At the event in Bristol, a series of presentations provided details of the 2 challenges that make up the Defence and Security Accelerator competition Regenerative medicine at the front line.

Event slides

To set the scene, DASA Innovation Partner Jim Pennycook opened the event by giving an update on the Accelerator and an overview of research funding opportunities for innovative science and technology providers.

Challenge context and overview

Dr Abi Spear, Dstl’s Principal Scientist gave an overview of the competition and outlined its strategic importance. Lt Col Graham Lawton also briefed the audience on how front line services would use these emerging technologies and the difference it’s hoped it will make.

Technical overview

Dr Abi Spear then gave a technical overview and outlined the competition challenges. Information on the competition process was briefed by Emma Howe, Accelerator Competition Manager.

How to work with DASA

Mike Madden, Open Call for Innovation Lead outlined how organisations can work with DASA and gave advice on how to submit good proposals for funding.

All queries will be answered by email. Send queries to our competition DSTLRegenDefenceAccelerator@dstl.gov.uk and DASA accelerator@dstl.gov.uk email inbox.

All employees of the group will be eligible to make a claim for redundancy, including those transferring to new suppliers.

We have established a specialist team spanning both the Redundancy Payments Service in the Insolvency Service and the company’s HR department to process these payments as quickly as possible. You should expect receive the information you need to submit your claim within seven days of being made redundant or transferring to a new employer.

As a result of the systems we have established to prioritise these payments we are aiming to pay your claim quicker than our agreed 14 day target.

• in total, to date 6,668 jobs have been saved and 989 jobs have been made redundant through the liquidation
• further information about rights in redundancy is available on gov.uk
• continued support by Carillion’s public and private sector customers is enabling as many employees as possible to be retained in the interim until all contracts have been worked through

The MMO granted a marine licence to Exmouth Marina in August 2017 for maintenance dredging of Exmouth Marina and disposal of materials at the Sprey Point disposal site. The dredging is due to take place in February 2018.

Information about the marine activities and licence documents are available online via the MMO’s public register (case reference MLA/2016/00372). The MMO is in the process of updating this with additional information requested by local residents.

Consultation on licence application

A public consultation on the application was held in November 2016. As part of this process views were also sought from the local planning and harbour authority which covers the marina, and the MMO’s primary advisors including Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Crown Estate and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science. Trinity House were also consulted on navigational issues.

We resolved issues raised as part of the consultation process.

The public consultation process for marine licence applications is explained in further detail on the MMO’s blog.

Managing adverse impact on the marine area

The MMO is aware of the local concern about the potential impact on the marine environment after a pollution incident occurred following previous disposal activity in 2012, although there is no evidence which directly links the two events. Following full consideration of all information, including the responses from our primary and scientific advisors, we have applied additional licence conditions, in particular regarding tide working and seasonality to mitigate the risk of any material being washed ashore and impacting on bathing water quality.

Potential contamination arising as a result of the disposal activity was also addressed as part of the application process. The assessment, which was carried out in line with the OSPAR Guidelines, has shown that the material is suitable for disposal at sea.

The MMO’s coastal office will monitor and inspect the activity as appropriate to ensure that the licence conditions are adhered to and will work with other relevant agencies to look at any further concerns.

Disposal sites

It is up to applicants to nominate the disposal site as part of their marine licence application. The MMO then makes a decision based on the suitability of the material.

Where a marine licensable process involves any waste management activity then the provisions of the Waste Hierarchy of the Waste Framework Directive (WaFD) (Directive 2008/98/EC) directive have to be considered. Applicants are required to submit evidence that they have considered alternatives to disposal under all aspects of the Waster Hierarchy (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recovery, and Disposal). However the MMO accepts that in some cases disposal at sea is appropriate.

The Prime Minister said:

My warm congratulations to President Ramaphosa on his election by Parliament today.

The United Kingdom greatly values its dynamic and forward-looking partnership with South Africa, underpinned by the strong people-to-people and business ties between our countries. I look forward to working closely with President Ramaphosa to help build a healthier, more secure and prosperous future for both our countries.

I very much hope to see the President at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April.

The UK is committed to supporting His Excellency President Akufo-Addo’s ‘Beyond Aid’ vision to transform Ghana’s economy, create jobs through industrialisation and add value to goods. The UK is proud to have played a part in driving Ghana’s development gains through tens of millions of pounds worth of UK Aid, but as Ghana Changes, so do we. The UK is transitioning its development support to focus squarely on Ghana’s long-term economic development. Building the nation’s infrastructure through private sector investment is the key to unlocking this potential and it is an area where the UK has much to offer.

Through the Department of International Trade, the UK has brought together over 15 of the UK’s top blue-chip infrastructure companies to finalise proposals on how they can deliver flagship projects for Ghana. Over three days they visited Takoradi, Tarkwa, and Tema, meeting a wide variety of stakeholders such as His Excellency Vice President Bawumia, and local partners who would be at the centre of their work. The Trade Mission then culminated at the GREAT British Infrastructure Forum on 15 February.

The Forum itself was a visible demonstration of the UK’s ability to bring together world class expertise on a wide range of areas from design consultancy, project management to specialist constructions and operations delivery to put forward a credible and competitive proposal. In doing so, they offer a unique capability to deliver simple solutions to complex challenges.

At the Forum, leading UK financial institutions such as UK Export Finance, the Private Infrastructure Development group and CDC set out how they can help the Ghanaian Government, Ghanaian business and UK companies to deliver the President’s ambition – ensuring local content, creating thousands of jobs, up-skilling Ghana’s workforce and improving the livelihoods of many more.

Central to discussions were railways, ports, roads and mining infrastructure – with presentations from key Ministers to world leaders: the UK boasts of a railway system that is among the best in the world and UK mining sector has the technological solutions to revolutionise Ghana’s mining industry. The message in return was that the UK and its companies are serious about investing in and working closely with the Government and private sector in Ghana. Speaking about the event, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, His Excellency Iain Walker, said:

I am delighted that the UK is hosting a GREAT British Infrastructure forum. His Excellency President Akufo-Addo and his Government are in a hurry. I have made it my number one priority to help ensure the UK’s offer matches Ghana’s ambition with the same pace and sense of urgency. I am delighted that this week we have world class British companies talking about delivering for Ghana. We have consortia bringing together unique expertise and a distinct advantage in providing world class infrastructure projects, in particular in rail, roads, and ports. That’s backed up with structured finance packages from UK financial institutions. I will continue to press more UK businesses to invest in Ghana to create jobs and prosperity for both Ghana and the UK. We will do our part – and I look forward to understanding where Government and business wants the UK private sector to focus. Today there was a clear message – that if Ghana wants a credible, competitive solution to ambitious infrastructure plans it should partner with the UK. I hope to see Ghanaian firms and partners actively making that choice.

About the Department for International Trade

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has overall responsibility for promoting UK trade across the world and attracting foreign investment to our shores. DIT works to promote UK exports of goods and services to support a growing economy that creates wealth for all, supports jobs and meets our wider national interests, deliver the best international trading framework for the UK outside the EU, including through building our capacity to negotiate and administer a national trade policy; and maximise opportunities for wealth creation through supporting Foreign Direct Investment, with a renewed focus on outward FDI (overseas direct investment).

List of UK Companies participating in the GREAT British Infrastructure Trade Mission and Business Forum.

• SHARD CAPITAL
• LIBERTY GROUP
• BHM INTERNATIONAL LTD
• PORTCULLIS INFRASTRUCTURE
• AECOM
• IMPACTAGRI
• COLAS GROUP
• KLEGTECH
• MOORE STEPHENS
• BAM NUTTA LTD
• UNATRAC
• WSP
• STODEC
• ADVISAN
• BHM
• IRBARIS
• HOLDTRADE(UK)LTD
• ARUP
• WARDOUR