ArchiveQueen Mary, University of London secures £5 million for new collaborative programme with China
Promoting innovation through UK-China collaboration and knowledge transfer
Queen Mary, University of London has been successful in a bid for just under £5 million of funding for a collaborative programme involving several universities in the UK and China. 'Innovation China UK' (ICUK) was awarded £4,978,784* by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) and is one of 11 winning projects - sharing in £52 million for higher education innovation.
ICUK, led by Queen Mary, will be the first collaborative research and knowledge transfer partnership supporting UK and Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). ICUK will act as a springboard for UK businesses to access resources in China. Academics based in the UK will have access to leading scientists, expertise and facilities, easing entry into the potential markets of China. Its activities will enhance the profile and visibility of UK science and technology and the international reputation of UK HEIs.
"This project came about as a result of past experience working with UK and Chinese HEIs, where it became evident that many research-intensive HEIs already have significant UK-China R&D collaborations. However, outcomes of such joint research are rarely commercialised as a result of the huge cultural barriers and the lack of dedicated support for UK-China technology transfer. ICUK aims to deliver dedicated UK-China technology transfer support, lower barriers, and facilitate the commercialisation of UK-China research outputs" commented Caroline Quest, Managing Director of Queen Mary's Innovation and Enterprise team.
China now has the biggest Research and Development (R&D) workforce, and the third biggest R&D investment in the world. ICUK represents a great opportunity for the UK economy to benefit from emerging economies- such as China, whose R&D expenditure is growing at almost 20 per cent a year. It assists UK HEIs and businesses in collaboration with China over issues such as funding, and understanding and complying with Intellectual Property (IP)regulations.
Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, said: "Innovation and science are the keys to UK economic growth. The Higher Education Innovation Fund brings together university research with private sector investment, and stimulates a culture of entrepreneurship within higher education institutions. Innovation is key to our future economic prosperity and it is encouraging to see so many universities working with business to translate new ideas and technology into improved productivity and job opportunities."
ICUK will focus its main activities on areas of common interest, such as energy - including technologies for the sustainable environment, aerospace, e-science, marine technology and drug developments and therapies for infectious diseases.
Queen Mary already has established several strong collaborations with Chinese HEIs together with UK companies such as Airbus and QinetiQ in the fields of aerospace, clean energy, nano-technology, biometrics and security, wireless telecommunication and biotechnology. Queen Mary's Department of Engineering alone has received over £2 million collaboration awards from the Chinese Space Agency. The Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary has established its reputation as a leader in advising and training the Chinese Patent Office and other agencies in IP and technology transfer laws.
