New UK Technology and Innovation Centres under development

Centres can play a vital role in bridging the gap between research and the market, strengthening our national capabilities in innovation.

The Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has asked the Technology Strategy Board to guide the development of a network of technology and innovation centres that will help deliver the industries and jobs of the future.

The Board has been tasked to work with industry, stakeholders, and wider government including the Research Councils, Regional Development Agencies and Devolved Administrations on the implementation of the recommendations in the Hauser review, a report by technology entrepreneur Hermann Hauser. The report looks at leading technology and innovation centres in other countries and recommends that the UK builds its own network.

Welcoming the report, Lord Mandelson, said it recognised the UK was strong in many technology areas and the centres to be developed would help exploit that commercially. He commented, “Centres can play a vital role in bridging the gap between research and the market, strengthening our national capabilities in innovation.”