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Industry News
STFC: A business incubation scheme launched recently will allow UK-based entrepreneurs & small businesses to take ideas from some of the world’s most innovative technologies developed at CERN, and translate them into marketable services & products.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) have announced a first call for proposals to enable small high-tech businesses to bridge the gap between basic science & industry, and create profitable UK companies.
Defra: Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is leading a trade delegation to Paris to boost British food & drink sales in France. Since 2000, UK food exports to France have doubled from £1.1bn to £2.2bn, including 4 times the sales of cheese such as stilton & cheddar, and triple the sales of whisky & beer.
Food & farming is worth £89bn to the UK economy and employs 3.5m people. In January 2012, Defra launched the Farming, Food and Drink Exports Action Plan to help more food & drink companies venture into overseas markets.
BIS: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched its annual Fast Forward competition, to encourage universities & public sector research establishments to collaborate with businesses & local communities on innovative projects that benefit UK society and can help grow the economy.
Now in its third year, Fast Forward has so far provided £1.25m in prizes to 23 winning projects in diverse areas, ranging from the creative industries to medical research and social enterprises. The total prize fund available for this year’s competition is £750,000, which will be awarded to around a dozen projects in individual awards of between £10,000 & £100,000.
