An £8 million expansion of the Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) pilot programme will allow even more commercially-promising ideas to get to market more quickly.

The funding will see the University of Warwick and Queen’s University Belfast join the programme, which is supported by Innovate UK, part of the new national funding body UK Research and Innovation.

The universities will work alongside delivery partner, SETsquared Partnership to run and grow the programme across the UK. Final contracts to run this phase of the pilot will be signed shortly.

Additional 48 research teams to be supported

ICURe’s focus is on training early-career researchers to find the right route to commercialisation and helping them develop the necessary business skills, connections and expertise. It aligns with government’s Industrial Strategy, which emphasises the importance of research, innovation and skills to develop a strong economy and ensure Britain leads the high-tech, highly-skilled industries of the future.

With this funding boost, the pilot programme will be able to support an additional 48 research teams nationwide.

University researchers can get up to £35,000 to take their ideas out of the lab and validate them in the market.

A total of £3 million of the funding will go towards helping the start-ups that emerge from the programme to establish their businesses and support future growth. This will be competitively awarded by Innovate UK.

It builds on the success of the pilot to date. Research estimates that for every £1 of investment spent through ICURe it generates almost £4 of economic benefits in return. The pilot has engaged 160 university research teams to generate more than 11,000 business links worldwide and create 120 jobs in 44 new companies.

Effective translation of research into products

Business Secretary, Greg Clark said:

Britain is famous for its innovations. From the humble toothbrush to hip replacements, the ATM to the World Wide Web – these inventions have had a huge impact on our daily lives.

Up and down the UK, some of the brightest and best talent are undertaking research which can deliver extraordinary innovations that will transform our society for the better.

Through the Industrial Strategy, the 4 grand challenges, and the funding announced today, we are helping turn innovative new ideas into products and services which could help change our lives and keep the UK as a world leader in developing the products of tomorrow.

UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Sir Mark Walport said:

Supporting the very best talent and bridging the gap between research and commercialisation are 2 of UK Research and Innovation’s core objectives. We are a world-leading research nation and we must ensure that our innovation ecosystem supports the effective translation of this research into products with real-world impact.

The ICURe programme enables this translation by providing researchers with the funding to move ideas out of universities and into the marketplace, where they will have the greatest impact.

From converting Medtech discoveries into new treatments to developing portable devices to counter infectious diseases, this additional funding will support ground-breaking projects that will enable us to meet future challenges and remain at the cutting-edge of research and innovation.

Don Spalinger, Chairman of the SETsquared Partnership, and Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Southampton said:

SETsquared created ICURe to overcome some of the barriers of getting the outputs from the UK’s world class universities research labs into the commercial marketplace.

ICURe’s results from its first 3 years of operation go beyond our expectations. This expansion of ICURe’s nation roll-out will enable even more research teams at more UK universities to take advantage of its proven capabilities. ICURe enables university research teams to explore all avenues of commercialisation, from collaborative research to consultancy to licensing to spin-outs.

The ICURe experience empowers the university research teams to work more closely with businesses in all of their future activities.

The university view

Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick, said:

Warwick is renowned for the many ways it acts as a highly effective bridge for innovation between academic research and industry, and we are therefore delighted to be a key part of the national rollout of ICURe with its focus on helping early-career researchers taking their innovations into the marketplace.

Warwick will also draw on the innovation-based partnerships across the Midlands such as Midlands Innovation, the Midlands Engine, and the Midlands Enterprise Universities teams, to ensure that this programme helps create even more innovation-based jobs and business growth across our region.

Brian McCaul, CEO of Qubis Ltd and Director of Innovation at Queen’s University Belfast, said:

Having had 9 teams graduate from ICURe, and having run 3 of our own Lean Launchpad programmes, Queen’s and Qubis have been pioneers with lean start-up in tech transfer. The focus on the customer-need is the perfect antidote to tech-push.

We have already seen significant commercial benefits, whether measured by deals done, or learnings achieved, especially with early-career researchers. We are convinced that ‘lean changes’, change everything.

We’re now keen to work with our partners to accelerate ICURe adoption across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North of England. This is a vital initiative for rebalancing the UK innovation economy.

During March, there were four new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port, four vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of four vessels remain under detention at the end of March.

1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.

2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.

3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.

4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.

5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).

Notes on the list of detentions

• Full details of the ship.
  The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
• Company.
  The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
• Classification Society.
  The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship only.
• Recognised Organisation.
  Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag State
• White (WL), Grey (GL) and Black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag State.

SHIPS DETAINED IN MARCH 2018

Vessel Name: ANNA

GT: 39709

IMO: 9255593

Flag: Bahamas (White List)

Company: Adelfia Navigation SA

Classification Society: LR

Recognised Organisation: LR
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: LR

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: LR

Date and Place of Detention: 31st March at Immingham

Summary: Fifteen deficiencies with two ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Not as required	No
11101 – Lifeboats	Inoperative	Yes
10101 – Pilot ladders and hoist/pilot transfer arrangements	Missing	No
04109 – Fire drills	Lack of control	No
02105 – Steering gear	Not as required	No
04108 – Muster list	Incomplete	No
05105 – MF/HF Radio installation	Not as required	No
01331 – Collective bargaining agreement	Missing	No
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition	Not as required	No
18432 – Risk evaluation, training and instruction to seafarers	Missing	No
11124 – Embarkation arrangement survival craft	Not properly maintained	No
18416 – Ropes and wires	Damaged	No
11116 – Distress flares	Insufficient	No
11103 – Stowage and provision of Lifeboats	Not as required	No

This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2018

Vessel Name: K DADAYLI

GT: 5751

IMO: 9513191

Flag: Panama (White List)

Company: Dadaylilar Denizcilik Nakliyat

Classification Society: RINA

Recognised Organisation: PHRS
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: PHRS/BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: PHRS/BV

Date and Place of Detention: 26th March at Immingham

Summary: Twenty nine deficiencies with four ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01316 – Cargo Information	Missing information	No
07199 – Other (fire safety)	Other	Yes
09235 – Fitness for duty – work and rest hours	Rest hours insufficient	No
10101 – Pilot ladders and hoist/pilot transfer arrangements	Missing	No
04108 – Muster list	Incomplete	No
10127 – Voyage or passenger plan	Lack of information	No
11131 – On board training and instructions	Missing information	No
11131 – On board training and instructions	Lack of training	No
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition	Not as required	No
05104 – MF Radio installation	Not as required	No
07111 – Personal equipment for fire safety	Not properly maintained	No
18418 – Winches & capstans	Inoperative	No
03108 – Ventilators, air pipes, casing	Not as required	Yes
18432 – Risk evaluation, training and instruction to seafarers	Missing	No
03113 – Bulwarks and freeing ports	Not as required	No
11105 – Rescue boat inventory	Not as required	No
11104 – Rescue boats	Missing equipment	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
01333 – Ship specific plans for the recovery of persons from water	Incomplete	No
11104 – Rescue boats	Not properly maintained	No
05116 – Operation/maintenance	Not properly maintained	No
06105 – Atmosphere testing instrument	Missing	No
03108 – Ventilators, air pipes, casings	Not properly maintained	Yes
04103 – Emergency, lighting, batteries and switches	Inoperative	No
07114 – Remote means of control (opening, pumps, ventilation, etc.) Machinery spaces	Not as required	No
07106 – Fire detection and alarm system	Not properly maintained	No
11101 – Lifeboats	Not ready for use	No
07125 – Evaluation of crew performance (fire drills)	Lack of familiarity	No
07106 – Fire detection and alarm system	Not as required	No

This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2018

Vessel Name: AMIRA MARIAM

GT: 15349

IMO: 9167631

Flag: Tuvalu (Not Listed)

Company: Elamira for Maritime Agencies Co Sae

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: IS Class

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: IS Class

Date and Place of Detention: 22nd March 2018 at Liverpool

Summary: Sixteen deficiencies with four ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
11110 – Stowage & provision of liferafts	HRU improperly fitted	Yes
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions	Not as required	Yes
18405 – Electrical	Unsafe	No
07113 – Fire pumps & IT’s pipes	Inoperative	No
01209 – Manning specified by the minimum safe manning doc.	Not as required	Yes
01220 – Seafarer employment agreements (SEA)	Not as required	No
01306 – Shipboard working arrangements	Not properly filled	No
10101 – Pilot ladders and hoist/pilot transfer arrangement	Damaged	No
07108 – Ready availability of fire fighting equipment	Missing	No
10116 – Nautical publications	Missing	No
10129 – Navigation records	Missing	No
18302 – Sanitary facilities	Not properly maintained	No
11101 – Lifeboats	Not properly maintained	No
10133 – Bridge operations	Lack of familiarity	No
04108 – Muster list	Incomplete	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 30th March 2018

Vessel Name: FRISIAN LADY

GT: 3666

IMO: 9246906

Flag: Netherlands (White List)

Company: Boomsma Shipping BV

Classification Society: LR

Recognised Organisation: LR

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: LR

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: LR

Date and Place of Detention: 7th March at Immingham

Summary: Twelve deficiencies with four ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
10114 – Voyage data recorder (VDR)/Simplified Voyage data recorder (S-VDR)	Inoperative	Yes
01105 – Cargo Ship Safety (including exemption)	Missing	No
10109 – Lights, shapes, sound-signals	Missing	Yes
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provision and disposition	Not as required	No
03108 – Ventilators, air pipes, casings	Damaged	No
09235 – Fitness for duty – work and rest hours	Rest hours insufficient	No
11104 – Rescue boats	Damaged	Yes
18420 – Cleanliness of engine room	Not as required	No
18408 – Electrical	Unsafe	No
13101 – Propulsion main engine	Not as required	No
03199 – Other (load lines)	Other	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes

This vessel was released on 13th March 2018

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: SOUTHERN BREEZE

GT: 4109

IMO: 9437763

Flag: Malta (White List)

Company: Sonata DOO

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV
Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: BV

Date and Place of Detention: 28th February 2018 at Fowey

Summary: Eight deficiencies with one ground for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
18203 – Wages	Missing	Yes
18203 – Wages	Missing	No
18204 – Calculation and payment of wages	Not according to SEA	No
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA)	Not properly filled	No
18199 – Other (Minimum requirements)	Not as required	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	No
02103 – Stability/strength/ loading information and instruments	Not as required	No
11102 – Lifeboat inventory	Not properly stowed	No

This vessel was released on 6th March 2018

Vessel Name: DEEPSEA WORKER

GT: 3345

IMO: 7905285

Flag: St Vincent & Grenadines

Company: Seaway Offshore LLC

Classification Society: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV GL

Date and Place of Detention: 19th January 2018 at Sunderland

Summary: Fifteen deficiencies with one grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
16105 – Access control	Not as required	No
01214 – Enforcement by flag state	Missing	No
01137 – Civil liability for oil pollution damage cert	Missing	No
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Lack of information	No
10116 – Nautical publications	Missing	No
18399 – Other (Accommodation, recreational facilities)	Other	No
07122 – Fire control plan	Not updated	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
07109 – Fixed fire extinguishing installation	Not as required	No
18302 – Sanitary Facilities	Not as required	No
18324 – Cold room, cold room cleanliness, cold room temperature	Inoperative	No
14499 – Other (Marpol Annex IV)	Other	No
07114 – Remote means of control (opening, pumps, ventilation etc.) Machinery spaces	Inoperative	No
03108 – Ventilators air pipes, casings	Corroded	No
14108 – 15ppm alarm arrangements	Inoperative	No

This vessel was released on 29th March 2018

Vessel Name: SEA TRIDENT

GT: 964.

IMO No: 7393169.

Flag: PANAMA (white list)

Company:

Classification Society: Expired

Recognised Organisation: Expired

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC:

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC:

Date and Place of Detention: 17 June 2016, West Cowes

Summary: Seventeen deficiencies with seventeen grounds for detentions

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01101 – Cargo ship safety equipment cert	Expired	Yes
01102 – Cargo Ship safety construction cert	Expired	Yes
01104 – Cargo ship safety radio cert	Expired	Yes
01108 – Loadline cert	Expired	Yes
01117 – IOPP (International Oil Pollution Prevention cert	Expired	Yes
01119 – International Sewage Pollution Prevention cert	Expired	Yes
01124 – International Air Pollution Prevention cert	Expired	Yes
01137 – Civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage cert	Expired	Yes
01199 – Other certs (Certificate of class)	Expired	Yes
01201 – Certificates for master and officers	Missing	Yes
10111 – Charts	Not updated	Yes
10116 – Publications Nautical	Not updated	Yes
11108 – Inflatable liferafts	Expired	Yes
11116 – Distress flares	Missing	Yes
07109 – Fixed fire fighting extinguishing installation	Not as required	Yes
07110 – Fire fighting equipment & appliances	Not as required	Yes
01140 – Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance	Missing	Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st March 2018

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification Society: Unclassed.

Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 31 March 2018

Notes to Editors

• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:
+44 (0) 2380 329 401
Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa at Downing Street earlier today.

The Prime Minister said that the UK deeply values our long-standing alliance with Portugal and wanted to maintain and strengthen those ties in future across a range of areas, including science, defence, and trade and investment.

They discussed the recent attacks in Syria and Salisbury and agreed that the international community needed to come together to uphold the worldwide prohibition on the use of chemical weapons.

They also discussed Brexit and the progress of negotiations. The Prime Minister underlined the value she placed on the contribution of the Portuguese community in the UK. Prime Minister Costa also welcomed the contribution of UK nationals in Portugal and expressed his desire to maintain a close relationship with the UK after exit.

The Prime Minister also noted that yesterday marked the centenary of the First World War battle of La Lys where the Portuguese suffered their greatest loss of life, and she paid tribute to the bravery of the Portuguese forces.

Thank you very much indeed Mr President.

I wanted to take the floor because we are at an important point in this region, but I also wanted to welcome the SRSG back to the Council, and through him, to thank the UN mission for everything they are doing. It is also extremely helpful to have the update from the Ambassador of Congo.

I would like to start by saying to my good friend, the Ambassador of Equatorial Guinea, that it isn’t a modest contribution that his country makes, it is much more than that.

Mr President, its been five years since the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework was signed. It has proved to be a crucial framework for pursuing peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. But as the SRSG and the Ambassador from Congo have spelt out the DRC has always been at the centre of the framework. The situation in the DRC, the nerve centre, effects the stability of the region. As this Council has discussed in recent days, we are now at a critical juncture. What happens in the DRC over the next few months could be a defining moment in greater regional stability. We have a choice, Mr President, between seeing the situation improve or being overturned.

The United Kingdom, for our part, remains committed to supporting the implementation of the PSCF and we support free, fair and credible elections in DRC in December. We welcome the progress that has been made in the five years since the signing of the framework and I’d like to highlight the increase in the participation of women and a commitment to greater regional and international cooperation in the course of advancing peace and security.

That said Mr President, we are concerned that implementation of key elements has not made progress and this includes the repatriation of foreign combatants. As the Ambassador from Congo highlighted, we welcome efforts to reinvigorate the framework and urge all signatories to implement the framework in full, and we are very supportive of what the SRSG had to say on judicial issues. We are also concerned by the continued proliferation of violence in DRC, particularly in North and South Kivu, Tanganyika, Ituri and the Kasais. The results of this instability has indeed been devastating. 4.5 million Congolese have fled their homes and communities. There are more internally displaced people in DRC than anywhere else in Africa. And over 13.1 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. So we support the other calls in the Council, Mr President, for regional players to come together in the interest of stability in the coming months. And I would like to endorse what the French Ambassador said about the importance of that regional cooperation.

Mr President, I’d like to conclude by talking about elections. Credible and constitutional elections are the only way to end the political crisis and achieve stability in DRC and we urge the signatories of the framework to ensure that peaceful and credible elections can take place in December 2018. This means that the electoral calendar needs to be respected and key milestones must be met and the confidence building measures of the 2016 December Agreement need to be implemented in full. This critically includes the freeing of political prisoners and the opening of political space and peaceful demonstrations. It is a region Mr President that is in all our interest and the United Kingdom pledges to work together with partners to achieve progress.

I have some other remarks, Mr President, on some other aspects of the region and framework but I will save those for consultations.

Thank you.

In a national project being trialled in the North West, Highways England is working with fire and rescue services to offer free tyre safety checks and advice alongside a long-running programme of fire station charity car washes. As part of the pilot project, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and The Fire Fighters Charity have allowed Highways England traffic officers and other staff to run the tyre checking service at several car wash events – with the latest at Lancashire’s Fulwood fire station on Saturday (14 April).

Highways England is working to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on England’s motorways and major A roads by 40 percent by 2020 and says focusing on tyre safety will make an important contribution. The tie-up with firefighters and the established charity car wash events is seen as a friendly and informal way of reaching drivers to spread the tyre safety message.

Stuart Lovatt, Highways England’s Road Safety Lead, said:

Highways England and fire and rescue services have a mutual interest in reducing the number of incidents caused by poorly-inflated or damaged tyres which could be picked up by simple and regular checks. The Fire Fighters Charity’s National Car Wash programme is now huge – involving some 20,000 vehicles across more than 600 events annually. We think it’s a great way of reaching out to potentially thousands of drivers to check their tyres for free and give them safety advice while they wait for their cars to be washed.

The feedback from the first 2 events we’ve run at Frodsham and Ellesmere Port fire stations last month has been really positive and after Saturday’s visit to Fulwood we’ll be assessing whether we can extend the idea right across the country.

Firefighters are among the emergency service workers called out to tyre-related incidents on the motorway and major A road network while Highways England traffic officers and colleagues have to manage the congestion caused by breakdowns, punctures and road traffic collisions. Statistics show:

• there were 80,000 tyre incidents on England’s network of motorways and major A roads between 2013 and 2015
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to over 4,500 vehicle incidents between 2015 and 2017
• Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to 2,866 vehicle incidents over the same period
• 27% of vehicles have at least one illegal tyre (Tyresafe 2016)
• 40% of road traffic accidents caused by vehicle defects are tyre related (DfT 2015)

Tony Crook, an Area Manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

We attend over a thousand road traffic collisions each year and some of these could have been prevented if the vehicles involved were fitted with legal tyres.

Our firefighters see first-hand the dangers of driving poorly-maintained vehicles and we hope that this new partnership with Highways England will result in preventing crashes and even saving lives.

Watch Manager Andy Gray, a Road Safety Officer at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

Tyre treads are designed to give good grip on wet roads. As the tread wears down the tyre loses the ability of good grip. It is essential that people regularly check their tyres. Many tyres only get checked at their yearly MOT inspection and then subsequently fail, resulting in a vehicle that could well have been driving with unsafe tyres for some time.

This partnership not only benefits people immediately with the tyre checks but crews will show and educate them on how to check their tyres in the future. The Fire Fighters Charity also benefits from the public’s kind donations from the car wash events. These are positive events where you can meet multiple partners who want to engage with you and help keep you safe on the roads.

Drivers attending Saturday’s car wash event can get a free hi-tech check of their tyres from 3D tyre tread checking scanners linked to an app on a smart device. The scanners allow a quick and easy way to check tyre tread levels and provide instant feedback and advice to motorists, via a print out.

More information about the Fire Fighters Charity can be found on their website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.