We have an ambitious vision:

Within a decade we want to see the UK poised to lead the world in a major new growth sector of at least £1bn turnover from an emerging technology area where the UK has great strength and capability.

What are emerging technologies?

By ‘emerging technologies’ we mean those technologies that are still emerging from the science base, that are at an early, pre-commercial stage, and that have the potential to enable innovations that will truly disrupt the marketplace. The digital camera and medical imaging systems are good examples of such innovations. Emerging technologies enable something to be done that was previously not possible, or was possible only in theory, and can lead to new products and services being adopted by existing industries, or may result in new industries.

Exploiting emerging technologies

We aim to help turn the emerging technologies of today into the growth sectors of tomorrow for UK business. We will work with our partners to develop some of these new and exciting technologies into new industries or into completely new markets for existing industries in the UK. In 10 years’ time we want to see the UK poised to lead the world in a major new growth sector that is comparable in size and impact with mobile phones, digital cameras and internet searching. In the process we wish to strengthen considerably the UK’s capability and reputation for successfully commercialising new technology.

Commercialising Emerging Technologies through Innovation & Knowledge Centres

Innovation and Knowledge Centres (IKCs) are centres of excellence with five years’ funding to accelerate and promote business exploitation of an emerging research and technology field. Their key feature is a shared space and entrepreneurial environment, in which researchers, potential customers and skilled professionals from both academia and business can work side by side to scope applications, business models and routes to market.

• The Technology Strategy Board, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council (BBSRC) have jointly supported the following  Innovation and Knowledge Centres: ‘Centre for Secure Information Technologies’ at Queens University Belfast.

See their website at: http://www.csit.qub.ac.uk/

• Regenerative Therapies and Devices’ at the University of Leeds

See their website at: http://www.ikcrtd.leeds.ac.uk/

Two further Innovation and Knowledge Centres were launched in 2011:

• ‘SPECIFIC - the Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings’ at Swansea University
• ‘Smart Infrastructure and Construction’ at the University of Cambridge