The £215 million investment is in the Digital, Medicines Discovery, Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult centres.

It builds on the announcement made in August by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, of nearly £1 billion for the Catapult network and fully funds all centres for the next 5 years. The Catapult network is managed by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.

Combining knowledge

The Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapult centres will be combining to bring together their skills and expertise in tackling the problems of modern city living and shaping the future of mobility.

The UK’s urban areas are home to 83% of the population and by 2050 more than two-thirds of people worldwide will live in urban areas. The world of transport will transform dramatically over the coming decade as new technology – such as decarbonised power sources, AI and big data – radically transforms the way that people, goods and services move around our towns and countryside.

The new Catapult will help businesses to access the UK’s world-leading research expertise more easily, enabling them to grow faster, create more jobs and keep the UK at the forefront of urban and transport innovation. The centre will operate from sites in London and Milton Keynes.

At the heart of the Industrial Strategy

Business Secretary Greg Clark, said:

The Catapult network offers the technical expertise and equipment to allow businesses to take on the challenges and opportunities we expect to face in a future world.

We’re backing experts to push new boundaries, so our future economy reaps the benefits of new technologies with more highly skilled jobs. Investment in research and development is at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy as we build on the UK’s reputation for scientific innovation.

Minister for Digital, Margot James said:

This additional funding will help us develop the cutting-edge technology of the future and build on the fantastic new statistics out today, which show we are leading Europe in producing fast-growing, digitally focused, billion-dollar businesses.

The UK is a hotbed of innovative tech talent and the Digital Catapult will continue to play a vital role in making sure the sector has the foundations to thrive as we build a Britain that is fit for the future.

Dr Ian Campbell, Interim Executive Chair of Innovate UK, said:

The Catapult network is making a significant impact to our modern Industrial Strategy. It is playing a key role in realising the government’s ambition to spend 2.4% of our GDP on research and development by 2027.

This additional support fully funds the Catapult network for the next 5 years and cements their place at the heart of the UK’s innovation infrastructure.

By combining the expertise of the Future Cities and Transport Systems Catapults, they are bettering the offer to innovative UK companies that are improving the way our cities work and revolutionising how we get around.

Network of world-leading centres

The Catapults are a network of world-leading centres that are designed to transform the UK’s capability for innovation in specific areas. They are helping to drive future prosperity by transforming high-potential ideas into new products and services that generate economic growth for the UK.

The Digital Catapult is making UK industries more productive and competitive by supporting them to take up advanced digital technologies, such as AI, 5G and augmented and virtual reality. Businesses working with the Digital Catapult grow their employment numbers by over 15%, which is 3 times higher than seen in the wider economy.

The Medicines Discovery Catapult is focused on using newly industrialised technologies to deliver new medicines to patients, faster. For example, they have recently announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca to use the power of sound to speed up the process of early drug discovery.

The Catapult is helping to grow the UK’s bio-economy, creating jobs and attracting investment into the country, so that we are able to maintain our position as a global leader in medicinal research and development.

Mr Jerry Cope has been appointed to the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) from 10 September 2018 to 9 September 2019.

Mr Cope chaired PSPRB from 2005 to 2011. He is currently Chair of governors at London South Bank university. Mr Cope’s working life was as MD for Royal Mail; and he was chair of the NHS Pay Review Body until 2017.

Following a campaign which did not result in an appointment, the Secretary of State has, with the agreement of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, appointed Mr Cope on an interim basis to ensure the continued availability of a Chair.

PSPRB provides the government with independent advice on the remuneration of operational prison staff in the England and Wales, and Northern Ireland Prison Services.

Public appointments to PSPRB are made by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Justice Secretary in consultation with Northern Ireland.

Rory Stewart OBE MP, Minister of State for Justice said:

I am pleased to announce that the Prime Minister has appointed Mr Jerry Cope as interim Chair of the Prison Service Pay Review Body for a period of one year which commenced on 10 September 2018 and which ends on 9 September 2019.

Mr Cope will ensure that the Pay Review Body has the necessary leadership while a recruitment campaign takes place to identify a permanent Chair.

As part of the state visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will attend the Dutch ship HNLMS Zeeland which will be anchored next to HMS Belfast.

They will join The Duke of Kent on board and will be given a 10 minute display of the Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines staging a joint on water capability demonstration. Blank ammunition will be used during the display, which will take place on the morning of October 24.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating world-class military integration.

Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep shared commitment to European security.

This state visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.

Colonel Simon Scott OBE, Commanding Officer 1 Assault Group Royal Marines, said it would provide a realistic portrayal of a joint amphibious capability.

The display will be a short, sharp, clear demonstration of the joint amphibious capability provided by both 1 AGRM and the commandos from the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps.

We train and operate extremely closely with our Dutch counterparts and are well practiced in our collaboration.

The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have a long history of serving together on operations across the globe, most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.

This year also marks the 45th anniversary of the UK/NL Amphibious Force, comprised of commandos from both nations, which acts as a single entity deployed in times of crisis across the globe.