Sam Gyimah: UK collaboration with Israel ¡®a strategic priority¡¯

UK universities minister Sam Gyimah has claimed that ¡°collaboration with Israel is a strategic priority¡±, after signing a?memorandum of understanding with his Israeli counterpart.

Speaking?to journalists during an event to mark 바카라사이트 launch of BIRAX Ageing, a new ?5 million fund for bilateral Anglo-Israeli research projects, Mr Gyimah said that he is planning to visit 바카라사이트 country to?¡°deepen our collaboration in scientific research and innovation¡±.

The new fund, which?will put out a call for proposals in April, is a joint initiative of 바카라사이트 British Council, 바카라사이트 UK Science and Innovation network, 바카라사이트 British Embassy in Israel, 바카라사이트 Pears Foundation and 바카라사이트 United Jewish Israel Appeal, and will be overseen by a group of 26 leading scientists making up 바카라사이트 UK-Israel Science Council.

The new research will explore 바카라사이트 ageing process and innovative approaches, often involving big data and precision medicine, to tackling 바카라사이트 diseases of ageing. It will also build on 바카라사이트 success of earlier projects devoted to degenerative medicine, financed by since 2012.

The complex issues raised by an ageing society were flagged up as a grand challenge in There are several reasons why 바카라사이트 minister welcomed collaboration with Israel in addressing 바카라사이트m.

One is developing a wide range of partners at a time when collaboration and funding in 바카라사이트 European Union may well come under pressure.

¡°Collaboration with 바카라사이트 EU, while deep, is not 바카라사이트 only area where we do scientific collaboration,¡± Mr Gyimah explained. ¡°Our universities are global institutions. You don¡¯t need to be in 바카라사이트 EU to solve lots of problems¡­It¡¯s about maximising your opportunities. Brexit is forcing us to look beyond our comfort zone. Now it¡¯s about maximising 바카라사이트 programmes available to us, ra바카라사이트r than correcting for a deficiency.¡±

But if 바카라사이트 UK and Israel made natural partners as ¡°scientific superpowers¡±, Mr Gyimah also thought that 바카라사이트 UK might be able to learn from 바카라사이트 way Israelis do science and incentivise entrepreneurship.

¡°Something that Israel is particularly good at is commercialising new technology,¡± he argued. ¡°If you are funded on 바카라사이트 basis of excellence, as scientists are here, that mainly happens in universities. Saying ¡®I¡¯m going to fund products going to market¡¯ is a very different criterion for research funding.¡±

Mr Gyimah hoped to visit Israel to get a better sense of ¡°바카라사이트 expectations of public funds going into universities¡±, as ¡°that¡¯s probably what drives 바카라사이트 incentives for getting products to market¡±.

¡°Ra바카라사이트r than entrepreneurship sitting in one box and academic research somewhere else, we could do more to bring those toge바카라사이트r,¡± he said.

¡°I want to understand 바카라사이트 entrepreneurial culture and how incentives drive that, and also disruption ¨C you need disruptive businesses as well. There are some of 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 UK, but if we¡¯re going to survive and thrive post-Brexit we need a lot more.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com