research performance & economic impact report 2010/2011

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

RESEARCH PERFORMANCE & ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT

2010/2011

2 ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL RESEARCH PERFORMANCE & ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT 2010 /2011

EPSRC IMPACT OVERVIEW

Impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. EPSRC delivers impact and aids growth through its support for research and training which leads, for example, to new technological advances, products and processes, as well as a highly skilled workforce, which increase the competitiveness of businesses in the UK. In 2010/11, EPSRC supported over 7,300 researchers through nearly 6,000 grants and funded a population of over 10,000 PhD students. This research and training is vital to a broad range of key UK sectors, including the creative industries, manufacturing, healthcare and energy. Over 40 per cent of EPSRC’s research portfolio is collaborative, involving around 2,300 user organisations and leveraging a contribution of £430 million from such partners.

EPSRC-sponsored research and training has significant impact in the knowledge-intensive sectors, which have been showni to be particularly important for the UK in terms of competing with emerging economies. Engineering and physical sciences research and training underpins elements of the top 10 UK sectors in terms of R&D intensity as a percentage of valued added. The sectors with the highest dependency on engineering and physical sciences are those with by far the fastest growth of value-added per employee since the 1990sii.

Our study, jointly commissioned with the Royal Society of Chemistry, into the Economic Benefits of Chemistry Research to the UK, published in 2010iii, found that one in every five pounds in the UK economy is dependent on developments in chemistry research, with industries reliant on chemistry contributing £258 billion to the UK economy in a single year. This represented an equivalent of 21 per cent of UK GDP, with the industry supporting six million jobs and accounting for at least 15 per cent of the UK’s exported goods.

In addition to our clear contribution to the UK economy, EPSRC investment has led to impact in addressing major societal challenges in areas such as energy, security and healthcare. In doing so, we have actively engaged the users of research in business, Government, the wider public sector and other non-governmental organisations. EPSRC-supported research also makes a significant contribution to advances in other areas, such as healthcare, for example, through the development of technologies which can be used by researchers in other disciplines.

Creating new markets, new opportunities in existing markets and creating jobs

AUTONOMY BOUGHT BY HEWLETT PACKARD FOR £7.1 BILLION

The UK’s largest software company, Autonomy, was started by Dr Mike Lynch at Cambridge University in 1996 based on work conducted during his EPSRC-supported PhD. It has since become a global leader in infrastructure software that enables organisations to derive meaning and value from their information, and mitigate risks associated with their assets. The company has become the market leader in the provision of software that automates the analysis of unstructured data such as e-mails and has the vision to fundamentally change the IT industry by revolutionising the way people interact with information. In August 2011, it was announced that Autonomy had been bought by Hewlett Packard for £7.1 billion ($11.7 billion). Autonomy will continue to operate as a separate company, with nearly 2,000 employees in the UK.

EXPORT SUCCESS IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING

A series of EPSRC research grants, held by Professors Hall and Baker at Heriot-Watt University (and formerly at Hull) over the past 30 years has led to the development of Rofin Sinar UK Ltd. The company designs, develops and manufactures sealed carbon dioxide lasers for marking applications and industrial processing, giving it an annual turnover of £14 million, 99 per cent of which is from exports. The company, based in Willerby, Hull, continues to work with Heriot-Watt and exploit new research activity.


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DEEP SEA PIPELINES, WELDING AND BLOCKAGES

Research undertaken by Professor Stewart Williams and his team at Cranfield University has enabled the world’s deepest subsea welds to be demonstrated during recent trials in a Norwegian fjord involving Isotek Oil & Gas Ltd on behalf of Statoil. Further applied research is continuing, supported by EPSRC through the Cranfield Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre and the Norwegian Government. The technology is important for a variety of offshore repair and maintenance applications including the oil and gas sector (pipeline, rigs) and renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal). It is increasingly important as deepsea oil drilling becomes more prevalent. For example when mature this technology could be deployed to prevent or reduce the impact of disasters such as that seen recently in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, annual savings of £500 million can be achieved by allowing hot tapping of pipelines rather than having to shut them down for repair.

Similar technology is being used in a separate £1.5 million collaborative project between BP and Cranfield. The welding process has been revolutionised by the development of a novel hybrid welding technique combining traditional arc welding with laser technology, thus reducing the time required to join large pipes by 75 per cent and resulting in annual cost savings of £1 billion for the industryi. Research is contining to extend the efficacy of the technique to smaller pipes and different types of steel.

Researchers who pioneered the use of sound waves to detect blockages in undersea gas pipes used EPSRC follow-on funding to develop a commercial product. The Acoustek system, developed at Manchester University, has already been used by Yorkshire-based Pipeline Engineering, for whom the technology has already opened up new areas of business, generated greater volume of remediation work and enabled the company to take on additional staff. The inventors won the 2010 IET Measurement in Action Innovation award. They are now extending the technology to give better control over the process and enable scans of liquids as well as gasses. Pipeline blockages can cost companies hundreds of millions of dollars a day and this technology has already saved BP over £2 million in addition to its impact on pipeline engineering.

Promoting the UK’s reputation as an innovator

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER

Amy Williams’ outstanding gold medal win in the skeleton bob event at the 2010 Winter Olympics was made possible with skills contributed by two EPSRC-funded students, Rachel Blackburn and James Roche, working in collaboration with the British Skeleton Association, UK Sport, Sheffield Hallam University and BAE Systems. The team developed a radical new sled tailored to the athlete’s size and sliding style, making it more responsive to the precise control needed to descend at high speeds. The project was given the Sports Award at The Engineer magazine’s annual Technology & Innovation Awards 2010.


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The green economy

REDUCING FOOD WASTE

EPSRC-supported researchers at the University of Strathclyde have developed an ‘intelligent’ plastic indicator for food packaging that changes colour when the food is about to lose its freshness. The product will help reduce the estimated 8.3 million tonnes of household food that is wasted every year in the UK. The project has received support from the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme.

CUTTING THE COST OF GOING GREEN FOR INDUSTRY

A carbon calculator software tool developed by chemical engineers at The University of Manchester and recommended by Government as the carbon footprinting tool for the industrial biotechnology sector clinched the Outstanding Achievement in Chemical and Process Engineering prize at IChemE’s annual innovation and excellence awards. It also won the GSK Innovation Award at the Chemical Industry Awards, and the Best Collaborative Project from Chemistry Innovation. Professor Adisa Azapagic and her team, won the award for a software tool called CCaLC that helps companies measure and improve their carbon footprint at minimum cost. A spokesman for Europe’s leading PVC manufacturer, Ineos Chlorvinyls, said: “CCaLC is highly valuable for the European PVC industry’s commitment towards sustainable development. For example, it helped the industry realise for the first time that an equivalent 20-fold reduction of carbon dioxide could be achieved through PVC recycling.” CCaLC has been downloaded by over 2,000 organisations. From just one of those downloads companies can save between £5,000 and £10,000 in typical consultancy fees. The project was funded through EPSRC’s and The Carbon Trust’s Carbon Vision Programme.

Facilitating discovery in other disciplines

REVOLUTIONARY AND CHEAP DATING TECHNIQUE

If you heat a piece of old ceramic, such as a pot or a brick, the process removes the water accumulated over the time it has existed. EPSRC-sponsored researchers have shown that by measuring how quickly the piece of ceramic gains water, and hence weight, once it has started to cool, it is possible to very accurately estimate its age. The technique has its origins in fundamental research into how cements and mortars behave. The researchers realised that the rate of water loss could be used for dating. A series of EPSRC grants over the last 18 years led to the breakthrough, and the research team at the universities of Edinburgh and Manchester have just used knowledge transfer funding from EPSRC to take it towards commercialisation. A spin-out company is expected soon.


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SPINAL IMPLANT HELPS PEOPLE WITH PARAPLEGIA

A team of EPSRC-funded engineers led by Professor Andreas Demosthenous from University College London have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralysed leg muscles.

It is the first time that researchers have developed a device of this kind that is small enough to be implanted into the spinal canal and incorporates the electrodes and muscle stimulator in one unit. The implant is the size of a child’s fingernail. The exciting innovation was welcomed by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts, who said: “This is a good example of how UK scientists and engineers are translating research into innovations that deliver real benefits for society. This tiny implant has the potential to make a real difference to the lives and long-term health of people with paraplegia in the UK and around the world.”

SMART ‘TATTOOS’ FOR DIABETICS

For decades, a simple and convenient way of enabling people with diabetes to monitor their own blood sugar levels has eluded medical science. But now advances in nanometrology – measuring at the nanoscale – are bringing the prospect within reach with ‘smart’ tattoos. With EPSRC support, researchers at the University of Strathclyde and King’s College London have been developing ‘smart’ tattoos that can be injected just under the outer layer of skin. Once in place, they function like a tiny laboratory, constantly monitoring changes in glucose concentrations within the body. A hand-held device placed close to the skin can collect this information and use it to provide an instant glucose reading. The technique is now being taken forward by a programme of follow-on research, with first-stage clinical trials planned. Over four million people worldwide die from diabetes or diabetes-related conditions every year; this technique could improve their health and quality of life, while easing some of the strain on healthcare resources.

Improving the health of the nation

HELPING HUMANS REPAIR THEMSELVES

Tissue Regenix is a spin-out company formed in 2006 to commercialise research funded over a series of EPSRC grants by Professors John Fisher and Eileen Ingham from the University of Leeds. Its first product, a vascular patch which repairs damaged human veins, has won European approval and will provide a vital resource in an area of chronic shortfall in donor tissue availability. There are 233,000 deaths per year from cardiovascular disease. The dCELL(R) Vascular patch can help repair damaged veins and prevent deaths. Other cutting-edge products could revolutionise the global industry, worth an estimated $7 billion. Professor Fisher received a CBE for services to Biomedical Engineering in the 2011 New Year Honours list and Professor Ingham received a Women of Outstanding Achievement Award 2011 from the Royal Academy of Engineering.


IMPACT THROUGH KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

The strengthening of knowledge exchange between the research base and research users, such as those in industry, is an important component in EPSRC’s strategy to achieve greater economic impact from the research we fund. The role of research users in articulating challenges and inspiring research, as well as their ongoing engagement with research projects, is key to delivering impact. EPSRC works across sector boundaries and disciplines to work with users at a range of levels to understand their research and training needs, connect them with the wider UK academic community and work in partnership with universities to maintain a high level of collaboration between users and the research base.

Strategic-level engagement with usersEPSRC engages with research users at a strategic level to ensure shared focus on user-inspired challenges. For example:

• Research users make up approximately half of the members of EPSRC Council, the senior decision-making body responsible for determining policy, priorities and strategy. Council members also include representatives from a range of key sectors including Energy, Pharmaceuticals and Communications/Information Technology. The EPSRC Council is supported in its role by a Strategic Advisory Network which includes a significant proportion of research users.

• Users provide significant input to overall direction of key themes within the EPSRC portfolio through their involvement in our strategic advice teams. Examples include the RCUK Energy Programme Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) which has diverse representation from industry, academia, government, including: the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Technology Strategy Board and an adviser to Friends of the Earth.

An important element in EPSRC’s approach in this area is the development of Strategic Partnerships with key user organisations to enable us to work together and coordinate a longer-term approach to the support of relevant research and training. We have Strategic Partnerships involving 28 organisations including industrial companies, government organisations and charities. A total investment to date of £306 million (including £131 million leveraged from partners) is supporting a range of activities developed as a direct result of these partnerships which are helping to ensure that research is being funded where the opportunities for impact are maximised. Overall the Strategic Partners have benefited from new connections, leverage of science and funding, changing academic culture, and new concepts and ideas. The Strategic Partnerships have helped companies and user organisations develop their research activities and promote engagement with universities by showing how university research can be relevant to business.

EPSRC – PARTNER OF CHOICE

EPSRC received a Partner of Choice award from the world’s largest consumer products company, Procter and Gamble, at an awards ceremony in Cincinnati in October 2011.

The annual P&G Global Business Development Innovation Partnering Celebration event recognises and celebrates top-performing global partners. Michael Duncan from Procter and Gamble said: “Procter and Gamble and EPSRC have had a strategic relationship since 2006, and throughout this period they have been an outstanding partner, helping P&G build closer relationships with academia across the UK. They have co-invested with us into a range of strategically important areas of science and technology and helped push the boundaries of how P&G can engage with top class industrially-relevant research.”


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STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION

As part of a long-term partnership between EPSRC and BAE Systems, the ALADDIN project, in addition to being academically recognised as of the highest quality and winning international research competitions, has had significant impact on BAE. For example, technology developed during the five-year project is pioneering the use of decentralised data and information systems which will assist in the management of, and response to, these uncertain environments and dynamic events, such as natural disasters. The technology has been transferred to the Military Air solutions arm of BAE which is developing it further in a follow-up study. Also the market-based control approaches developed by the project are being applied to military logistics with the promise of improved solutions to the challenges of getting personnel and supplies in the right place at the right time while meeting wider systems issues such as security, scalability and survivability.

EPSRC is seeking to increase the potential value of Strategic Partnerships by expanding them across sectors and with other sponsors, enabling multiple partners to be involved in sector-focused partnerships.

SMART DEVICE CUTS HOME ENERGY BILLS

Watttbox, a new energy saving device, is part of an innovative approach to energy-efficient home improvements supported through the EPSRC and E.ON Strategic Partnership. Pioneering engineers at De Montfort University have created an intelligent heating device that learns householders’ energy habits and could lead to home energy savings of up to 20 per cent. A company has been formed to commercialise the research: www.wattbox.com.

Project level engagement with users – collaborative researchRecent researchiv demonstrates that impact is maximised when research users and academics work together to formulate problems and work in ‘shared spaces’. As well as ensuring that the user community plays a significant role in shaping research directions, EPSRC encourages users and academics to work together through collaborative research projects. Over 40 per cent of EPSRC’s research portfolio is collaborative, involving around 2,300 user organisations and leveraging a contribution of £430 million from such partners1.

Promoting collaboration in priority areasManufacturingA recent studyv commissioned by EPSRC has shown that collaboration fostered through the EPSRC-supported Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres delivered actual gross impacts of around 16 times the EPSRC investment. The net impacts have been calculated as between 5.25 and 13 times the EPSRC investment. They include:

• 20 technologies/products to market

• Informing public sector policy/strategy (OFT, UKTI etc). For example IMRC personnel have advised on a £36m new schools construction programme in Manchester, an OFT policy on bid-rigging and the UKTI export strategy

1 Total value of contributions (collaborative + co-funding) on grants current on 1/4/11.


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• Potential annual cost savings to public sector organisations such as the NHS and MoD, of over £17 million

• Collaborating companies report both growth in market share (e.g. one collaborator reported an increase in the share of the European composite propellers market from 5% to 50%) and additional sales (£70 million to date)

• Licensing fees (£43 million)

Building on this strong foundation, in 2010/11 EPSRC made an investment of £45 million in nine further EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing, bringing the total to 12. The Centres focus on areas of pioneering research in areas such as Intelligent Automation, Regenerative Medicine, Industrial Sustainability and Liquid Metal Engineering; they will strengthen the UK’s international standing and spearhead the creation of new industries and new employment opportunities in the UK. Each EPSRC Centre will receive five years’ funding to retain staff, develop collaborations, carry out feasibility studies and support up to two research projects. EPSRC support will be used as a platform from which the centres can secure further investment from industry and other funders. The centres have established links with the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre set up by the Technology Strategy Board to build even stronger links between businesses and the UK’s world-class research base.

Digital Economy Led by EPSRC on behalf of all of the research councils, the RCUK Digital Economy (DE) programme supports research to realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy. To achieve this it brings together a unique community of researchers from diverse disciplines including Social Science, Engineering, Computer Science, the Arts and Medical Research and research users (people, business, government) to study, understand and find solutions to real problems. The first phase of the Digital Economy theme focused on creating a community of researchers engaged in DE activities and pioneered the DE approach of engaging users throughout the lifespan of the research through the establishment of three research hubs. EPSRC has invested £36 million to date in an exciting range of projects which are positioned to deliver a wide range of user-focused solutions, building on UK strengths in information and communication technologies:

Helping end rural isolation

• Researchers at the dot.rural hub at the University of Aberdeen are exploring the contribution digital technologies can make to enhancing key services, generating business opportunities, boosting quality of life and promoting the economic, social and environmental sustainability of rural areas across the UK (www.dotrural.ac.uk).

Building a truly inclusive digital economy

• The Inclusion through the Digital Economy hub aims to tackle social exclusion by making it easier for people to access the life-changing benefits offered by digital technologies (www.side.ac.uk).

Harnessing our digital footprint

• The Horizon Hub, based at the University of Nottingham, is developing new ways to use the electronic ‘footprints’ we leave behind whenever we use mobile, internet and other digital technologies; it is also developing new ways to use digital technologies to help business and stimulate economic growth (www.horizon.ac.uk).

DECISIONS! DECISIONS!

A prototype computer game has been developed to help improve decision-making skills in all aspects of our lives. EPSRC support has enabled a team at Queen’s University Belfast to develop the prototype that could be built on by commercial games manufacturers and turned into an e-learning or training tool for professionals in all walks of life – and for the general public.


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EnergyEPSRC leads the Research Councils’ Energy programme which aims to position the UK to meet its energy and environmental targets and policy goals through high-quality research and postgraduate training. Over 500 public and private sector organisations are involved in energy projects; the value of the current portfolio exceeds £0.5 billion. Funded research has helped inform the UK policy in this area, for example, it has contributed to the Department of Energy and Climate Change on its 2050 climate change scenarios, the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy and the White Paper on Nuclear Power. Impacts will be significant, including:

• The offshore wind research being funded will support the generation of £2.4 billion in GVA per year to the UK economy and in the marine energy sector £3-4 billion of capital investment is anticipatedvi.

• Researcher contributions to government consultations on smart meters will help ensure that £2.5 billion investment will be targeted correctly to the benefit of 25 million householdsvii.

Healthcare Technologies EPSRC plays a vital role in sponsoring basic research capabilities that create new techniques and technologies to address national and global health challenges.To ensure that the benefits of the research are fully realised, EPSRC expects the researchers it sponsors to work across disciplines and with others further along the innovation chain, such as business, the National Institute of Health Research, biomedical research centres and emerging Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs).

Examples of outcomes include:

• The MyCare Card, which stores personal medical data such as information on a patient’s medical conditions, allergies and medication being taken, and plugs into a laptop’s USB port, enabling the data to be accessed in moments. Initial trials have been successful and the development team, from City University London and Coventry University, now hopes to work with organisations in the healthcare sector to undertake a full-scale pilot programme. If that programme is also completed successfully, the system could be available for patient use within around three to four years.

• Computer modelling software for testing newly-developed products and treatments for chronic back pain. The software, developed by researchers at the University of Leeds, should be available in the next few years and will speed up the process of clinical trials for new treatments, which currently can take up 10 years.

Promoting collaboration across the EPSRC portfolioEPSRC encourages collaboration between researchers and users across all areas of its portfolio. Many of these activities lead to valuable outcomes, for example:

• A high-speed baggage scanning system is being installed at Manchester Airport as part of a contract worth over $20 million. It is the culmination of 12 years of EPSRC-sponsored work by Dr Edward Morton who came up with the invention at the University of Surrey. The invention was originally patented by the university and incorporated into its spin-out company, CXR Ltd, which was later sold to US company OSI Systems Inc, which continued to develop it into a fully working system with Dr Morton. This work was done at OSI’s UK subsidiary, Rapiscan Systems, based in Crawley. The scanner won the Defence & Security award at The Engineer magazine’s Technology & Innovation Awards 2010.

• A unique wave-generating machine that mimics the activity of real-life tsunamis with unprecedented realism has been developed jointly by the Earthquake and People Interaction Centre, based at University College London, and consulting engineers HR Wallingford, at whose headquarters the facility is located. Tests with this facility will be used to enhance understanding of the water flows and forces unleashed by tsunamis. This will enable buildings and infrastructure in vulnerable parts of the world to be designed and built in ways that help them withstand these destructive events. It will also make it possible to strengthen emergency and contingency planning at regional, national and individual community level.


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• New technology is helping children with disabilities take control of their conversations and share school experiences with family. The software system gathers information about a child’s experiences at school, and a computer converts the data into a story the child can share at home. This enables children with disabilities to have conversations in a faster, more interactive way. The system is the result of a collaborative project involving the universities of Dundee and Aberdeen and Capability Scotland. The team are working on integrating the technology into communication devices used by children with severe motor disabilities. They also plan to investigate expanding the system to incorporate conversations around other themes.

EPSRC places emphasis on brokering relationships between researchers and potential users to stimulate innovation and enhance growth. To support this approach, we are developing a way of making the contents of our research portfolio more readily available to a wider set of businesses and other research users. We are leading on the development of the cross-council Research Outcomes System (ROS). Due to go live by November 2011, the system will collect data and information from researchers on the outcomes of their work. To make use of this new stream of information, we are developing a web-based system which will enable users to find out more about what researchers are working on and what has already arisen from their EPSRC-supported research.

Routes to exploitationPartnership with the Technology Strategy BoardWe work closely with other key organisations such as the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), to align our vision as sponsors and ensure that the more fundamental research funded by EPSRC feeds through into their programmes of activity, thus maximising the opportunities for application and exploitation. EPSRC has funded over 300 projects with the TSB2 since its inception in 2004, and now has a joint portfolio of over £280 million of aligned activities, including contributions from business. For example:

• Building on the significant portfolio of EPSRC-supported research in plastic electronics, in 2010 we partnered with the TSB in an investment of over £8 million in projects which will lead to the creation of a range of new products such as conformable and rollable electronic displays, ultra-efficient lighting and low-cost, long-life solar cells.

• In February 2011, EPSRC and the TSB jointly invested £5 million in four industry-led collaborative research and development projects to help ensure that the UK can become an early and competitive adopter of the next generation of solar energy harvesting technologies. The university partners on three of the funded projects had previously received three years of funding from EPSRC; the new funding (awarded through a stage-gating approach) enabled the projects to seamlessly scale-up the technologies developed in the first stage.viii

• EPSRC engagement in the TSB’s Innovation Platforms has ensured greater connectivity with the research base and provided strategic guidance to the development of programmes including: Assisted Living, Detection & Identification of Infectious Agents, Low Carbon Vehicles, Intelligent Transport Systems, Network Security and Low Impact Buildings Innovation Platforms.

• EPSRC welcomed the introduction of a new network of world-leading specialist Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs) and has engaged with the initial three centres in: High Value Manufacturing, Cell Therapy and Offshore Renewable Energy. Dialogue has continued on the next tranche of TICs due to be announced in spring 2012. Technology and innovation centres will play an important role in realising impact from investments made by EPSRC in excellent research and postgraduate training activities. EPSRC will continue to work closely with the TSB to provide support for research and technology which is still in the early stages of development but requires a joint approach between researchers and research users, for example, in Innovation and Knowledge Centres (see below).

EPSRC supports a number of activities that encourage the results of research to be taken forward to commercial exploitation. For example, through Innovation and Knowledge Centres (IKCs)3, we provide a shared space and entrepreneurial environment in which researchers, potential customers and

2 The TSB has funded over 700 collaborative research and development projects since 2004, amounting to investment of over £1 billion, approximately half of which has come from the TSB and the rest from the businesses involved.3 EPSRC provides funding of around £7 million per centre over five years; the TSB contributes an additional £2.5 million per centre.


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skilled professionals from both academia and business can work side by side to scope applications, business models and routes to market. The existing IKCs are already delivering impacts, for example:

• The Centre for Regenerative Therapies and Devices at Leeds University has developed a portable cardiac scanner which will dramatically improve the process of diagnosing heart conditions, saving time for medical staff and patients and ultimately relieving pressure and costs for healthcare providers.

In 2010 we invested in a further two more centres focused on:

• Sustainable Product Engineering for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings (SPECIFIC) – with the aim of transforming buildings into ‘power stations’ through the rapid commercialisation of functional coatings on steel and glass to enable energy capture, storage and release. The centre brings together university partners (Swansea, ICL, Bath, Strathclyde, Glyndwr, and Bangor) and industrial companies including global steel giant Tata, global glass manufacturer Pilkington and major chemical companies, such as BASF, Akzo Nobel, Beckers and Johnson Matthey, as well as specialist suppliers to the emerging photovoltaic industry, such as Dyesol. The ambitious target of the SPECIFIC academic and industrial partnership is to generate a portfolio of products which, by 2020, will generate over one third of the UK’s requirement for renewable energy.

• The Cambridge IKC combines research in sensor and data management with innovative manufacturing processes to transformrelevant industries the industry through a whole-life approach to achieving sustainability in construction and infrastructure. The centre draws on expertise in four leading research groups in the Cambridge Engineering Department and the Computer Laboratory (sensors, computing, manufacturing engineering and civil engineering), along with staff in other faculties – the Judge Business School and the Department of Architecture. Through the close involvement of industry in technical development as well as in demonstrations in real construction projects, the commercialisation activities of emerging technologies will be progressed during the project to a point where they can be licensed to industry.

Facilitating knowledge exchangeEPSRC also provides flexible funding to universities to undertake a range of activities to ensure that the research funded is fully exploited. The funding also encourages a culture of knowledge transfer/exchange – for example, through Knowledge Transfer Accounts (KTAs) and through Knowledge Transfer Secondments (KTSs). Knowledge Transfer Secondments and Knowledge Transfer Accounts support the secondment of EPSRC-funded staff into organisations that can exploit their research results. KTS and KTA funding can also be used to host researchers from industry working on specific projects which build on the results of earlier EPSRC-funded research. Currently EPSRC supports 243 secondments into a broad range of companies (nearly one third of which are SMEs) spanning sectors such as Aerospace; Creative Industries; Electronics; Communications; Energy; Manufacturing; Medicines and Healthcare; and Transport.

Amongst other activities, universities may choose to be involved in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), which employ high-calibre associates to work for up to three years on projects that are core to the strategic development of a business. EPSRC is a long-standing partner in the KTP programme and sponsors a prize to the partnership that has most successfully transferred knowledge gained from EPSRC-funded research. This year’s winner was Navtech Radar Ltd in partnership with the University of Bath. This KTP, sponsored by EPSRC and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), aimed to design, prototype and test a new compact, high resolution radar sensor for security applications. The project has been a huge success, resulting in the development of a new suite of radar products. The KTP helped the company to lower the cost of the production process and to manufacture a higher performance product line, which is being widely exported overseas. Navtech has expanded its workforce and the Associate, Anthony D’Souza, is now Navtech’s operations director. The collaboration has also helped to give valuable insights to the university into the technical, commercial and economic challenges faced by cutting-edge UK industry.


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PREDICTING EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

UK Met Office weather prediction codes have been improved as a result of EPSRC-funded maths research. The University of Bath’s Knowledge Transfer Account (KTA) has funded a Fellowship with the Met Office, suppliers of the UK’s weather forecast, to improve its forecasting operations for extreme atmospheric events. The project, led by Professor Chris Budd from the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has applied research from a PhD undertaken by Emily Walsh on adaptive methods for weather forecasting. The project has enabled the development of new data assimilation methods which provide better forecasting of surface temperatures, improving the OpenRoad software used to advise county councils on road gritting procedures.

Creating new companiesAnother way in which research results can be exploited is through the creation of new companies which emerge as a result of EPSRC support. Twenty-five new spin-out companies were reported in 2010, bringing the total to 148 identified since 2008. The companies cover a diverse range of areas – from the detection of chemicals, to harnessing wave power to bio-engineering. A recent internal study suggested that the spin-outs arising from EPSRC-supported research have a high survival rate, with many examples of longer-term success.

ENHANCED VIEWING

Researchers at the University of Warwick have developed the world’s first complete High Dynamic Range (HDR) video system, from video capture to image display, which will help a range of users. Examples include cameras able to clearly see a football when it is kicked from the shadow of the stadium into sunshine; surveillance cameras which can detect detail even in extreme lighting conditions; and surgeons using video to conduct or record surgical procdeures. Warwick Ventures is working with Professor Alan Chalmers to commercialise the all-important compression technology through a spin-out company called goHDR. The company has already partnered with SpheronVR, IBM Austin Research Laboratory and Entanglement Productions and is currently in the initial investment stage, although already has a significant presence at industry showcases such as IBC2011. www.gohdr.com

PREVENTING INFECTION

With funding from a Knowledge Transfer Account, a team of researchers from Durham and Newcastle Universities are developing a chemical treatment for medical devices such as catheters and heart valves aimed at reducing the risk of patients developing infections such as MRSA while in hospital. Organisms that cause infections tend to stick to such devices and although good hygiene and antibiotics can reduce infection rates, we still need new ways of preventing them from occurring. Working with surgical experts at South Tees NHS Trust, the research teams have developed a new way to treat the surface of materials and devices with chemicals which will kill infective bacteria. It is estimated that MRSA and similar infections currently cost the NHS an additional £1billion per year.

Other examples of impacts arising from EPSRC’s investment in knowledge transfer activities are highlighted below:


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NON-STICK CHEWING GUM

Revolymer is a University of Bristol spin-out company formed in 2005, based on the expertise of Professor Terence Cosgrove gained as a result of his research funded by EPSRC/SERC over many years. Over a series of grants, Professor Cosgrove was able to develop expertise in polymer surface chemistry to create a non-stick chewing gum – and so tackle a problem that costs UK councils £150 million a year to solve. Some 9,000 tonnes of chewing gum are disposed of in Britain each year.

A spin-out company, Revolymer Ltd, completed the development of its Clean Gum in 2007 and started selling non-stick chewing gum in the US in 2010. The product has the same chewing texture and flavour release as standard gum. The firm is hoping to get clearance in the UK and is looking to market the non-stick gum early next year. The new product is based around the invention of a new polymer, which can also be used in make-up and deodorants. As a result of continued expansion, Revolymer currently employs 30 people and has moved to a new, larger HQ in Flintshire, North Wales. www.revolymer.com


IMPACT THROUGH SKILLED PEOPLE

Many key sectors of the UK economy are heavily dependent on engineering and physical science PhD-holders, demand for whom has been increasing in areas such as pharmaceuticals, aerospace, computing, telecommunications and finance. EPSRC spends approximately 25 per cent of its budget on doctoral-level training, supporting nearly 10,000 students at any time, approximately a quarter of these graduate each year as highly-trained doctorate holders. Nearly half find employment in business and public services. Manufacturing, business, finance and IT are the biggest employers of doctoral graduates in engineering and physical sciences, representing around 75 per cent of those going into industry and public services.

• Clear evidence of the value of doctorates was provided through a studyix commissioned by EPSRC, of the Importance of engineering and physical sciences doctorates to the UK economy, which showed that:

o Doctorate-holders are vital for competitiveness in key sectors of the UK economy – both commercial performance and improved position relative to competitors were rated highly.

o Doctorate holders significantly enhance the capabilities of their companies (mainly through technical expertise, innovation/creative thinking and problem solving abilities).

o As well as their direct economic impact through improved commercial performance, doctorate holders generate significant wider impacts in areas such as the environment, policy and standards. The contribution of doctorates was rated as high/medium by the majority of respondents in the following areas: Standards and Good Practice (73 per cent), Environmental (61 per cent), Policy and regulatory (59 per cent) and Health and quality of life (51 per cent).

EPSRC recognises the important role it plays in providing highly skilled people for a broad range of employers. We ensure added value through the delivery of high-quality cohort-based training in areas of key importance to the UK: many of the EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) have close links to industry and are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the UK, from high-tech crime to the sustainable provision of energy. EPSRC invested a further £4.4 million in Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) in 2010/11 bringing our total investment to £320 million since 2008. This year the centres provided over 900 doctoral students not only with internationally-leading research skills but also the business skills they need to generate new knowledge and turn their pioneering ideas into products and services. This number will continue to grow for the next few years as the recently launched centres recruit subsequent cohorts of students.

Over a third of these centres are Industrial Doctorate Centres (IDCs) where students spend up to 75 per cent of their time in an industrial environment. EPSRC co-funded five new IDCs in 2010/11, covering key areas of advanced manufacturing vital to growth in two of the UK’s biggest industrial sectors, aerospace and automotive.The new EPSRC centres will help students taking an engineering doctorate (EngD) understand the needs of business and learn how to be entrepreneurs, as well as train them in the most innovative future technologies in advanced manufacturing.

EPSRC also provides support for Industrial CASE4 studentships. Over the last three years some 600 studentships have been provided for businesses to take the lead in arranging projects with an academic partner of their choice. This not only provides a mutually beneficial research outcome, it also offers outstanding students access to training, facilities and expertise not available in a purely academic setting.

4 Collaborative Awards in Science & Engineering


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WIND ENERGY SYSTEMS DOCTORAL TRAINING CENTRE

Wind power has an important role to play in the fight to tackle climate change and lower carbon dioxide emissions. The rapid expansion of on- and off-shore wind farms will require highly skilled engineers and scientists combining technical ability with commercial and social awareness. At the Wind Energy Systems Doctoral Training Centre run by the University of Strathclyde, students are being trained in all aspects of wind power, from aerodynamics and mechanics to the core electrical and power conversion technology required. These skills are combined with an awareness of the wider social and economic issues, thus creating a community of researchers capable of realising the UK’s renewables goal.

HIGHWIRE: INNOVATION IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

HighWire is a Doctoral Training Centre, located at Lancaster University with a focus on innovation as it relates to the Digital Economy. The centre aims to produce a new breed of innovative people who understand and are able to advance the state of the art in technical, design and business innovation: innovative people prepared to work in challenging roles in organisations and ready to drive radical change in the digital economy. Students on the programme engage with a variety of industries – from micro-businesses and SMEs to large companies related to the digital economy. Through this, they will have a real impact not just on the academic community but on business and society more generally.

DOCTORAL TRAINING CENTRE IN FINANCIAL COMPUTING

This innovative new training centre has been established at University College London, in collaboration with the London School of Economics and the London Business School and supported by partnerships with 20 leading financial institutions. It is the first major collaboration in the area of algorithmic risk simulation between the financial services industry and academia – covering a wide range of organisations who have not traditionally engaged with the research councils, for example, investment banks and hedge funds. The Bank of England and Treasury are partners, due to the potential for significant impact. A better understanding in this area could help prevent a future financial meltdown. The activity has also led to a number of spin-off activities including the Global Banking Science 2011 Algorithmic Trading Competition, sponsored by a number of leading financial institutions and involving a broad range of leading US, European and Asian universities.

EPSRC has continued to support activities focused on engaging researchers with the public to share exciting research results, inspire the young and hear and act upon the public’s views on the future of science. Highlights include:

• The Bloodhound Education Programme – inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers. This initiative has continued to grow in scope and scale, and over 4,000 schools have registered interest in the EPSRC-sponsored project, which aims to build the world’s first 1,000mph car. The Bloodhound SSC vehicle was a major attraction at the National Big Bang Fair in London, which attracted over 25,000 visitors.

• As part of an ongoing agenda to promote responsible innovation, EPSRC commissioned a three-day event to explore key ethical and societal issues potentially presented by robotics research. The event took place in September 2010 and brought together a wide range of researchers from Robotics, the Arts, Humanities, Law and Social Sciences.

EPSRC’s Senior Media Fellows have continued to communicate research to millions through the media and major public events. In 2010 we appointed another Fellow, Professor Steve Haake, Head of Sports Engineering at Sheffield Hallam, who aims to raise the profile of science in sport through the 2012 Olympics. Dr Mark Miodownik, another of our Senior Media Fellows, delivered the 2010 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, broadcast by BBC television. This builds on previous success when prominent Media Fellow Jim Al-Khalili was nominated for a BAFTA in the Specialist Factual category.


SUSTAINING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH TO ENABLE IMPACT DELIVERY

Impact starts with our commitment to the most excellent long-term, fundamental research. Studies show that companies are attracted by skills or preferentially locate near to universities, and that industry emphasises the importance of access to new methodologies and instrumentation developed from discovery-led researchx. Recent examples of inward investment associated with EPSRC-funded activities include £85 million by Tata Motors into a European Technical Centre based at the University of Warwick, and a multi-million pound investment from Trumpf, the laser systems company, into fiber laser manufacturer SPI Lasers’ operation in Southampton (see below).

CAMBRIDGE INSTITUTE FOR INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CENTRE (IMRC)

This centre has been working with SPI Lasers since 2003 to help develop industrial processing solutions and establish SPI as a world-leading provider of fibre laser systems, enabling it to establish new product lines. In 2009, SPI Lasers secured inward investment from the world-renowned laser systems builder Trumpf of Germany. This multi-million pound investment allowed SPI Lasers to expand its UK operation in Southampton, thereby establishing hundreds of jobs in the production of fibre lasers in the UK.

EPSRC supports excellence across its portfolioCitation data demonstrates that the UK has continued to maintain a strong position globally in engineering, physical sciences and mathematic5. This is reinforced by analysis undertaken by EPSRC which demonstrated that, collectively in the research areas that fall primarily within our remit, the UK’s citation impact has overtaken the USA and is second in the world.

CANADA

CHINA

FRANCE

GERMANY

INDIA

JAPAN

UK

USA

WORLD

1.5

1.3

1.1

0.9

0.7

0.5 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Impa

ct r

elat

ive

to th

e W

orld

5 Field weighted citation impact 2006-10 – UK rankings (out of the G8 + China)

Evidence of the high quality of the EPSRC portfolio has also come from evaluation activities such as International Reviews and Theme Days:

For example:

• The 2010 International Review of Mathematical Sciences, commissioned by EPSRC, concluded that ‘overall, mathematical sciences research in the UK is excellent on an international scale, with world-leading researchers in every subfield and associated application area’.

• The review of the RCUK Energy Programme, led by EPSRC, concluded that the UK energy academic community was ‘well-regarded on the international scene for its excellence’.


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THE WONDER STUFF: NOBEL PRIZE FOR EPSRC GRAPHENE PIONEERS

A high profile example of how EPSRC’s funding for research has led to ground-breaking discoveries was demonstrated this year with the award for the Nobel Prize for Physics to EPSRC-supported researcher Professor Andre Geim and fellow Russian-born scientist Dr Konstantin Novoselov. EPSRC has supported Professor Geim’s work for over 10 years: the funding has helped the UK retain key academic and research staff and has attracted leading scientists from overseas who have been keen to take part in cutting-edge research. Because of its extraordinary properties graphene is potentially suitable for a wide range of commercial applications and could revolutionise the semi-conductor industry by replacing silicon. The UK Government recently announced an extra £50 million for a research and technology hub to exploit the commercial possibilities of graphene. Professor Geim has noted that: “The EPSRC grants that got us started supported curiosity-driven projects, which are generally not expected to have application, certainly not in anything other than the very long term. Graphene research is still a very new area, so we are still at teh stage of assessing applications for hte material – but already the initial investments have been returned in taxes, and in 10 years’ time the government will have its investment repaid a thousand times over.”

We have continued to strengthen the UK research base by building programmes focused on transformative and highly ambitious research, much of it multidisciplinary, and by providing significant funding for world-leading groups to address significant major research challenges in areas such as biosensors for healthcare, super-fast computers and synthetic molecular machines.

Recent researchxi has shown that the most successful and productive researchers are those who are internationally mobile and have significant levels of international collaboration. Recognising the value that comes from linking the best researchers worldwide, we have developed a portfolio of international collaborations: over £640 million of EPSRC funds are currently providing support for UK researchers to work in collaboration with leading research groups internationally, notably China, India, USA, Japan and Europe. This represents an increase of around 20 per cent over last year.

Funding from EPSRC and the UK Science and Innovation Network in India has supported research into the use of interactive technology in school classrooms in India to encourage greater cooperation and communication. Initial evidence shows that this activity-based learning can raise student attainment – the positive impacts are being further explored.

To maintain the UK’s global research standing in light of increasing international competition, we are focusing our investments in areas that are of long-term strategic importance to the UK. In future, all our investment decisions will be based on the international excellence of the research and its national importance, while continuing to encourage the free generation of ideas and curiosity-based research. Through this strategic approach to shaping the capability of the UK research base and supporting world-leading individuals, we are ensuring that the research base is best placed to deliver the most impact for the UK.


METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Understanding the routes to impactWe have continued to extend our understanding of the various ways in which impact can be achieved and assessed, in order to inform our future strategy for maximising impact. Highlights over the last year include:

• The Economic Benefits of Chemistry Research to the UK – this study included economic analysis at the macro-level using a twin-tracked process which quantified the importance of chemistry research to the ‘upstream’ chemistry-dependent and ‘downstream’ chemistry-using sectors. It was undertaken jointly with the Royal Society of Chemistry and published in September 2010. The methodology could be extended to other disciplines – we are currently exploring the potential to undertake a similar study for Mathematical Sciences.

• Economic Impact study of Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres – this study was based on a combination of gross impact data across all centres complemented by case studies of nearly 10 per cent of the total investment. It formed part of a broader review of EPSRC support for manufacturing (to inform a focused approach on ‘Manufacturing the Future’) which included a Theme day (April 2010) to review the current research portfolio, and a Competitor Analysis Study (May 2011). Key messages are being taken forward in the new tranche of Centres for Innovative Manufacturing.

• The Value of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) Doctorates in Research-intensive Industries – this was a two- phase study: the first phase analysis of existing material and scoping interviews provided the focus for the second phase which consisted of a survey of employers in the four sectors employing the highest numbers of EPS doctorates (i.e holders of PhDs and Engineering Doctorates) – the survey was complemented by around 20 case studies. It would be possible to extend the methodology to other areas. As well as informing EPSRC strategy, the outcomes of the study are being used by RCUK in scoping further work on the impact of postgraduate training.

Improving the evidence baseEPSRC has been leading the development of the cross-council Research Outcomes System – this is a common system (which will be used initially by four Research Councils: AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC and ESRC) to collect data and information on outputs, outcomes and impacts arising from research grants. The advantages of the new system include long-term collection of data (as opposed to the current ‘snapshot’ approach where data is collected three months after the end of a project as part of the final reporting process), and a broader range of information being gathered.

The system is going live in October/November 2011 in a phased rollout to universities and grantholders. Data will be collected on projects which have ended in the last five years and used for evaluation and reporting purposes; it will also be made available more widely on the web.

Strategic dev opmentMaximising the value of EPSRC-sponsored researchOver the next 12 months, we will be working with our Strategic Advisory Network to address the issue of maximising the value of EPSRC-sponsored research and training within the global context.

The intention is to:

• Document and understand the effective routes to impact for EPSRC- sponsored research and training

• Develop an agreed framework to inform choices on which research and training to sponsor and how to sponsor it, including choice of user partners and management of IP to deliver maximum benefit for the UK

• Increase understanding and expertise on the exploitation of engineering and physical sciences research and innovation.


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Enhancing value: getting the most out of UK research EPSRC is partnering with the Council for Industry and Higher Education, the UK-Innovation Research Centre, the Technology Strategy Board and other organisations in the Enhancing Value Task Force which is addressing the following fundamental policy question: How can the UK innovation system be shaped to maximise the impact of public sector R&D and utilise to maximum effect the multiple pathways to commercial exploitation in the private sector, whilst enhancing the internationally-leading position of its universities in research and as teaching institutions? Early findings will feed into the BIS Innovation and Research Strategy, with a final report due in summer 2012.

Economic impact of the green economyEPSRC is working with three other research councils, BBSRC, ESRC and NERC, on a cross-council economic impact assessment of the green economy. EPSRC supports a range of relevant activities including low-carbon energy and sustainability solutions; green chemistry and process engineering; and sustainable infrastructure, such as energy-efficient buildings and green transport.


ANNEX: OUTPUT DATA (AS SPECIFIED BY BIS)

Human Capital .

Principal Investigators # 3,321 3,178 3,164 3,221 PIs supported as at 1/4/2011. The total number of investigators (i.e principal and co- supported on 1/4/11 was 6,229.

Research Fellowships # 313 310 295 349

OUTPUTS Knowledge Generation

Number of grants assessed for reporting

# 1,225 2,353 1,394 1,306

Refereed publications # 6,426 11,639 9,475 11,223 Final Reports received between 1/4/10 and 31/3/11

Non-refereed publications # 13,226 23,010 13,566 16,660 Final Reports received between 1/4/10 and 31/3/11

Co-authorship of refereed publications – International

# 3,411 Final Reports received between 1/4/10 and 31/3/11

Co-authorship of refereed publications – Industry

# 905 Final Reports received between 1/4/10 and 31/3/11

Human Capital

Number of new PhD students starts

# 2,302 2,229 2,465 2,139 Number of new PhD starts in that FY (restated)

Number of new project student starts

# 772 692 775 587 Number of new project student starts in FY, includes basic tech (restated)

total number of new student starts

# 3,074 2,921 3,240 2,726

Number of PhD students supported on 31 March

# 7,625 7,537 7,507 7,482 PhD student stock on 31 March (restated)

Number of project students supported on 31 March

# 2,494 2,702 2,908 2,694 Project student stock on 31 March, includes basic tech (restated)

total student stock on 31 March # 10,119 10,239 10,415 10,176

Knowledge Transfer and Exchange

KE Programmes Knowledge Transfer Accounts (KTAs), Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), Follow-on Fund, Collaboration Fund, Innovation & Knowledge Centres (IKCs)

IP Activity (discretionary)

Patent applications # 192 211 224 243

Patents granted # 41 47 25 55

Spinouts/new businesses created

# 27 20 16 21

OUTCOMES Destinations of leavers

Of which University % 31% 35% 35% 39%

Of which Wider Public Sector % 5% 3% 5% 4%

Of which Private Sector % 45% 44% 42% 39%

Of which Unknown or Other % 12% 10% 9% 11%

Of which Unemployed % 6% 8% 9% 8%

TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%

PhD students who remained in a UK HEI

% 27.6% 31.5% 30.2% 31.9%


BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES

i p22, BIS Economics Paper No. 9, Economic Growth, November 2010.

ii Engineering and Physical Sciences in the UK, SPRU, 2003 – report commissioned by EPSRC and updated in 2009.

iii The Economic Benefits of Chemistry Research to the UK – DTZ Sept 2010.

[i] Economic Impact of the Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres: Final Report, DTZ, May 2011.

iv Valuing Knowledge Exchange: a summary of recent research (2009) Philip Ternouth and Cathy Garner.

v Economic Impact of IMRCs – DTZ May 2011.

vi Economic Impact of the RCUK Energy Programme – DTZ 2010.

vii Economic Impact of the RCUK Energy Programme – DTZ 2010.

viii http://www.innovateuk.org/content/press-release/developing-the-next-generation-of-solar-energy-har.ashx

ix The Value of PhDs: the Impact of Doctoral Education in Research Intensive Employers – DTZ report June 2011.

x University Research and the Location of Business R&D (2006); Abramovsky, Harrison and Simpson, Institute of Fiscal Studies, WP07/02; The implications of R&D off-shoring on the innovation capacity of EU firms, (2007) Helsinki School of Economics, Pro-Inno Europe Initiative, European Commission; and PACE Report: Innovation Strategies of Europe’s Largest Firms (1995) Arundel et al in The Benefits from Publicly Funded Research, Paper No 161. (2007) Martin and Tang, SPRU.

xi http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/science/science-innovation-analysis/uk-research-base.

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October 2011

research performance & economic impact report 2010/2011

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