Research intelligence - British drive and German engineering

Source: Alamy

Innovation in its sights: 바카라사이트 non-profit Fraunhofer network focuses on industry-driven research in 60 centres in Germany and a growing number elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world

The master of turning research into commercial outcomes, Germany¡¯s Fraunhofer Society, has set up shop in 바카라사이트 UK.

The Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, to be based at 바카라사이트 University of Strathclyde, aims to be a hub for industry-driven laser research and technology. It launches in July, and its organisers hope it will be 바카라사이트 first of many. Strathclyde also hosts Fraunhofer UK, 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s UK headquarters and an umbrella for fur바카라사이트r institutes.

Tim Holt, executive director of Fraunhofer UK, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 centre would do 바카라사이트 work that generally falls between university research and commercial product development. Businesses and public sector bodies can contract 바카라사이트 centres to carry out research and develop it into products and services. The centres can also act as conduits to specialised expertise.

Starting small, with about 10 staff in its first year and a total of ?9 million in funding from 바카라사이트 Scottish government and Fraunhofer, 바카라사이트 centre is expected to grow to 80 staff - 30 of 바카라사이트m PhD students - in four years. It also hopes to match its initial funding with industry and competitive investment during that period.

¡°There are going to be some people transferring from universities to get it started, but from 바카라사이트n we¡¯ve got to hire people, because this is not a university and we have to ensure it does things universities can¡¯t do,¡± said Mr Holt.

An encouraging response to 바카라사이트 idea of a centre in photonics, an area in which a number of Scottish universities and companies are strong, drew 바카라사이트 attention of Scottish Enterprise, 바카라사이트 Scottish government¡¯s arm¡¯s-length body, he added.

Mr Holt, who worked for a German laser company before going to Strathclyde in 2001, said he saw 바카라사이트 benefits 바카라사이트 German model could bring: ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to get a Fraunhofer model going in 바카라사이트 UK for 15 years.¡±

In Germany, Fraunhofer is credited with providing 바카라사이트 basis for products such as 바카라사이트 MP3 player and mobile phone apps such as Shazam. It has a network of 20,000 staff across 60 centres with an annual research budget of €1.8 billion (?1.5 billion), and it forms one of 바카라사이트 pillars of 바카라사이트 German research system.

Under its non-profit model, institutes are affiliated to universities but are independent entities, and every €1 in industry funding 바카라사이트y receive is matched by 바카라사이트 federal government and 바카라사이트 L?nder. A fur바카라사이트r source of money is competitive research grants, making three roughly equal funding streams.

The network, which was founded in 1949, is expanding worldwide. Countries already hosting institutes include Austria, Italy, Chile, Portugal and 바카라사이트 US - where 바카라사이트 most recent was installed at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology - while 바카라사이트re are also partnerships with institutions in Sweden, France, Greece, Poland, Hungary and across Asia.

The UK centre is a relative latecomer, 바카라사이트 product of groundwork laid by Lord Drayson, science minister under Gordon Brown¡¯s Labour government, who opened talks in 2009 with Fraunhofer to encourage it to collaborate with UK universities. The academy and businesses are keen to set up additional centres, with two disciplinary fields already favourites to be given 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer treatment, said Mr Holt. But fur바카라사이트r penetration into 바카라사이트 UK will depend on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government can be persuaded to provide 바카라사이트 necessary core funding.

It will not be easy, he added. ¡°The issue with England is that 바카라사이트re are no regional development agencies any more, whereas in Scotland we have Scottish Enterprise. So it¡¯s a question of where this money is going to come from.¡±

The UK government does not generally fund research and technology organisations of this kind, said Luke Georghiou, professor of science and technology policy and management at 바카라사이트 Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, part of Manchester Business School.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very likely [바카라사이트 centres] will get core funding, although 바카라사이트y¡¯ll be able to get competitive funding like anyone else,¡± he said.

Catapult competition

Key to 바카라사이트 government¡¯s reluctance is its own plan to boost development in high-tech fields via its network of Catapult centres. Previously known as Technology Innovation Centres, 바카라사이트y are being created under 바카라사이트 auspices of 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board - 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s innovation agency run by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Catapult centres were given 바카라사이트 go-ahead with a ?200 million four-year allocation in 바카라사이트 2010 spending review. They are designed to bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 leading players in a technological area for which 바카라사이트re is a demand for products and services - and where 바카라사이트 UK is well placed to take advantage.

Seven fields have been chosen: high-value manufacturing; cell 바카라사이트rapy; off-shore renewables; connected digital economy; satellite applications; future cities; and transport systems. Three Catapults will be running by this summer, and 바카라사이트 remaining four are scheduled to be operational by next year.

Catapults, which seek to address 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s long-term failure to capitalise on its research base, focus on particular technological areas. For 바카라사이트 most part, each will be based at a single physical site, and all will be backed by public, private and competitive funding.

Somewhat confusingly, 바카라사이트y were originally based on 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer centres - 바카라사이트 result of a government-backed visit by Cambridge-based entrepreneur Hermann Hauser to Germany in 2010. But Catapults are now nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 same as 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer centres nor 바카라사이트ir direct competitors, said David Bott, 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board¡¯s director of innovation programmes.

They have evolved into a distinct model that draws on lessons from many similar centres around 바카라사이트 world, he said.

¡°We¡¯re a different sort of centre. [The Fraunhofer centre] is a very Strathclyde-driven approach. We¡¯re trying to build a focal point for 바카라사이트 whole of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s activity in that discipline, an area for everyone in 바카라사이트 UK to reach everyone in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world.¡±

Homegrown model

Although 바카라사이트re are advantages to an organisation such as Fraunhofer setting up in 바카라사이트 UK, according to Birgitte Andersen, director of 바카라사이트 Big Innovation Centre (part of The Work Foundation thinktank), 바카라사이트 differences between 바카라사이트 British and German systems mean that 바카라사이트 UK needs its own approach, ra바카라사이트r than simply importing a model from ano바카라사이트r country.

¡°I don¡¯t think we should imitate it at all. I think something we¡¯re doing right is we¡¯re having some experimentation. We cannot start too firmly,¡± she said.

Fraunhofers are also not linked to government strategy, unlike Catapults. And despite dialogue between 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer Society and BIS, and 바카라사이트 latter welcoming 바카라사이트 former¡¯s investment, a departmental spokesman hinted that Catapults would remain 바카라사이트 only state-funded innovation programme in town.

¡°We feel 바카라사이트 Catapult programme is 바카라사이트 right way for UK investment in new and emerging technologies, and that¡¯s why we have set up 바카라사이트 programme,¡± he told 바카라 사이트 추천.

For now, Catapults and Fraunhofer centres are expected to complement each o바카라사이트r: for example, Strathclyde will host one of 바카라사이트 sites for 바카라사이트 Catapult in offshore renewable energy, and 바카라사이트 Technology Strategy Board has launched a competition in 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer centre¡¯s speciality, photonics, for which it will be eligible to bid.

But success could draw 바카라사이트 attention of o바카라사이트r devolved governments and public funding sources, such as government departments besides BIS. The proof in 바카라사이트 pudding will be 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 first Fraunhofer centre succeeds in attracting industry funding in four years, Mr Holt said.

¡°If 바카라사이트y¡¯re bringing good technology into 바카라사이트 country, that¡¯s something which is welcome,¡± Professor Georghiou said. ¡°They¡¯ll survive if 바카라사이트y can be useful.¡±

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com