Research and Innovation in the UK

The UK is one of the great global innovation centres. From steam engines to DNA fingerprinting technology, the UK holds an extraordinary record for life changing research, development and scientific discoveries.

The UK government is actively promoting innovation through grants, R&D tax allowances, and beneficial patent and intellectual property incentives.

We have World Class Universities in the UK

• Three of the world’s top five universities are based in the UK including Cambridge, Oxford, and UCL. (Source: QS 2012)

• 30 UK universities were ranked among the top 200 overall. Only the US, with 54, had more. (Source: QS 2012)

More than 100 Science Parks with over 3,100 companies

• Science parks have the benefit of strong links to a specific research centre or university combined with access to on-site specialised business support.

• The UK is the leading G8 country for research productivity with 45 research papers per billion pounds of GDP, compared to 25 and 15 papers in the US and Japan respectively.

More information about Science Parks in the UK is available at http://www.ukspa.org.uk/ including a searchable list of facilities.

New Technology and Innovation Centres – Catapult

The UK Government has invested over £200 million to create an elite network of Technology and Innovation Centres, known as Catapults. Catapult are technology and innovation centres where the very best of the UK's businesses, scientists and engineers can work side by side on research and development - transforming ideas into new products and services to generate economic growth.

The University of Cambridge has been awarded more Nobel Prizes than any other institution in the world and is one of the UK’s three universities ranked in the top 5.

The Catapults programme represents over £1bn of private and public sector investment over the next few years and will transform the UK's innovation capability for the long term.

Each Catapult focuses on an area which the government has already identified as strategically important in global terms and where there is genuine potential for the UK to gain competitive advantage.  

The seven centres focus on:

• High value manufacturing

• Cell therapies

• Offshore renewable energy

• Satellite applications

• Connected digital economy

• Future cities

• Transport systems

All seven Catapults will be up and running during 2013, ready to accelerate innovation and growth over the coming years and decades.

More information about Catapult is available at https://catapult.innovateuk.org/.

Support for Research & Innovation Funding

The UK Government contributes nearly £3 billion to fund innovation through seven Research Councils. As a result support for business includes provides finance to businesses working together with a university or college, grants to support placement of recently qualified graduates into business and help for businesses to build relationships with universities and/or colleges to develop and exploit new ideas.

More information about the Research Councils is available at http://www.rcuk.ac.uk.

Supporting Intellectual Property in the UK

The UK is planning to implement a Patent Box to encourage companies to locate high-value jobs and activity associated with the development, manufacture and exploitation of patents in the UK. It will also enhance the competitiveness of the UK tax system for high-tech companies that obtain profits from patents. The scheme takes effect from April 2013. The UK Intellectual Property Office is responsible for ensuring compliance with International IPR agreements and represents the UK at the World Intellectual Property Organization, the European Union and the World Trade Organization.

How we can help – Contact us

At UKTI we have connections with the leading research facilities in academia and will help you build working relationships with the centres of excellence and leading figures in the field relevant for you. Contact us today for a confidential discussion about you research needs with one of our sector specialists. Please contact the UKTI Investment Services Team through our online enquiry form here.