Innovate UK

Innovate UK has unveiled Purple Plaques at 60 schools across the country, to celebrate the achievements of our Women in Innovation Award winners and inspire the next generation of innovators. The latest plaque was unveiled at Chetham's School of Music to recognise Sarah Nicolls. 👏 Emily Nott, Head of EDI Programmes at Innovate UK, said: “Sarah is an innovator in the truest sense of the word. Drawing on her background and musical excellence she's created a unique product and a revolution in piano design. We know the UK needs more innovators and stories like Sarah’s are key to inspiring the next generation.” Innovate UK hopes that Sarah’s Purple Plaque will be a lasting reminder to Chetham’s students that anyone can change the world through innovation. 🙌

Exciting news! UK Research and Innovation's Transforming Foundation Industries (TFI) Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council has provided £18 million in funding to the EconoMISER (Economic Material Innovation for Sustainable and Efficient use of Resources) program to move into the next phase of its development. Developed by the FISC (Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium) (FISC)—which includes the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Glass Futures, Lucideon and the Henry Royce Institute —the EconoMISER project is designed to support the sustainable transformation of the UK’s foundation industries. This funding will enable the consortium to form an industry-led partnership focused on driving innovation and research to secure the future of the foundation industries. EconoMISER projects will lead projects based on 6 key themes: 🔋Alternative fuels - Supporting the adoption of green energy solutions such as lower carbon technologies, hydrogen and biofuels. ♾ Circular economy - Ensuring FI resources are used as effectively and efficiently as possible to adopt a zero waste, recirculating system which will improve security of supply and reduce environmental impact. 🔬Digital sensing - Developing process monitoring and data capture practices to support remote and real-time decision making within manufacturing processes. ✅Process optimisation - Designing and improving systems to minimise process variability, maximise resource utilisation and identify best practice. ♻️Sustainable materials - Improving the recyclability of materials to ensure recovered materials are fit for purpose and developing new manufacturing processes which adopt recycled raw materials. 🥼Training and skills - Identifying best practice for the training and development of people across the foundation industries, helping to address the skills gaps and to make these vital industries attractive places to work for everyone. Find out more about EconoMISER in the press release here: https://ow.ly/V0bn50SEhZ1 #FoundationIndustries

Innovate UK has launched the Global Regulation Index (GRI) – a first-of-a-kind, pioneering tool, evaluating how 21 countries worldwide harness regulation to boost innovation. 🚀 The Index establishes a comprehensive framework to measure five essential pillars of innovation-enabling regulatory environments: ➡️ Adaptability ➡️ Clarity & Reliability ➡️ Collaboration ➡️ Experimentation ➡️ Entrepreneurship Key findings highlight regulatory strengths within the UK, including the collaboration that takes place between regulators, nationally and internationally. Innovate UK is committed to accelerating innovation and growth in the UK and beyond. This first ever Global Regulation Index enables policymakers, regulators and the wider ecosystem, to learn from global best practice. We invite regulators and those across the system to explore the learnings in this report, and collaborate with us in creating robust, innovation-boosting environments. 💡 Learn more and explore the insights at https://ow.ly/HYiX50SC8vW ICF

Innovate UK is pleased to be collaborating with Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse to fund 26 innovative projects across the following sectors: ➡️ Life sciences ➡️ Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ➡️ Engineering ➡️ Energy and environment ➡️ Social sciences and business management From remote stroke diagnosis and treatment, to home energy storage technology aiming to cut consumer energy bills and accelerate decarbonisation of the grid, these projects showcase a rich diversity of innovations, building on the strengths of both nations. 🇬🇧 🇨🇭 Our strong regional and global partnerships connect businesses to new opportunities locally, nationally and internationally. Find out more here: https://ow.ly/2fH550SC8e0 Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Switzerland

Innovate UK is inviting business and organisations to commit their support to the innovation ecosystem, to drive forward the growth in the UK’s talent and skills pipeline. 🤝 By committing your support, you will not only have the opportunity to collaborate and work with like-minded organisations, you will also gain access to the complete portfolio of Innovate UK’s products and services. Join us today and be a part of building a diverse community of talent and skills. To find out more visit, https://ow.ly/aCVG50SAe3X

We recognise that many of the critical actions needed to deliver net zero, can only be delivered locally. Innovate UK’s £60 million, three-year Net Zero Living Programme aims to help places and businesses across the UK to accelerate the transition to net zero. 📈 Local authorities can directly address or influence up to 30% of the UK’s total carbon emissions and help facilitate the reduction of emissions across a place even more, through their influence in planning decisions, policy setting and defining local goals. 💡 We are working with local authorities and businesses to scale the immediate solutions needed to transition to net zero by overcoming barriers including coordinating diverse stakeholders, engaging with citizens, attracting finance or navigating procurement and governance processes. To find out more about our Net Zero living programme, visit - https://ow.ly/L1uo50SzoqZ You can also watch this video on: Financing, planning and delivering local net zero projects: Innovate UK support for local authorities here - https://ow.ly/jb1O50SzoqY #NetZeroWeek #NetZeroEvents #CleanGrowth #Netzeroliving #ClimateActionNow #NetZero2050 Net Zero Week™

Supporting innovative research into dementia diagnosis. Innovate UK is pleased to announce £4m funding for four UK SMEs to join a groundbreaking dementia study, led by US-based Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation. 🔹 Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, poses a major global health and economic challenge. 🔹 Our mission is to delay dementia onset and enhance life quality. This is a global effort to advance the understanding and diagnosis of dementia, working together to create more effective and less costly diagnostic methods, enhancing the quality of life for millions worldwide. The Innovate UK investment through SBRI, which is now known as Innovate UK Contracts for Innovation, is an important part of the government’s Dame Barbara Windsor #DementiaMission – the ambitious national Mission to beat dementia, launched in 2022. 🔗 Find out more: https://ow.ly/BtjS50SyPwP

📣 UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC: Economic and Social Research Council, recently commissioned leading consultancy Ricardo plc to develop a report exploring the key material challenges and requirements for the automotive industry. The report set out recommendations to support sustainable transition in the sector, including the development of innovative components like lightweight alloys and natural fibre composites to produce lightweight vehicles with a lower-carbon footprint. The study recommends several key interventions to tackle these challenges: 🔹 Research & Development: Target research to address gaps in materials separation and recycling. 🔹 Capacity Building: Equip the industry with skills to produce and use lightweight and low-carbon materials. 🔹 Commercialisation Support: Help new product supply chains scale and become cost-competitive. 🔹 Stakeholder Community: Foster collaboration between stakeholders in the foundation and automotive industries. 🔹 Policy Development: Introduce standards for recycled materials, improve the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive, and support new recycling facilities. 🔗 Discover more about innovation in the automotive industry: https://ow.ly/lrSA50SyI0x

🌍 Innovate UK is leading the way to a greener future Millions of UK homes are being scanned for energy leaks as part of our mission to achieve Net Zero. Published in New Scientist, this initiative leverages cutting-edge technology to identify energy inefficiencies. Innovate UK’s Deputy Challenge Director for the Net Zero Heat Programme, Mike Pitts, highlights the significant role of retrofitting homes with energy-efficient solutions. Modified Teslas equipped with advanced thermal imaging technology are being used to scan homes, identifying critical areas for improvement. By identifying and fixing energy leaks, we aim to reduce carbon emissions, lower energy costs, and improve home comfort. This effort not only supports the UK's sustainability goals but also fosters innovation in the building sector. Learn more about how we’re driving the UK’s sustainability goals through innovation and retrofitting. Read the article 👉 https://ow.ly/nLzr50SyHwL Read our blog 👉 https://ow.ly/hWYc50SyHwK #NZHeat #EnergyEfficiency #NetZero #Retrofitting #Innovation

Did you know heat in buildings accounts for 23% of UK emissions? 🤔 To meet the 6th Carbon Budget the UK needs to decarbonise heat for its 30 million buildings. Innovate UK's Net Zero Heat programme works with partners and UK companies to overcome barriers to enable a faster roll-out of decarbonised heat for buildings. For example, our Net Zero Heat programme’s cohort member, Guru Systems Ltd., provide market-leading hardware and data analytics platforms for heat networks, heat pumps and gas boilers. Their innovative technology improves the performance of these systems for residential developers, heat suppliers, customers and our planet. We are on a mission to make the UK the fastest transitioning economy to Net Zero. Discover stories of how our involvement is increasing investment in innovation leading to positive economic, societal, and environmental change – regionally, nationally and globally. - 🔗 https://ow.ly/xxg750Syy3i #NetZeroWeek #NetZeroEvents #CleanGrowth #Decarbonise #ClimateActionNow #NetZero2050