• Joint UK-Norwegian Support for Industrial Biotechnology Sector

News & Views

Joint UK-Norwegian Support for Industrial Biotechnology Sector

Jan 30 2012

The British and Norwegian governments are to work together to support nine new research and development projects that will create innovative processes to generate high-value chemicals through industrial biotechnology
and bio-refining.

The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has offered grant funding totalling £1.82cmillion to the nine UK-led projects and four of these will also be supported by Innovation Norway, which is providing additional funding of £400,000 to the
Norwegian businesses that are taking part.

David Bott, Director of Innovation Programmes at the Technology Strategy Board, said:

"Industrial biotechnology can help the chemical industry move away from a dependency on oil to a future based on renewable and biological substances.Through these projects we are helping innovative British businesses to develop early-stage biotechnology projects into pilots and to turn pilots into commercially viable processes.

"The enthusiasm shown by UK organisations to work internationally and, in this case, partner with Norwegian companies, demonstrates that international collaboration can bring exciting project opportunities for UK business."
The four full-scale collaborative R&D projects will be led by Chirotech Technology Ltd (2 projects), Ingenza Ltd and Unilever. The five feasibility projects will be led by Aquapharm Biodiscovery Ltd, Biocatalysts Ltd, Centre for Process Innovation Ltd, C-Tech Innovation Ltd and GlycoMar Ltd.

Innovation Norway’s involvement follows the signing in 2011 of an agreement between the UK and Norway that encourages UK-Norwegian projects incorporating industrial biotechnology and/or bio-refining.

This new funding brings the total investment by the Technology Strategy Board since September 2009 in R&D using industrial biotechnology to make new or existing chemicals to £7 million, in 42 projects. These projects may use
demonstration facilities in the UK, such as the newly-opened High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre.


Digital Edition

LMUK 49.7 Nov 2024

November 2024

News - Research & Events News   - News & Views Articles - They’re burning the labs... Spotlight Features - Incubators, Freezers & Cooling Equipment - Pumps, Valves & Liquid Hand...

View all digital editions

Events

MEDICA 2024

Nov 11 2024 Dusseldorf, Germany

FILTECH

Nov 12 2024 Cologne, Germany

Intech

Nov 12 2024 Tel Aviv, Israel

analytica China

Nov 18 2024 Shanghai, China

Pharma Asia

Nov 20 2024 Karachi, Pakistan

View all events