners to supply their asset information is a positive step forward in ensuring all asset data is available in one place.

Clive Bairsto, Co-Chair, HAUC (UK), said:

These are important steps for the NUAR programme and I look forward to seeing the benefits of NUAR rolled out to a wider group of participants. Streetworks UK are particularly keen to see the maximum utilisation of a system that will ensure the safety and security of all ‘the underworld players’ that are operating in our streets and roads close to or around asset owners systems, and so welcome the wider engagement in the Discovery Projects for other users and other cases of use.

The legislative reform aspects of who pays, what for and when for the NUAR system is a critical agreement to be reached – and it is hoped that careful consideration will be given to all the stakeholders involved. Good luck to the NUAR Team: there is much still to get done, but today’s announcements are a positive signal.

Matt Edwards, Chief Data Officer, Anglian Water said:

Anglian Water Services congratulate NUAR on achieving readiness for expansion of the MVP across England and Wales, and the significant work and support provided to national infrastructure. We welcome and appreciate the engagement to this point, and the ongoing commitment for inclusion of all interested parties going forward.

Simon Hamlyn, CEO, Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) said:

CICES is pleased to support the Geospatial Commission as they continue to develop NUAR, especially through their Discovery project. The anticipation is there will be more efficient management and maintenance of underground assets, especially plans to consider universal access and the opportunity for additional use cases. Collaboration is vital to the success of the NUAR and the institution looks forward to engaging with the Geospatial Commission as they look to update existing legislation and promote the MVP.

Tom Duncan, Head of Design and Records, GTC-UK said:

We are pleased to see that the MVP coverage will now extend over the whole of England and Wales and that all major gas, electricity and water asset owners are signed up to the NUAR platform. We are looking forward to working with you further on the NUAR Discovery Project to understand possible new use cases for the NUAR data.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 21 November 2023.

Landmark commitments on AI, semiconductors, space and more form a key part of new UK-Republic of Korea Accord.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 16 November 2023.

Super-complaints process is designed to help Ofcom stay on top of systemic harmful trends and emerging threats.

Children’s charities, free speech advocates and other groups could, for the first time, raise online safety and freedom of expression concerns directly to Ofcom through a “super-complaint” under a proposal unveiled by the government today (Thursday 16 November).

Under the Online Safety Act, social media companies have been given new duties to protect children, enforce the promises they make to users and remove illegal content, or they will face huge fines from Ofcom. Individuals will report harmful and illegal content to social media platforms, and it is their responsibility to tackle this within the law.

The super-complaints process is designed to help Ofcom stay on top of systemic harmful trends and emerging threats by letting organisations, such as charities and consumer groups, raise new concerns as soon as they emerge. They will play an essential role in keeping the internet safe by ensuring that Ofcom are made aware of issues in a quick and reliable way, so it can take action in its new role as a regulator of online platforms.

In a consultation published today, the government is seeking views from expert groups to help define who can make super-complaints, the conditions and format of a super-complaint, and expectations on how Ofcom should respond to each complaint.

For example, a super-complaint could notify Ofcom of a new social media feature used on multiple services that subjects children to harmful content, such as violent or pornographic images, or flag that platforms are consistently failing to take down illegal content they have a duty to remove.

Similarly, a campaign group may raise that a social media platform’s content moderation systems are consistently removing legal content that their terms of service don’t prohibit, undermining freedom of expression on the platform.

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

The Online Safety Act makes the UK the safest place in the world to be online, but we need to be sure Ofcom is ready to respond to any emerging online safety issues as soon as they arise.

The super-complaints process will allow organisations to make Ofcom aware of new challenges quickly and efficiently, making sure the ambition and promise of the Online Safety Act can keep pace with evolving trends, protecting people online for decades to come.”

The detail of how this “super-complaints” process will work will be informed by the consultation the government launched today, which will ask for views on the super-complaints process and how this can be managed swiftly and easily.

Organisations that will be allowed to raise super-complaints will meet the criteria established in this consultation, ensuring that the regulator is only made aware of legitimate, considered complaints, allowing it to deal with said complaints in a timely and effective manner, and establishing how Ofcom deals with those complaints.

Super-complaints, which are intended to help Ofcom stay on top of harmful trends and emerging threats, may lead the regulator to act against issues raised by using its new powers under the Online Safety Act. This could include updating Codes of Practice or investigating whether a particular service is complying with the new law, or face fines that reach billions of pounds.

Super-complaints processes already exist in other sectors. For example, the Competition and Markets Authority has a similar process that allows certain consumer bodies to request that regulators investigate markets or market practices that they think are significantly harming the interests of consumers.

Gill Whitehead, Ofcom’s Online Safety Group Director, said:

Protecting children and protecting free speech are key pillars of the UK’s groundbreaking new online safety laws. Campaigners’ voices have helped lay the foundations, and we want to continue hearing from them as we build a safer life online.

We’ve assembled a world-class a team so we can keep a close eye on issues as they emerge, and we’ve already set out our first blueprint for what tech firms need to do to tackle illegal harms. But we won’t be doing this alone, and we’re looking forward to working with a broad coalition of experts.

The Online Safety Act, which received Royal Assent on Thursday 26 October, makes Britain the safest place in the world to live and work online. It protects children from online harm, empowers adults to exercise greater control over what they see on social media, and places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content.

Today’s super-complaints consultation launch follows the publication of Ofcom’s own major consultation last week, that seeks to establish how tech firms will protect their users from illegal harms online.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 16 November 2023.

Ten regions spanning from Glasgow to the West Midlands in the UK are set to benefit from a £36 million fund aimed at expediting innovation driven by 5G technology.

Local areas across the UK will be helped to boost their digital connectivity and adopt advanced wireless technologies, including drones to monitor crops and livestock, smart systems to reduce congestion, and portable 5G networks to enable super-fast live broadcast from remote locations.

Announced today, ten winning multi-local authority areas spanning all four parts of the UK will receive a share of £36 million as they become 5G Innovation Regions (5GIRs). The funding will drive the development and adoption of 5G and other advanced wireless technologies – making sure communities in towns, cities and rural areas take full advantage of the benefits advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies can provide and attract commercial investment to grow the economy.

Amongst those set to benefit is Glasgow City Region who will receive over £3 million to deliver a health and social care focused project that will use advanced wireless technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart city applications, to make public services better. The project will specifically focus on monitoring and maintaining assets, creating environmentally friendly social housing, and improving the monitoring of health and social care services.

Elsewhere, Greater Manchester Combined Authority will receive over £3 million, part of which will be used to 5G-enable hundreds of air source heat pumps across social housing in the region. By using 5G the UK will accelerate the creation of Smart Energy Grids and bring forward benefits for residents, industry and public services by allowing them to better monitor energy use and save money on their bills.

A key commitment from the government’s Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, the 5G Innovation Regions programme is designed to boost innovation in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, transport, agriculture, creative industries, and public services, helping to create better connected places across the UK. These projects will stimulate demand for 5G connectivity, bringing the government’s vision of unlocking the power of cutting-edge 5G wireless and digital technologies to life, with research showing widespread adoption could result in productivity benefits of £159 billion by 2035.

Today’s announcement comes as a new advisory group with representatives from all four parts of the UK is launched. The board will support local areas to put recommendations to government on how to support their digital connectivity goals, encourage investment, and promote adoption at a local level.

Minister of Data and Digital Infrastructure Sir John Whittingdale said:

We’re channelling millions into local areas to unlock the potential of cutting-edge 5G wireless and digital technologies which will reshape our public services, drive economic growth and boost innovation. This new fund will give local areas from across the country the opportunity to be at the forefront of Britain’s world-leading 5G revolution.

For instance, by using 5G for farming and creating science parks, we’re not just helping local communities, but also encouraging new ideas all over the UK. This is more than just linking smartphones. It’s about using powerful digital connections to transform various sectors in the economy and the public sector throughout the entire country.

UK Government minister for Scotland, John Lamont, said:

The UK government is committed to ensuring the potential of 5G is felt across the UK and I am delighted that Glasgow City Council, North Ayrshire Council and the Borderlands Region will between them receive almost £11 million to help with this.

Scotland has a history of being at the forefront of innovation and technology and this funding will make sure this remains the case. All the areas will use this technology to help people’s lives, Glasgow through improving the monitoring of health and social care services, North Ayrshire will accelerate the adoption of digital and wireless technologies and the Borderlands Region will help increase tourism.

The successful regions will lead on delivering the government’s vision set out in the UK Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April, for communities across the UK to take full advantage of the transformative effect that advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies can provide. This forms part of the UK government’s wider ambition to drive telecoms innovation, ensuring more secure and resilient networks and a more diverse and competitive supply chain.

Each region faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities related to their location, local industries, and technology needs so the programme will demonstrate the scalability, replicability, and sustainability of each project, before disseminating project learnings and benefits.

Projects set to receive funding.

Belfast City Council – £3.8 million
Use 5G tech to digitise port operations; ‘5G-in-a-box’ technology for high-capacity uplinks for on-location filming and production studios; and exploiting advanced wireless connectivity on transport routes.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority – £3 million
5G-enabled heat pumps to accelerate the creation of Smart Energy Grids; and a digital road network to reduce congestion and carbon emissions .

West Midlands Combined Authority – £3.8 million
Scale proven 5G applications in advanced manufacturing and smart communities through new adoption hubs.

Oxfordshire County Council – £3.8 million
Creation of 5G Science Parks at the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire supporting R&D in Quantum, Space, Health, and Energy Clusters.

North Ayrshire Council – £3.8 million
New Regional Strategic Wireless Innovation Hubs will place Ayrshire as a UK leader in advanced manufacturing by accelerating the adoption of digital and wireless technologies.

Sussex County Council – £3.8 million
Develop and scale 5G applications to support future farming and growing practices that increase sustainable food and drink productivity.

Cumberland Council – £3.8 million
Use 5G and advanced wireless tech at key sites across the Borderlands Region to demonstrate how it can help build the tourist economy, protect the environment and local businesses.

Shropshire Council – £3.7 million
Embed advanced wireless connectivity technology at the heart of technological innovation across rural industries, water management and public services.

Sunderland City Council – £3.8 million
5G-enabled port operations to enhance port competitiveness and safety, and Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems that improve road transport efficiency.

Glasgow City Council – £3.2 million
Use Internet of Things and smart city applications for Asset Monitoring and Maintenance, Net Zero Social Housing, and Health and Social Care Monitoring.

The UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) will also run a nationwide programme to drive the adoption of 5G and advanced communication technologies in key economic sectors, including manufacturing, health and social care, transport and logistics, and agricultural technology. UKTIN will be working closely with the 5G Innovation Regions, including through place based working groups, helping businesses and places from across all parts of the UK benefit from access to this transforming technology.

Nick Johnson, Head of the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN) said:

We’re thrilled to see the recipients of the 5G Innovation Regions fund encompassing a broad range of places across the country, helping to boost the adoption of advanced communication technologies across a range of vertical sectors.

While this is fantastic news for the ten regions chosen, UKTIN will play a pivotal role in taking their innovations and learnings to the whole of the UK.

We will collaborate with successful regions to overcome adoption hurdles and deliver best practice and insights to communities across the country, so that all regions and nations can benefit from the lessons being learned through both 5G Innovation Regions and other relevant initiatives.

Hamish MacLeod, Chief Executive of Mobile UK said:

The announcement of the winning innovation regions, backed up by £36 million of government funding, is a welcome step towards spurring innovation in 5G and mobile connectivity.

We look forward to working with the winning regions in demonstrating the significant potential of 5G technologies to revamp and modernise public services across the country.

Improved connectivity through 5G and advanced wireless technologies could have a transformative effect on local areas, providing faster, more reliable, and more secure connectivity for residents and businesses, boosting local economies, and improving the delivery of public services.