Nanotechnology projects throughout the country were given a major boost by the Department of Trade and Industry today.
Twenty five projects are to receive £15m worth of funding for projects ranging from anti-corrosion coatings and electronics to water purification and printing. This new Government investment will provide up to a maximum of 50% of each project's total value.
A further £3m will be given to INEX, a microsystems and nanotechnology facility for industry based at Newcastle.
These grants are the first to be allocated from the Government's £90m micro and nanotechnology manufacturing initiative in support of both nanotechnology applied research programmes and for the creation of new nanotechnology facilities across the country. Further grants will be made available over the next five years to complete the initiative.
The grants are part of the Government's drive to help companies, research organisations and universities to exploit potential applications for the new technology so that the UK can be a leading country in this area. It's estimated that the global market for nanotechnology could be $1trillion within the next decade.
Announcing the grants, DTI Minister Nigel Griffiths said:
"Nanotechnology is an important and exciting emerging technology one that has the capacity to improve daily life for us all. It is about designing new products and improving existing ones by making things much smaller, faster, stronger, or more energy efficient.
"We want to help organisations turn ideas into reality, helping create jobs and prosperity for companies in the UK.
"These grants will form part of a range of Government schemes to support this important growth area"
The Government's micro and nanotechnology manufacturing initiative was announced by Lord Sainsbury last year.
Other Government programmes in support of the UK's nanotechnology industry include:
- £70 million from Research Councils for a wide range of activities including two cross-Council Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations (IRCs) in nanotechnology and the Basic Technology Research Programme.
- setting up the UK Micro and Nanotechnology Network (UK MNT Network) responsible for raising awareness in UK industry and helping them move into this sector
Speaking on behalf of the UK Micro and Nanotechnology Network, chairman Dr Hugh Clare said:
"The commercial exploitation of nanotechnologies presents a great opportunity for UK business. A well funded and supported nanotechnology sector means more high quality research, more sustainable jobs and increased wealth creation.
"The MNT network is working closely with industry, government and academia to create a robust sector. These grants and those to follow will make a big difference to the industry and help us ensure that the UK becomes a world leader in the field."
The £15 million in new grants will cover up to 50% of each project's total value. Successful applicants for this first round of funding are:
Project Name Lead Partner Total Project
Value (Grant
funding will
cover up to
50% of the
project value)
A New Microsystem for Insight Faraday (LGC) The £500,000
Fast Fuel Cell Heath Runcorn Cheshire WA7 4QX
Materials Evaluation
Anti-microbial Micap plcLodge Lane £258,728
urinary catheters Newton-Le-Willows Merseyside
WA12 0JQ
Broad Ion Beam Trikon Technologies Ltd £3,290,905
Deposition tool for Ringland Way Newport Gwent
Magnetorestrictive NP18 2TA
Random Access Memory
Development of a High The University of Birmingham £1,437,153
Throughput Micro Birmingham West Midlands B15
Liquid Analyser 2TT
Development of Microtest Matrices Ltd. 14 £601,455
microarray technology Princes Gardens South
for clinical Kensington London SW7 1NA
immunoassays
Development of Rolls-Royce Plc M.E. Office £359,504
Microextrusion for Watnall Road Hucknall
the Production of Nottingham Nottinghamshire
Effusion Cooling NG15 6EU
Holes
Fast Terahertz Tera View Ltd. Milton Road £2,151,932
Cameras Using Micro CambridgeCambs. CB4 0WG
and Nanotechnology
HiLine Plastic Logic Ltd. Milton Road £1,234,130
Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4
0FX
Improved Power Dynex Semiconductor Ltd £603,999
Electronic Contact Doddington Road Lincoln
Technology (IMPECT) Lincolnshire LN6 3LF
Laser assisted inkjet Fujifilm Electronic Imaging £1,195,800
printing for high Ltd (FFEI) Boundary Way Hemel
definition Hempstead Herts HP2 7RH
structuring
Low Temperature Applied Microengineering Ltd £678,568
Bonding & Polymer 173 Curie Avenue Didcot
Embossing, Nano Oxfordshire OX11 0QG
Lithography &
Structures (LOBEL)
Micro Fuel Cells for MAST Carbon Ltd Henley Park £1,145,652
Portable Power Guildford Surrey GU3 2AF
Applications
Microfluidic sorting, Insight Faraday (LGC) The £1,350,361
processing and Heath Runcorn Cheshire WA7 4QX
analysis of viable
cells
Micromachined Diamond Element Six Ltd (E6) King's £1,045,816
Device Initiative Ride Park Ascot Berkshire SL5
(MIDDI) 8BP
Molecular Electronic QinetiQ Malvern Technology £1,677,149
Gas Sensors Centre St. Andrews Road
Malvern Worcestershire WR14
3PS
Nanoelectronics Thomas Swan Nano Instruments £1,424,513
Production: Swainby Northallerton North
Technology for Wafer Yorkshire DL6 3DR
Scale Carbon
Nanotubes and
Nanowires
Nanophosphors for Forge Europa Princes Street £1,270,275
Displays and Lighting Ulverston Cumbria LA12 7NQ
Nanoscale analysis of Unilever Port Sunlight Quarry £1,014,362
microfibres Road East Bebington Wirral
CH63 3JW
Nano-structured University of Nottingham £705,071
Electroplated University Park Nottingham NG7
Coatings 2RD
Nanotechnology for Scotoil Services Ltd £1,192,583
Sustainable Water Sandilands Centre Miller
Purification Street Aberdeen AB11 5AN
Nanotube Fibres Thomas Swan & Co ltd Crookhall £2,963,501
Consett County Durham DH8 7ND
Narrow band-gap QinetiQ Malvern Technology £1,394,724
spintronic devices Centre St. Andrews Road
for information Malvern Worcestershire WR14
technology 3PS
Resin-Clay Paint Research Association 8 £879,501
Nanocomposites for Waldegrave Road Teddington
Improved Middlesex TW11 8LD
Anti-corrosion
Coatings
Semiconductor and Taylor Hobson Ltd 2 New Star £1,015,880
Optical Layer Road Leicester Leicestershire
Analysis and LE4 9JQ
Definition using
Interference
Microscopy (SOLADIM)
Synthetic Biomimetic Nanosight Ltd Lysander Way Old £1,102,500
Binding Sites Sarum Salisbury Wilts SP4 6BU
INEX, Innovation in Institute of Nanoscale Science Total Grant
Nanotechnology and Technology (INSAT) Value £3m
Exploitation - new University of Newcastle.
facility housing
nanotechnology
laboratories.
