News

Sensors & Instrumentation KTN publishes instrument and technologies facilities directory

7 December 2009

Sensors & Instrumentation KTN publishes directory of research facilities and university departments offering use of their technology and instrumentation to external academics and private companies

A copy of the directory is available on the SIKTN website here

i-GPeninsula seeks opportunities in Australian carbon markets

19 November 2009

Dr Kirsten Richardson, Carbon Sector Project Manager for i-GPeninsula, attended Carbon Expo Australasia (26-28 October 2009) as part of a UKTI Mission.  While in Australia, Dr Richardson met with a number of companies operating in the carbon and clean tech space to explore potential international collaborations.  2009 is a year of climate change policy and carbon market milestones for Australia.  The Australian emissions trading registry was issued with its first Kyoto-regulated carbon credits in July and the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) Institute, formally initated in April this year.  The UKTI mission was perfectly timed in order to foster beneficial, Anglo-Australia carbon and climate change focused partnerships in this critically important but also exciting and dynamic market.

i-GPeninsula sets out to prove commercial concept

3 August 2009

i-GPeninsula is pleased to announce the setting up of proto-business units within PML designed to incubate potential commercial opportunities to investment ready products and services.  This comes as a result of potentially strong  commercially viable opportunities being identified over the past two and a half years within PML and its project partners.

The first group of proto-businesses set up in 2009 will concentrate on:

• Exploration of marine microorganisms for potentially valuable compounds and activity for use in innovative commercial products such as pharmaceuticals
• Visualising marine data in 3D to develop products aimed at both recreational and professional markets
• Developing opportunities in global carbon markets

Biotech venture funding jumps back to life in second quarter

20 July 2009

Full story here

Shorter Knowledge Transfer Partnerships launched throughout the UK

1 July 2009

Full story here

i-GPeninsula completes capacity building phase and looks forward to developing opportunities to full commercialisation

31 March 2009

i-GPeninsula has successfully completed the first phase of the PSRE commercialisation programme looking at finding commercial opportunities from science carried out in PML and its project partners. The capacity building phase under DIUS PSRE Round 3 funding began in September 2006 and was completed on 31 March 2009.  During this time the i-GPeninsula team has identified a number of very exciting potential commercial opportunities from within the project partners which have potential to be realised as profitable products and services.  Over the past two and a half years the project has supported scientists from within the project partners and built capacity to enable them to develop ideas that may not have otherwise got off the ground.  The next phase under PSRE Round 4 (PML was awarded just under £1 million in this funding round) commences on 1 April 2009 and will primarily concentrate on proof of concept of the commercial opportunities already identified under the Round 3 project.  Although proof of concept will be the main focus of the Round 4 project the i-GPeninsula team will also continue to look for new commercial opportunities.

PML scientists meet with Angel investors

12 November 2008

i-GPeninsula together with BioApproaches SW recently hosted an informal evening dinner for potential Angel investors from the South West Angel Investor Network (SWAIN).  The investors were given a flavour of some of the exciting commercial opportunities arising from PML science which will hopefully encourage the development of long term beneficial relationships between PML and investors.  Following the success of this event, further similar events are planned.

i-GPeninsula attends Voluntary Carbon Markets Conference

16 October 2008

i-GPeninsula seeks to explore commercial opportunities in the growing carbon management sector and attended the Voluntary Carbon Markets Conference run by Green Power Conferences in London 14-15 October 2008

For more information on on the conference visit the Green Power Conferences website here

i-GPeninsula to attend the BioFlorida  2008 conference and exhibition

22 September 2008

As part of a UKTI mission, Dr Bob Huggins, Technical Manager for the i-GPeninsula project will attend BioFlorida 19-22 October 2008 and meet with a number of representatives of US marine biotechnology companies to explore possible commercial collaborations.

For more information on BioFlorida 2008 visit the conference website here

i-GPeninsula promotes PML science and facilities

16 September 2008

The "Meet the Buyer - doing business with the World's Scientific Research Facilities" conference and exhibition was recently held in London.  The i-GPeninsula team, with help from Tim Fileman from PML Applications Ltd, manned a stand at this exhibition and demonstrated PML capabilities and facilities to a large number of visitors.

Fore more information on Meet the Buyer 2008 visit the Qi3 website here

i-GPeninsula makes a new patent application

15 September 2008

Based on novel and innovative concept created by PML scientists, i-G Peninsula has arranged for a new patent application to be made describing a system to sequester carbon dioxide into sediments in the deep ocean.

New Carbon Sector Project Manager joins the i-GPeninsula team

31 August 2008

Dr Kirsten Richardson, operationg from the Policy Studies Institute in London, will develop commercial opportunities based on PML ocean carbon research.

Defra publish report on determination of monetory values for marine biodiversity

15 July 2008

Defra have commissioned research to determine a primary economic estimate of benefits derived from the implementation of the nature conservation neasures in the draft Marine Bill.  There is growing interest in the value of environmental good and services and PML have carried out keystone research in this area.

For more visit the Defra website here

i-GPeninsula secures further funding to continue commercialisation of marine science

24 June 2008

i-GPeninsula has been successful in securing funding under the Public Sector Research Exploitation (PSRE) 4th funding round to continue  to identify research and ideas that have potential to become a marketable product or service.  Also it provides the opportuntity to further develop ideas to the point of full commercialisation which were identified as having market potential under the 3rd round funding.

A dedicated commercialisation team was set up in 2006 under the PSRE 3rd round funding to scout for and begin developing commercial possibilities within the project partnership so the new funding will enable this valuable work to continue.

PSRE funding is administered by the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)

For the PML press release click here

For the DIUS press release click here

For local press coverage click here

i-GPeninsula forms part of an Exhibition on Marine Sciences & Technologies: a vision for the future presented by PMSP and attended by Dr Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries during his visit to the South West.

28 April 2008

For more details on the PMSP exhibition and Commissioner Borg's visit, go to the press release on the PMSP website here

For local news report on Commissioner Borg's visit here

EC Press release here

BUILDING AN INNOVATION NATION: UNLOCKING UK TALENT,

RAISING PRODUCTIVITY, BOOSTING OUR ECONOMY

John Denham launches White Paper to make the UK the best place in the world for innovation

13 March 2008

Innovation Nation sets out the Government’s aim to make the UK the best place in the world to run an innovative business or public service.  It argues that innovation is essential to the UK’s future prosperity and the ability to tackle major challenges like climate change.. The paper considers how Government and society respond to changes in innovation across the public, private and third sectors. Other key themes are further supporting innovative businesses and research; increasing exchanges of knowledge; boosting the supply of skilled people; supporting innovative towns and regions and promoting innovation in the public sector.  New initiatives include:

• Provision of at least 1,000 ‘innovation vouchers’ every year by 2011, helping support and fund small and medium-sized businesses to work with a university, further education college or research organisation of their choice to develop a new product or service;
• Doubling the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships between businesses, universities and colleges to boost competitiveness and productivity alongside a greater exchange of innovation expertise between the private sector and Government led by DIUS and the TSB;
• Sponsoring new Partnerships for Innovation bringing together venture capital with universities, business and other local partners to jointly develop innovative solutions to local and regional challenges. DIUS will publish a prospectus in the autumn;
• Establishing an Innovation Research Centre in partnership with the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), NESTA and the TSB.

Report and details on the Government News Network here:

http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=2&ReleaseID=360206

Global Innovation Imperatives – Gii

The American Chemical Society’s Committee on Corporation Associates (ACSCCA) and the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) have joined forces to develop a collaborative venture which it is calling Global Innovation Imperatives or Gii.

The Gii Mission is:

To create community and knowledge transfer to stimulate global scientific innovation that meets societal imperatives.

The focus of our activity will be on specific Global Innovation Imperatives. In particular, both organizations are interested in collaborating in areas where they can stimulate industrial innovation to tackle societal imperatives

http://www.thegii.org/gii/index.html

BioIndustry Association and BERR announce mid-term review of Bioscience 2015

31 January 2008 

The Bioscience 2015 report (http://www.bioindustry.org/bigtreport/) was published in November 2003. It was the biggest policy review of the bioscience sector to that date. The report, with a foreword by the Prime Minister, followed months of consultation with more than 70 leading industry figures and said the UK must act immediately to secure its leading position as other countries recognise the value of a vibrant bioscience sector. The report also made a number of recommendations to ensure this would happen. Sir David Cooksey will chair the review which will once again be a partnership between the BioIndustry Association and Government. Business Minister Shriti Vadera said:  "We need the UK's bioscience industry to continue to innovate, grow and increase its global competitiveness for the benefit of patients and the economy.There has been good progress to date, but this review will address what more needs to be done to drive the development of the industry."

Carbon emissions from global shipping are higher than those from the aviation sector

5 March 2008

According to a report funded by some member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), CO₂ emissions from global shipping are more than double industry estimates. The report states that annual CO₂ emissions from shipping reached 1.12 billion metric tons (t) in 2007, 4.5% of total global carbon emissions. By comparison, the aviation industry, which has come under heavy pressure to reduce its carbon footprint, is responsible for about 2% of global emissions.

http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2008/mar/science/mb_shipping.html

i-GPeninsula speaks at Climate Change - Seas of Opportunity Conference held at National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, 22 November 2007

The aim of the conference was to raise interest in commercial opportunities arising from changes brought about by global climate change.  For more information on the conference visit http://www.media-age.co.uk/nma/

Click here for the presentation given by i-G Peninsula

Funding opportunities:

Technology Strategy Board - Collaborative R&D Autumn 2007 funding

On 8th November 2007 the Technology Strategy Board announced a new competition for proposals for collaborative research and development, representing a government investment in innovation of around £100m.

Submissions are being invited in seven technology areas, phased in as follows:

The competition is designed to generate innovative proposals in which the business and research communities collaborate on research and technology projects to deliver successful new products and services.

Proposals with potential applications across several business sectors, which build on links bewteen academic and business research and which involve SMEs are especially welcome.  Ideally, at least one partner with defined end-user needs should also be included.

Details here: http://www.technologyprogramme.org.uk

South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)- Grant for R&D

This business support initiative provides funding to help individuals and small and medium-sized business research and develop technologically innovative products and processes.

SWRDA will be looking to support and is currently supporting four types of projects:

1. Micro projects are small scale development projects
2. Research projects which typically involve planned research or critical investigation into the feasibility of new products or processes
3. Development projects involve the shaping of industrial research into a plan or design
4. Exceptional projects that will have a major effect on the performanceof UK industry

SWRDA is operating a rolling programme so that applications can be shifted at any time.

Details here: http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/what-we-do/innovation/support-1/grant-for-rd-1.shtm                 

2007/08 Research Councils' Business Plan Competition.

The RCUK Business Plan Competition provides researchers who have ideas with  the skills, knowledge and support needed to develop a first-rate business plan. Submit a one page summary of your business idea and if accepted for the competition you will be expertly trained at a two day commercialisation workshop. The second phase of the competition will provide you with access to highly skilled experts with experience of research commercialisation. They will help to guide you in the preparation of a high quality business plan – the essential requirement for marketing your business idea to potential investors. Prizes of up to £25,000 will be awarded to the business plans judged to have the best potential to help turn business ideas into reality.

http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/innovation/fundingkt/bpc/default.htm

Microbial genome data system now available to public.

The US Dept. of Energy's (DOE) Joint Genome Institute has made Version 2.2 of the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system available to the public. The data system contains a total of 2,815 genomes consisting of 687 bacteria, 41 archaea, 24 eukaryotes, 1,661 bacterial phages, and 402 plasmids not associated with a specific microbial genome sequencing project. The Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) data management system is a collaboration between the DOE JGI and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Biological Data Management and Technology Center.

http://img.jgi.doe.gov/