EPSRC Vision - Research and innovation that delivers economic impact and social prosperity.

 

Connected nation

The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT)[1] in Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has been cited by EPSRC as an exemplar Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC)[a]. It’s work in cyber -security is recognised as a significant contribution to the achievement of the priority of a connected nation [b], which is one of three objectives set in the EPSRC Delivery Plan 2019, i.e.; “Objective 1: Delivering economic impact and social prosperity”[c].

 

Productive nation

Another priority under Objective 1 is that of a “Productive nation: catalysing growth”[d]. It is in this area that the centre for Intelligent Autonomous Manufacturing Systems (i-AMS) [4] was set up by QUB to exploit advances in industrial digitalisation and automation to transform manufacturing processes and business models to build a more competitive UK industry.

 

Our purpose is to research, develop and demonstrate innovative technologies that enable and underpin the rapidly evolving digital manufacturing world. Professor Seán McLoone, QUB, Director of i-AMS [4]

 

Professor Lynn Gladden

Professor Gladden is the Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and states in the Foreword to to the Delivery Plan 2019;

 

Since 2015, we have established our first institutes: The Alan Turing Institute in data science; The Faraday Institution in battery science and technology; The Sir Henry Royce Institute in advanced materials; and most recently The Rosalind Franklin Institute, which focuses on transforming life science through interdisciplinary research and technology development. These institutes represent a total financial investment of around £478 million...also engaged... the National Productivity Investment Fund (NPIF) to support science, research and innovation. In addition to investing around £750 million per year in the research base, we have won over £400 million of NPIF awards, including Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and Strategic Priorities Fund projects and support for 650 doctoral students and 80 innovation fellows. Our new Prosperity Partnerships scheme, meanwhile, has introduced a new way of working with business, with investment of £156 million that includes £90 million leveraged from industry and university partners. [2. p.2]

 

Footnotes

[a] IKCs are based in universities, with the purpose to commercialise emerging technologies, and create early stage critical mass in areas of disruptive technology through international quality research and access to companion technologies needed to commercialise research [3].

[b] “...build on the UK’s world-leading position1 in research in areas as diverse as AI, data analytics, communications networks, mobile technologies and next-generation electronic hardware and materials, and at the interface between these technologies and society. ([2], p.8

[c] Objective 1: Delivering economic impact and social prosperity... four priorities essential for future UK prosperity. Collectively, they articulate a strategic expression of how research and skills in engineering and physical sciences add value for our nation ([2], p.3)

[d] “... to develop and commercialise new products, processes, services and technologies. Ensuring future growth and increasing UK productivity and earning power means investing in potentially disruptive research that can drive business innovation or trigger development of new business models.” ([2]. p.6)

 

 

References

[1] CSIT . “Centre for Secure Information Technologies” [online]. Available at <https://www.qub.ac.uk/csit/>

[2] EPSRC, (2019). “Delivery Plan 2019”, [online]. Available at <https://epsrc.ukri.org/newsevents/pubs/deliveryplan2019/>

[3] EPSRC. “Innovation and knowledge centres”, [online]. Available at <https://epsrc.ukri.org/innovation/business/opportunities/impactschemes/ikcs/>

[4] i-AMS. “Intelligent Autonomous Manufacturing Systems”, [online]. Available at <http://www.qub.ac.uk/iams/>