Final of the 2005/06 Research Councils' Business Plan Competition
Research Councils UK invitation & press release
Final of the 2005/06 Research Councils' Business Plan Competition
7th December 2006 from 14.00
Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London
From healthcare to video gaming - unlocking the potential of 3D imaging
Computer animated textures for clothing and interior design
Oral vaccination – aiding the global fight against disease
Improved accuracy in fingerprint identification
Easier breathing – more effective treatment for respiratory diseases
Combating the software bugs that affect the reliability of consumer products
Speeding up pharmaceutical and cosmetic testing with new biosensors
These are the fascinating ideas that have reached the final of the Research Councils' Business Plan Competition.
UK research in science, engineering, technology and the arts ranks among the highest in the world. The aim of this competition is to help commercialise some of the best projects so that the whole of UK society can benefit.
Members of the media are invited to the final judging and awards ceremony of the Research Councils' Business Plan Competition. A trophy and a cheque for £25,000 will be presented to the winning team.
The event begins at 14.00 on Thursday 7th December 2006 with a brief presentation from each of the competition's seven finalists. After comments from the judges, the winner of the competition will be announced at around 15.30.
There will be an opportunity to speak to some of the teams who took part in the competition and view displays of their ideas during the poster session from 15.30 – 16.30.
If you would like to attend the event, please e-mail natasha.richardson@epsrc.ac.uk at the EPSRC Press Office or telephone 01793 444404 with the following information:
1) Name: 2) Organisation: 3) e-mail and telephone contact details: 4) Whether you would like to attend: - a) The prize giving from 14.00 – 15.30 - b) Poster session from 15.30 – 16.30 - c) Both 5) I cannot attend but would like the results e-mailed through on the day Y/ N.
Detailed outlines of the Business Plan ideas of the seven teams are also available from the EPSRC Press Office.
The seven teams in the final:
Dr J Paterson, Oxford. Eykona Technologies Ltd Professor M Chantler, Heriot-Watt University. TotalTextures Ltd Dr V Ferro, Strathclyde University. Platform Technology for Oral Delivery of Vaccines Dr L Wang, Warwick University. Warwick Warp MG Iobbi, ICSTM. Medical Device for Patients with Respiratory Disorders Dependant on Oxygen Therapy Dr K McDonald-Maier, Essex University. Ultrasoc Technologies Ltd Dr D Naseby, University of Hertfordshire. Biosense Technology.
This is the second time that all eight of the UK's Research Councils have joined together to run the competition under the banner of Research Councils UK (RCUK).
The UK Research Councils invest more than £2.5 billion in research and training to support the development of new knowledge for the benefit of the UK economy and society. The Research Councils' Business Plan Competition provides support, mentoring and training to develop high quality business plans to commercialise research carried out in UK universities and research institutions. Participants in the competition submitted business propositions from across the arts, biosciences, the environment, science and technology.
2) Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's eight Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support. The eight Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Office of Science and Innovation. They are incorporated by Royal Charter and together manage a research budget of over £2.5 billion a year. For more information visit www.rcuk.ac.uk
3) The eight UK Research Councils are:
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC)
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)
Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
The Department of Trade and Industry is also supporting the competition (www.dti.gov.uk/)
