Press Releases

To accompany the announcement of four new Faraday Partnerships, the following press releases were issued by the Department for Trade and Industry and the Smith Institute on 28 June 2000.


MONEY FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS WILL HELP THE FUTURE OF UK INDUSTRY - LORD SAINSBURY

Four multi-million pound projects aimed at boosting the country's industrial success were announced by Science Minister Lord Sainsbury today. Almost £9M is to be spent over the next four years helping companies to turn research into new products and services for British industry. The work will be carried out as part of the Faraday Partnerships initiative - which links universities and research organisations with business and industry. They add to the four Partnerships established in July 1997, which are already proving their worth. The money will be used to:

Making the announcement, Lord Sainsbury said: "This is a vital investment in the future of UK manufacturing and industry. Our firms need to take advantage of our world class science base to remain competitive. Faraday Partnerships play a vital role in helping firms to work with our best researchers and produce innovative new products and processes. They are an important part in ensuring the UK's industrial success."

Over the next four years the Faraday Partnership projects will be supported by £4.8M from the DTI and £4M from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Faraday Partnerships enable firms to access high quality research and expertise of the industrial research organisations. They employ "technology translators" - people who can act as a link between research and business, ensuring that good ideas are properly developed and that researchers understand the potential that their work offers industry.

Prof. Richard Brook, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), said: "I am delighted that we have identified new, high quality partnerships that complement the four founded in 1997. We know that many more consortia are looking at putting similar Partnerships together and we look forward to a vigorous future for this form of collaboration."

The four partnerships are: The Faraday Partnership in Aerospace and Automotive Materials; Faraday Plastics; the Smith Institute for Industrial Mathematics and System Engineering; and the Technitex Faraday Partnership.

Notes to Editors

  1. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is the largest of the United Kingdom's seven government-funded research councils. Its mission is to support the highest quality research and related postgraduate training in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC aims to advance knowledge and technology and provide trained engineers and scientists for the benefit of the United Kingdom and the quality of life of its citizens. It has the further role of promoting public understanding in engineering and the physical sciences.
  2. The new Partnerships are:
  3. Faraday Partnerships bring together leading researchers with firms of all sizes working through two or more "core partner" organisations - such as a university and an independent research and technology organisation, together with a number of companies across the country.
  4. Faraday Partnerships receive underpinning support worth up to £400k per year from DTI to put in place an industrially focused management team; employ technology translators; offer infrastructure support to allow PhD students to work in non-university laboratories; and put in place industry clubs and similar mechanisms to disseminate good practice.
  5. EPSRC has earmarked £1M over four years to each Partnership for research and training activities. In addition to this, Partnerships can apply to EPSRC and other funding bodies for additional research funds, under their normal arrangements. Examples will include TCS, LINK, EU Framework and CRAFT, Smart, and industrial funds.

FIRST FARADAY PARTNERSHIP FOR INDUSTRIAL COMPUTING AND MATHEMATICS

The first Faraday Partnership devoted to increasing UK Industry's use of mathematics and computer science, the disciplines underpinning new technologies driving a diverse range of business sectors in the knowledge based economy, has been awarded to Smith Institute for Industrial Mathematics and System Engineering.

One of four new Faraday Partnerships announced today by Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Sainsbury, Smith Institute will receive £2.2M in funding over 4 years from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Within its Faraday Partnership, Smith Institute will be active initially in six broad areas: industrial computing, manufacturing and process engineering, risk management, telecommunications and information security, transport and working environments. These areas have been chosen for their relevance to a diverse industrial base and for their flexibility to engage an expanding range of Industrial Partners.

Initial Industrial Partners include large companies such as BT, National Grid, Jaguar Cars and Unilever Research as well as smaller companies such as Photon Design, MathEngine, Vector Fields and InterTec (UK).

A virtual institute, with no bricks and mortar, Smith Institute will provide an industry friendly point of access to the UK's world class university research base in mathematics and computing. It is currently working with more than 20 university departments throughout the United Kingdom. Smith Institute will particularly focus on facilitating access to Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SMEs), which have typically found it difficult to benefit from advances in basic research.

"We offer a range of flexible mechanisms linking companies to academic resources in ways that are compatible with industry, and SMEs in particular", said Dr. Robert Leese, Director of Smith Institute. "Our aim is to spread the use of mathematics and computer science more widely in the formulation of industrial strategy and in the planning of industrial products and processes."

Smith Institute will be the hub of the Faraday Partnership, which will involve end user Industrial Partners, Enabling Partners from research and technology organisations and Academic Partners from the university science base. They are coupled into the Institute through the activities of the Director and a team of "Technology Translators". Two expert panels have been appointed by the Smith Institute to provide advice from senior figures in the industrial and academic communities.