HC Deb 01 November 1989 vol 159 cc261-3W
Mr. Baldry

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives have been taken to encourage firms to work together, particularly on new technologies; how many projects have been supported; and at what cost.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The research and technology initiative was launched in January 1988 to provide support for research and development in collaborative projects under four main schemes:

—LINK, which encourages firms to collaborate with universities and polytechnics in pre-competitive research.

—EUREKA, which encourages firms to enter collaborative ventures with firms in other European countries.

—Advanced technology programmes (ATP), which assist companies to collaborate in selected fields of new technology.

—General industrial collaborative programmes, which provide support for projects at research and technology organisations and for other collaborative projects not covered under the above headings.

These schemes build on previous experience of supporting collaborative research and development: on the LINK scheme was a wholly new initiative.

Both the LINK and the ATP schemes seek to promote advanced technology. Under these schemes 29 programmes have been initiated. The areas of technology that will benefit are:

LINK

Electronics and IT

  • Molecular electronics
  • Advanced semiconductors
  • Personal communications
  • Opto-electronics
  • Power electronic devices

Biosciences and Food

  • Eukaryotic genetics
  • Biotransformations
  • Food Processing
  • Protein engineering
  • Plant metabolism
  • Selective drug delivery

Engineering and measurement

  • Industrial measurement
  • Nanotechnoloty
  • Ventilation, airconditioning and refrigeration
  • High speed machinery
  • Molecular sensors
  • Analytical and physical measurement
  • Construction and refurbishment
  • Biochemical engineering

Materials and chemicals

  • Structural composites
  • Catalytic processes

ATP

  • High temperature superconductivity
  • Gallium arsenide
  • Information engineering
  • Electronics
  • Systems technology and integration
  • Computer aided engineering
  • Advanced robotics
  • Wealth from the oceans

The number of collaborative projects that have started since January 1988 and the expected contribution to those projects by the DTI are set out in the table:

Scheme Number of projects DTI support (£m)
LINK 40 112.0
ATP 80 19.7
EUREKA 43 17.5
General industrial 187 27.6
Total 350 76.8
1Contributions by DTI and other Departments.

In addition there are over 600 collaborative projects under discussion between the Department and industry. Strong growth is expected in particular in numbers of new LINK projects. Small and medium-sized enterprises are well represented, particularly in the general industrial collaborative category.

It is expected that DTI expenditure in support of collaborative industrial research and development in 1990–91 will be about £85 million.