CONTENTS

BRITISH INNOVATION

A springboard to global growth
Andrew Cahn, UK Trade & Investment

Innovation: the business of shaping our world
David Golding, Technology Strategy Board

Going global
Jonathan Kestenbaum, NESTA

Diversity is good for innovation
Annette Williams, UKRC for Women in SET

Promoting physics supporting physicists
Institute of Physics

The cost-saving CEO
Taylor Wessing

The BIC network
UK Trade & Investment

Innovation inspires R&D tax relief
PricewaterhouseCoopers

OPEN INNOVATION

KEY TECHNOLOGY

Addressing cross sectoral issues
Integrated Products Manufacturing KTN

Research Councils

Meeting the global challenge
Research Councils

The UK?s National Science and Innovation Campuses
Science & Technology Facilities Council

Aerospace & Defence

Enabling technology through innovative approaches
Aerospace & Defence KTN

Defence technologies for civilian applications
Ploughshare Innovations

Biometrics

Securing the future
Intellect Association for Biometrics

Biotechnology

Supporting life sciences in the capital
London First

Tackling the threat of electronic crime
Cyber Security KTN

Electronics

From invention to innovation
Electronics KTN

Grid Computing Now! KTN

Energy

A global fusion
UK Atomic Energy Authority

Design for a one planet economy
Giraffe Innovation

Managing carbon in the corporate and public sectors
Greenstone Carbon Management

Towards an energy efficient future
British Electrotechnical and Allied

Manufacturers Association (BEAMA) Home help
Energy Institute

Healthcare

Connecting people and technology
Health Technologies KTN

A centre of excellence for innovative translational research
University of Birmingham

Feeling your way to design success
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

University-industry collaborations
Imperial College London

Lost in translation
Pearson Matthews Innovation Consultants

Location and Timing

Location and Timing KTN
Intelligent Transport Systems

Mapping the route to intelligent transport systems deployment
Innovits KTN

Drive down fleet costs and reduce carbon emissions?
Energy Saving Trust

DRIVENet and sustainable vehicle engineering
Oxford Brookes University

Manufacturing

Breaking the mould
Manufacturing Technologies Association

University of Nottingham

An innovative history
Scott Bader

Innovation for tomorrow?s built environment
Modern Built Environment KTN

MATERIALS

Innovations in materials deliver value for money
Materials KTN

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology in the UK
Nano KTN

Linking technology push with market pull
NanoCentral

Running the risks
European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance

Nanofabrication solutions
Kelvin Nanotechnology

Innovative science for global applications
Oxford Instruments

Leading positive change for global industry
The Centre for Process Innovation

PHOTONICS

Making light work for industry
Photonics KTN

SENSORS & INSTRUMENTS

Unlocking the potential of the UK?s sensing community
Sensors & Instruments KTN

CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE

Investing in the future
Invest Northern Ireland

Ulster innovation delivering business success
University of Ulster

Focus: Northern Ireland

Belfast ? a city of creativity and innovation
Belfast City Council

A natural centre for innovation
London Development Agency

England?s East Midlands ? an innovative region
East Midlands Development Agency

Making it in Leeds
The City of Leeds

Collaboration in wireless technologies
Wireless Centre of Industrial Collaboration

Industrial Collaboration at the University of Leeds
Engineering Design CIC

Innovations
One North East

Focus: North West of England

Connectivity, Catchment, Cost
St. Helens

Focus: South West of England

Be part of the equation
West of England Partnership

All change for Hastings
Innovation Centre Hastings

ITI Scotland

UK SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PARKS

Raising the standards
UK Science Park Association

Special focus: collaboration
Edinburgh Science Triangle

Innovation: the key to economic growth
County Durham Development Company

Solutions across boundaries
Norwich Research Park

Partnership provides innovation success
Wolverhampton Science Park

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

The outsourcing advantage
Business Services Association

Fast start UK
Tenon Outsourcing

Inward investment trends
HSBC

Divine intervention
British Business Angels Association

Know your rights
Intellectual Property Office

A perfect patent
Beresford & Co

Putting IP at the centre of business strategy
Cambridge Intellectual Property

USEFUL INFORMATION

Science lessons
GovNet Communications

Useful addresses

KEY TECHNOLOGY

NANOTECHNOLOGY: NANO KTN

Nanotechnology in the UK

Manufacturing and technology leverages the UK service economy and provides employment for millions of people. Successful uptake of new technologies is vital to the wealth creating power of the UK, and nanotechnologies are crucial to delivering the UK?s wealth creation in the next 20 years

The last five years has seen a significant cash injection from the public sector in the UK micro and nanotechnology (MNT) community including a £90 million investment on the development of a new network of MNT facilities and services, £50 million to support and enhance collaborative research programmes and technology transfer initiatives, and £40 million for Capital Projects and the advance of a UK MNT Network which has now been continued by the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN).

Despite the public investment, in 2007 the total value of nanotechnology venture capital deals worldwide fell for the first time since 1999, with investment dropping from $738 million across 73 deals in 2006 to $702 million across 61 deals in 2007. This 16% drop in the number of deals is evidence to the fact that new interest in investment needs to be created if start-up nanotechnology businesses are to continue emerging (Source: Lux Research).

The NanoKTN, the UK?s primary knowledge-based network for micro and nanotechnologies, was set up by the Technology Strategy Board, an executive non-departmental public body, established by the UK government in 2007 and sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, to promote and facilitate knowledge exchange, support the growth of UK capabilities, raise awareness of nanotechnology and provide thought leadership and input to the UK policy and strategy.

The NanoKTN also acts as a single point of access for overseas companies and academics wishing to find UK partners for research and business. The NanoKTN sustains support for the commercialisation of MNT through informing, linking and facilitating collaborations between suppliers and users with the aim of constructing and maintaining a UK MNT community. The NanoKTN also assists the 23 UK MNT Capital facilities which were set up by the UK government to develop a critical mass of capabilities, and provide associated knowledge for those wishing to commercialise MNT.

The NanoKTN has divided its activities into four themes: materials, production and processes, metrology and bionano/nanomedicine. Nanoenhanced materials are rapidly emerging worldwide in every category imaginable. Key areas include paints and coatings, with products such as the clear, scratch resistant topcoat used on Mercedes Benz cars, as well as coatings for alloy wheels. Novel silica-based coatings are being developed with barrier and anti-fouling properties. Hard coatings applied by physical and chemical vapour deposition have been available for some time, and here improvements are being realised through nano-structuring.

The UK has an acknowledged strength in the nanometrology field and the NanoKTN is actively supporting its ongoing activities through for example, the continued brokering and advising of a FP7 European co-ordination action for the CO-ordination of NANOMETrology in Europe (CO-NANOMET).

A further key role of the NanoKTN is to develop and co-ordinate focus groups to represent key market sectors, acting as a three-way communication channel between industry, academia and funding authorities.

HiPerNano, Design for Modelling and Simulation (DfMSG) and MNT Gas Sensors are a few examples of focus groups already set up and active. HiPerNano was launched to raise awareness, promote developments and solve extreme engineering challenges in nanomaterials and coatings for the high performance engineering industry. Nanomaterials are beginning to have a major commercial impact and the NanoKTN is building a UK community where aerospace, defence, security, power generation and automotive industries can discuss the benefits of nanomaterials for components which are subjected to extreme environments such as high temperature, friction, corrosion, erosion and ballistic impact.

In partnership with the Sensors and Instrumentation KTN, the MNT Gas Sensing focus group looks at developing the new breed of sensors based on micro and nanotechnologies to replace existing technologies. Gas Sensing products form a large market with applications in almost every sector, including the oil and gas sectors along with emission monitoring.

The DfMSG focuses on modelling and simulation aspects of MNT. This group covers a wide range of interests from the molecular modelling of surfaces to the predictive model behaviour of MEMS devices. It draws upon the leading organisations in this area such as the National Physical Laboratory and the Science and Technology Facilities Council at Daresbury. The aim of the group is to look at new methods and applications of modelling systems and is holding a meeting later on this year to promote activities.

The UK government and the NanoKTN are working together to create, promote and push forward the commercialisation of MNT. By promoting selected centres and platforms, the NanoKTN aims to give those working in the MNT field, access to reliable and recommended centres of excellence.

For further information on the UK MNT
community and on the NanoKTN,
please visit www.nanoktn.com
or e-mail