Sector in Focus: Science and Innovation (SIN)
By Ronit Prawer, Director for Science and Innovation, Eastern USA, UK Department for International Trade
As the fall ramps up we have A LOT to tell you about on the Science and Innovation side. On policy updates, the UK’s new National Innovation Strategy was published in the middle of the summer, and importantly identifies seven technology families of UK strength that will transform our economy in the future.
They are:
• Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
• AI, Digital and Advanced Computing
• Bioinformatics and Genomics
• Engineering Biology
• Electronics, Photonics and Quantum
• Energy and Environment Technologies
• Robotics and Smart Machines
Obviously, there’s lots of interface with New England on these topics, so do reach out if there are specific projects you have in mind!
Another significant policy update is the upcoming launch of ARIA, The Advanced Research & Invention Agency in the UK. ARIA will be backed by £800 million to fund the most inspiring inventors to turn their transformational ideas into new technologies, discoveries, products and services – helping to maintain the UK’s position as a global science superpower. ARIA will be led by scientists who will have the freedom to identify and fund transformational science and technology at speed. Finally, the UK’s Hydrogen strategy was published in August. This strategy sets out the approach to developing a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK to meet our ambition for 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
On programme updates, we are looking forward to a busy Fall. This month and next will see us doing activities in New England on floating offshore wind technical challenges, LGBTQ+ retention in STEM industries, Vaccine Hesitancy research, health ageing research and long Covid. Let us know if you’d like to get involved in any of these.
Hope you are all enjoying the last few weeks of the Summer, and looking forward to working with you!
If interested in learning more about the SIN team and their work, please contact ronit.prawer@fcdo.gov.uk.