Connected Places
News
National Highways to trial six innovations which could help protect road users
Near-misses, collisions, unsafe driving and roadworks – just some of the hazards that National Highways has to manage on motorways and major A roads across the country. But now, after National Highways launched a competition to find new ways to manage such hazards, six winning ideas are going to be trialled which could help to protect road users. Working with Connected Places Catapult, the Hazard Protection on Roads Accelerator targeted small or medium enterprises that may not have worked with National Highways before and had some innovation gems to share in dealing with potential safety risks.
Digital
News
New industrial collaboration tackles supply chain challenges
Digital Catapult, has today announced that leading technology businesses will join the Made Smarter Innovation Digital Supply Chain Hub programme to apply deep tech solutions to bolster the resilience of national supply chains. Each company will receive funding of up to £150,000 to address one of three supply chain challenges in cybersecurity, carbon management, and data governance, with a view to strengthening UK industry.
Energy Systems
News
UK government responds positively to developing energy system data sharing infrastructure
UK government has today shared a positive response to an assessment of the viability of developing an energy system data sharing infrastructure (DSI), setting clear commitments for its development and confirming its potential contribution to the energy sector.
High Value Manufacturing
News
2050 vision for automation and robotics
A new report from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult has set out what a future UK manufacturing sector could achieve if it was built upon a foundation of automation and robotics (A&R). 2050 vision for automation and robotics in UK manufacturing argues that there will be widescale adoption of A&R across the sector by 2050. The report, produced by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) with contributions from other High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, presents the current state of A&R in the UK, highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, before outlining a vision for A&R in the future.
Medicines Discovery
News
Medicines Discovery Catapult Annual Report Published, For the Year Ended 31 March 2024
Medicines Discovery Catapult Limited’s Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2024 is now published. The Financial Year 2023/24 was highly challenging for international biotech. It saw a 50% decline in venture capital funding, driven by global economic forces and also – in the UK – a rise in operating costs, driven by inflation and the scarcity of key resources in skills and space. This Annual Report shows that despite this challenging economic background, Medicines Discovery Catapult’s overall contribution to medicines discovery in the UK continues to grow.
Cell and Gene Therapy
News
Patient first: Highlights from the RSM’s “Unveiling Gene Therapy: Transforming medical practice through ATMPs” event
The field of gene therapy is witnessing unprecedented advancements, marked by innovative treatments and expanding possibilities. As we navigate this dynamic landscape, it is crucial to centre our efforts around the very individuals these therapies aim to benefit—the patients. We recently attended the Royal Society of Medicine’s (RSM) “Unveiling Gene Therapy: Transforming medical practice through ATMPs” event. In this blog, Dan Gibson, Head of Collaborations at the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, reflects on his thoughts following the meeting, exploring how patient-centric approaches are not just a moral imperative but a scientific necessity for the future of gene therapy.
Page 2 of 5