UK Technology Board Rewards Businesses Developing Enabling Technologies

Do you have a winning idea for a technology that could spur economic growth in the United Kingdom? The Technology Strategy Board would like to hear about it. The governmental body invites businesses across the country to compete for support to develop innovative technologies that could create new growth areas for the UK economy.

The competition will seek to identify and award up to £18 million funding to the most innovative businesses, in order to keep the UK at the forefront of modern technology and enhance quality of life, notes a press release issued this week. Collaborative applications are sought from organisations operating in a range of technology areas where the UK has considerable strengths: advanced materials, biosciences, electronics, photonics and electrical systems, high-value manufacturing, information and communications technology and nanotechnology. (Previously, the board announced that it will invest several million pounds to support research and development of new regenerative medicine products, tools and technologies.)

“We are particularly keen to hear from organisations with ideas for enabling technologies,” says David Bott, the Technology Strategy Board’s Director of Innovation Programmes. “An enabling technology is one that can lead to the creation of other products and processes that support future development. In this way, it establishes long term opportunities for economic development.”

The competition officially begins on 12 October.

Tags: competition, enabling technologies, technology strategy board