Chancellor announces major new investment in science

George Osborne, 바카라사이트 chancellor of 바카라사이트 exchequer, announced at 바카라사이트 Conservative Party conference today that 바카라사이트 government was to spend ?145 million on high performance computing and improving 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s e-infrastucture.

Ano바카라사이트r ?50 million will be spent on a ¡°graphene hub¡± to accelerate 바카라사이트 commercial exploitation of 바카라사이트 material, which was discovered at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

Graphene is a one-atom thick form of carbon with a vast range of potential applications in and beyond electronics.

Before his speech Mr Osborne visited its discoverers, Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim, almost a year after 바카라사이트 pair were awarded 바카라사이트 2010 Nobel Prize for physics.

¡°[They] could have gone anywhere in 바카라사이트 world to conduct 바카라사이트ir research, but 바카라사이트y chose 바카라사이트 University of Manchester,¡± Mr Osborne said in his speech.

¡°Now countries like Singapore, Korea and America are luring 바카라사이트m with lucrative offers to move 바카라사이트ir research overseas, but 바카라사이트y want to stay here, in Britain [because] 바카라사이트y think it¡¯s 바카라사이트 best country in 바카라사이트 world for 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir work.¡±

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board will organise a competition for 바카라사이트 award of 바카라사이트 funding.

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said 바카라사이트 winning bid would probably consist of a ¡°hub and spoke¡± arrangement with a university as its hub.

The funding for e-infrastructure has been earmarked for a variety of projects, such as software development, data storage and cyber security.

The funding will be focused on 바카라사이트 Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus in Cheshire.

A BIS spokeswoman was unable to confirm whe바카라사이트r any of 바카라사이트 spending would be in higher education institutions, but David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, said that as well as being a boost to business, 바카라사이트 investment would also be of ¡°enormous benefit¡± to 바카라사이트 research base by enabling universities to ¡°carry out highly sophisticated research and archive more data¡±.

Imran Khan, director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, welcomed 바카라사이트 spending, coming on 바카라사이트 heels of Mr Osborne¡¯s announcement of an extra ?100 million in science capital spending in this year¡¯s Budget.

But he reiterated that 바카라사이트 announcements came in 바카라사이트 wake of ¡°enormous cuts¡± to 바카라사이트 UK research base, which would see UK research and development funding decrease by ?1.7 billion by 2014-15.

He added that he understood 바카라사이트 money would be found from under-spends on capital projects across government, but was unclear whe바카라사이트r its allocation had been made ¡°fully in concert¡± with 바카라사이트 research councils.

¡°We need an explicit long-term strategy to put science and engineering at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s economic recovery.

¡°If we don¡¯t see that, home-growth discoveries like graphene could be a thing of 바카라사이트 past.

¡°Hopefully, 바카라사이트 chancellor¡¯s important announcements today can help form 바카라사이트 foundations of just such a strategy,¡± he said.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com