DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (035/009) issued by
COI News Distribution Service on 26 March 2009
John Denham
launches new national hub for Chemistry on site
The Government today announced a renewed commitment to the
further development of the national Science and Innovation Campus
at Daresbury and announced a stronger leadership structure to
deliver it.
This commitment was made in the Government's response to the
Manchester Independent Economic Review (MIER) on Daresbury
published today. The Review was originally commissioned by John
Denham the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and
Skills. It says there are three challenges that must be met if
the true potential of the Daresbury campus is to be realised. It
argued the leadership of the campus needed to be strengthened,
more universities should get involved and that Daresbury should be
the location for the next scientific project of a major size.
In the Government response published today it welcomed the Review
and in particular:
* Announced that a new joint-venture company will be created to
direct work towards a single vision to secure Daresbury's
future as a national Science and Innovation Campus of
international importance. It will include a new 'Science
Champion' to chair a new Advisory Group, inform the future
Joint Venture and help attract to Daresbury's research
programme the best scientists from around the country and the world.
* Called on all relevant research councils and additional
research intensive universities, not just those in the North West,
to exploit the opportunities the Campus offers them.
* Renewed the Government's commitment to ensure that the
facilities located at Daresbury are "internationally
competitive, support world class science and maximise the
opportunities for knowledge transfer". The response therefore
calls on the Campus to build the breadth of science that is
located at the site to put it in 'pole position' to
benefit from any future big science project.
In keeping with the Government's strategic
'vision' for Daresbury, published as part of the
response to the MIER Review, the Secretary of State for
Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham will launch the
Knowledge Centre for Material Chemistry at Daresbury later today.
The KCMC will operate in collaboration with key partners at the
Universities of Bolton, Liverpool and Manchester. It will help
the campus become an international hub for research in an area of
science that is crucial in delivering new products and
improvements in areas such as bio-medics, pharmaceuticals and
renewable energy sources.
John Denham said:
"It is highly appropriate for this new chemistry hub to
include Daresbury. It fits well with our ambition for the campus
to be a major science and innovation centre of national and
international importance.
"This ambition has now been endorsed by the independent
review that has been published today and I am enormously grateful
for the all the work that those involved in this review were able
to put in.
"I welcome the report and I am delighted to say that the
Government will play its part in meeting the challenges it sets
head on.
"We will help create a strong leadership structure that can
champion the campus at home and abroad. We will encourage more
research intensive universities - not just those in the North West
- to play their part.
"And we will commit to help develop
a critical mass of basic research at Daresbury to ensure that it
is in a good position to benefit from 'big science'
projects if there is a scientific agreement they should go ahead.
"The Daresbury heritage is synonymous with some of the very
best science that has been carried out here and across the world.
I believe that by working together we can ensure its future can be
equally bright and strong."
ends
Notes to editors:
1. The Manchester Independent Economic Review on Daresbury is
available on (insert web address). The Government response is
available on http://www.dius.gov.uk/~/media/pubs/R/ResponseToDaresburyReview
2. For more information on the Knowledge Centre for Materials
Chemistry contact Sarah Moston in the NWDA press office on 01925 4000552.
3. Government recognises the need for continued scientific
investment at Daresbury. This investment needs both to broaden the
range of the Campus's scientific interests and build upon
existing expertise. A number of steps have already been taken to
implement this, including a number of new large facilities where
support from the Large Facilities Capital Fund (LFCF) is already
being actively considered, :-
* The Cockcroft Accelerator
Science and Technology Research Centre has been established at
Daresbury, involving co-located researchers from STFC, Manchester,
Liverpool and Lancaster Universities.
* The Government has earmarked £50M from the (LFCF) to develop
the Hartree Centre in computational science and engineering, which
will involve the Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK
Universities, other Government Departments and industry. The
Business Plan for Hartree is currently being prepared.
* The Government has also earmarked £15M of LFCF funding to
support Daresbury's key role in a new Detector Systems
Technology Gateway centre, which will drive forward collaborative
research in next-generation detector systems.
4. For media enquiries only, please contact the DIUS press office
on 0203 300 8881.