The government today confirmed a major £75 million investment in
the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge.
Originally announced in the 2015 Spending Review, today’s
confirmation coincides with a new £85 million private donation to
the university from the estate of the late Ray Dolby.
The funding will be used to support the construction of a new
building for the Cavendish Laboratory, which has a long history
of scientific inquiry and discovery; it will be its third home
since its founding in 1874.
This investment will help to maintain Britain’s position at the
forefront of physical sciences research and offer unrivalled
facilities for the benefit and advance of research in Cambridge
and the physics community in the UK. Work on the new facility is
expected to begin in 2019.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
will act as the delivery partner for the government funding.
The Cavendish is buoyed further by the announcement today, in San
Francisco, of a further £85 million gift from the estate of Ray
Dolby, founder of Dolby Laboratories. The gift is the largest
philanthropic gift ever made to UK science and will support the
laboratory where Dolby received his PhD in 1961. He was a student
and later a Fellow of Pembroke College.
In 1965, he founded Dolby Laboratories in London and invented the
Dolby System, an analogue audio encoding system that forever
improved the quality of recorded sound. He moved the company in
1976 to San Francisco, where it has been headquartered since.
Science Minister said: “This
generous £85 million donation from the Ray Dolby estate along
with the £75 million government has already pledged is a
testament to the importance of this facility and the UK’s
leadership in science.
“The UK is one of the most innovative countries in the world, and
through our Industrial Strategy and additional £2.3 billion
investment for research and development we are ensuring our
world-class research base goes from strength to strength for
years to come.”
Professor Philip Nelson, EPSRC's Chief Executive
said: “I am delighted to announce confirmation of
this funding for the Cavendish Laboratory, it is a significant
investment in the UK’s physical sciences research base. Without
the pursuit of new knowledge through fundamental science none of
the technological progress and inventions we take for granted
today would have been possible.
“A successful nation invests in science, and this grant signals
our intent to lead the world. The facilities will be open to
researchers across the country and encourage collaborative
working between academics and institutions. Clearly Ray Dolby
valued the university that nurtured his talents and, in making
his bequest, has made a truly generous contribution to future
generations.”
Dolby’s widow, Dagmar said “The University
of Cambridge played a pivotal role in Ray’s life, both personally
and professionally. At Cambridge and at the Cavendish, he
gained the formative education and insights that contributed
greatly to his lifelong groundbreaking creativity, and enabled
him to start his business.”
Dolby’s son David said: “My
father’s time at the Cavendish provided him with an environment
where he got a world-class education in physics, and many of
his successful ideas about noise reduction were stimulated
by his Cambridge experience. Our family is pleased to be able to
support the future scientists and innovators who will benefit
from the thoughtfully designed Ray Dolby Centre.”
