News story: Technologies of the future: apply for business funding

Innovate UK has up to £15 million to support business projects that stimulate new products and services through emerging and enabling technologies. These technologies could be the basis for billion-pound industries of the future.

Emerging technologies

Emerging technologies are newly developed sciences, where the best application and value is yet to be realised. Examples include quantum technologies, graphene and 2D materials, biofilms, energy harvesting and synthetic biology.

Enabling technologies

Enabling technologies can have wide applicability. Many industries could benefit from advances in areas such as machine learning, compound semiconductors, and earth observation. Examples of enabling technologies include digital, space and satellite, electronics, sensors and photonics, and robotics.

Projects

We expect to fund projects in 4 priority areas:

• emerging technologies
• digital
• enabling capabilities
• space applications

Proposals must demonstrate significant innovation; be applicable to more than one industry, sector or market; and improve growth, productivity or create export opportunities for at least 1 SME.

Competition information

• the competition is open, and the deadline for registration is midday on 3 May 2017
• we expect projects to last between 6 months and 3 years and to range in size from £35,000 to £2 million
• projects must involve at least 1 SME and be led by a business or a research and technology organisation
• businesses could attract up to 70% of their project costs
• a briefing event for potential applicants will be held on 8 March 2017