Further investment in the UK’s internationally-renowned
Catapult innovation centres has been announced as part of the
government’s modern Industrial Strategy.
The £215 million investment is in the Digital, Medicines
Discovery, Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult centres.
It builds on the announcement made in
August by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip
Hammond, of nearly £1 billion for the Catapult network and fully
funds all centres for the next 5 years. The Catapult network is
managed by Innovate UK, part of UK
Research and Innovation.
Combining knowledge
The Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult centres will be
combining to bring together their skills and expertise in
tackling the problems of modern city living and shaping the
future of mobility.
The UK’s urban areas are home to 83% of the population and by
2050 more than two-thirds of people worldwide will live in urban
areas. The world of transport will transform dramatically over
the coming decade as new technology - such as decarbonised power
sources, AI and big data - radically transforms the way that
people, goods and services move around our towns and countryside.
The new Catapult will help businesses to access the UK’s
world-leading research expertise more easily, enabling them to
grow faster, create more jobs and keep the UK at the forefront of
urban and transport innovation. The centre will operate from
sites in London and Milton Keynes.
At the heart of the Industrial Strategy
Business Secretary , said:
The Catapult network offers the technical expertise and
equipment to allow businesses to take on the challenges and
opportunities we expect to face in a future world.
We’re backing experts to push new boundaries, so our future
economy reaps the benefits of new technologies with more highly
skilled jobs. Investment in research and development is at the
heart of our modern Industrial Strategy as we build on the UK’s
reputation for scientific innovation.
Minister for Digital, said:
This additional funding will help us develop the cutting-edge
technology of the future and build on the fantastic new
statistics out today, which show we are leading Europe in
producing fast-growing, digitally focused, billion-dollar
businesses.
The UK is a hotbed of innovative tech talent and the Digital
Catapult will continue to play a vital role in making sure the
sector has the foundations to thrive as we build a Britain that
is fit for the future.
Dr , Interim Executive Chair
of Innovate UK, said:
The Catapult network is making a significant impact to our
modern Industrial Strategy. It is playing a key role in
realising the government’s ambition to spend 2.4% of our GDP on
research and development by 2027.
This additional support fully funds the Catapult network for
the next 5 years and cements their place at the heart of the
UK’s innovation infrastructure.
By combining the expertise of the Future Cities and Transport
Systems Catapults, they are bettering the offer to innovative
UK companies that are improving the way our cities work and
revolutionising how we get around.
Network of world-leading centres
The Catapults are a network of world-leading centres that are
designed to transform the UK’s capability for innovation in
specific areas. They are helping to drive future prosperity by
transforming high-potential ideas into new products and services
that generate economic growth for the UK.
The Digital Catapult is making UK industries more productive and
competitive by supporting them to take up advanced digital
technologies, such as AI, 5G and augmented and virtual reality.
Businesses working with the Digital Catapult grow their
employment numbers by over 15%, which is 3 times higher than seen
in the wider economy.
The Medicines Discovery Catapult is focused on using newly
industrialised technologies to deliver new medicines to patients,
faster. For example, they have recently
announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca to use the
power of sound to speed up the process of early drug discovery.
The Catapult is helping to grow the UK’s bio-economy, creating
jobs and attracting investment into the country, so that we are
able to maintain our position as a global leader in medicinal
research and development.
