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

Aerospace & Defence KTN

Enabling technology
through innovative approaches

The global aerospace industry sector is unique in many ways:

  • It draws extensively from academic research science to convert into technology enabled products.
  • Bringing a new aircraft into the market, civil or military, takes decades.
  • Upfront technology investment for a new aircraft type is expensive and usually beyond the means of a single organisation, ie governments and competing companies have to collaborate and co-invest.
  • Aircraft and their components must match the highest safety standards of any product in the world.
  • Aircraft products are among the most complex and expensive in the world.

The industry exists within a complex environment too:

  • The market for commercial and military aircraft has a political dimension.
  • Competition is fierce whilst having to collaborate to operate.
  • The industry constantly responds to misperceptions in terms of its impact on economies and the environment.

The UK aerospace sector is second largest within the global industry, with annual revenues exceeding £20 billion in 2006. The position of any nation?s aerospace industry is not assured and the sector must work hard to retain its place. Moving forward within the sector will take concentrated effort and significant investment. The key to retaining and strengthening the UK?s position is to continue to be master of the constituent technologies. Critical to the success of the industry and further growing the UK?s position is the development of innovative technologies into leading edge products. The Aerospace and Defence Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) is one initiative underway to further support this ambition.

The KTN ? what it is, how it works with the sector ? government , academia and industry

KTNs are funded by the Technology Strategy Board, a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). The Board?s vision is for the UK to be a global leader in innovation and a magnet for innovative businesses, where technology is applied rapidly, effectively and sustainably to create wealth and enhance quality of life.

KTNs are a single overarching network across government, business and academia to further enable networking, partnering, funding opportunities and the influence of policy application for a sector, eg aerospace and defence or specialist topic eg location and timing.

The National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS) was formulated through government, business and academia working collaboratively to layout the technology requirements so that the sector could by 2020 realise its vision that: ?The UK will offer a global aerospace industry, the world?s most innovative and productive location, leading to sustainable growth for all its stakeholders.?

The Aerospace and Defence KTN is the custodian of NATS and works with the Aerospace Technology Steering Group (ATSG) made up of government, industry, regional and academic representatives to refresh the strategy and publish regularly updated technology roadmaps. Providing advice at a more detailed level are 10 National Technical Committees (NTCs) focusing on specific areas of research and technology, eg materials & structures, electrical power systems.

More information can be found at www.aeroktn. co.uk

Why this is important

This process enables the UK aerospace sector to clearly articulate to all its stakeholders, government, regions, SMEs etc, the areas of technology and investment focus needed to ensure the UK retains its ranking as the world?s second largest aerospace economy in an increasingly globalised and competitive market. NATS provides the framework to translate science through to innovative technologies and processes, from the research base through to market.

Since 2004, NATS has attracted combined Industry- Government investment of £464 million across more than 70 projects and programmes. This includes over £230 million of government support sourced through the Technology Strategy Board?s open competition, collaborative R&D vehicle and complementary support from Regional Development Agencies and Devolved Administrations.

The Aerospace and Defence KTN is the vehicle to then identify Knowledge Transfer activities to both communicate NATS and NTC advice but, more importantly, to facilitate the creation of collaborative partnerships with effective funding to deliver programmes of technology research and development consistent with NATS.

The KTN does this through:

  • Aerospace and Defence KTN led events ? invited participants brought together to learn about NATS, funding or collaboration opportunities.
  • Joint working with other Technology Strategy Board KTNs to further transfer knowledge within other sectors connected to Aerospace and Defence.
  • An Aerospace and Defence KTN newsletter that promotes its own events and those hosted by other establishments at a national or regional level.
  • A populated website where information on events, NATS, technology roadmaps and KTNs can be located.
The Aerospace and Defence KTN ? Who we are:

Dr Ruth
Mallors,
Director

Daniel Jones,
Project
Co-Ordinator

Bettina Knauer,
Infrastructure
Manager

Sameer Savani,
Operations
Manager

Eur Ing Tony
Willenbruch,
Operations Manager

Reach us at and our website www.aeroktn.co.uk