Federal R&D organization Innovate UK is expected to receive a boost in its budget. In its pledge to invest an additional £4.7 billion ($6.1 billion) in R&D by 2020–2021, the British government is including an Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) in Innovate UK’s budget in order for researchers to work on specific technologies thought to advance the nation’s economy. The Fund has a proposed budget of £1 billion ($1.3 billion), which includes £246 million ($320.3 million) for battery development. The government is depending on the ISCF to alleviate the fears of researchers that Brexit will have negative impacts on scientific R&D.

Innovate UK has received additional resources to award funds to researchers after the organization pushed for the commercialization of research. It focuses mostly on small- and medium-sized enterprises, with an estimated 20% of its funding directed to universities.

The organization also established Catapult centers, which provide equipment, appropriate instrumentation and other resources to simplify the transition of research to commercial technology. The largest Catapult center in Innovate UK’s roster is the London, England–based Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, which received £150 million ($195.3 million) in funding. The first official evaluation on the success of the Catapult centers will be published this September.

Source: Nature