The UKIF is delighted to announce that Lilly has joined the forum.

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organisations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Areas of particular interest can be found here

Please contact Elaine Anderson via the forum if you would like to speak to Lilly.

We are looking forward to Lilly’s participation in the Forum!

27 June 2013 | STFC, Sci-Tech, Daresbury | 9am-4.30pm

The ever-increasing need for early detection of potentially life-threatening conditions is driving researchers to push the boundaries of technology to the limits.  As a result, innovation and blue skies thinking are playing a key role in addressing some of the challenges we face today.

It is probable that any major breakthrough in technology will come through collaborative partnerships and this event is aimed at bringing together academia and industry to address current challenges as well as to highlight some of the progress already being made. It is hoped that this event will help develop partnerships to tackle some of the more aggressive barriers to progress.  All areas of detector technology are open for discussion and companies and researchers that are working on sensor or detector technology are encouraged to attend and share their vision.

The event aims to facilitate information exchange via presentations followed by an afternoon of partnering discussions where companies can discuss directly with technology providers how the technology might be used in support of new product development.

Hear about:

• A user’s viewpoint: Innovative detectors for medical physics and where innovation is needed, from Melvyn Carroll, Head of Medical Physics at RoyalLiverpoolHospital
• Challenges in detectors in healthcare: A view from GE and CERN, from Dewi Lewis of CERN
• Funding: Invention for Innovation, from the i4i Programme Director, Martin Hunt

Novel technology being presented includes:

• ProSPECTus SPECT imaging system: A partnership between STFC, University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool Hospital
• A novel electrochemical sensor platform capable of providing up to 1000 times the sensitivity of conventional electrochemical sensing platforms, from NanoFlex
• A small field of view gamma camera, from the BioImaging Unit, University of Leicester
• Wound diagnostic sensors, from the University of Strathclyde
• Pixelated CdZnTe detector development for medical imaging applications, from The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• Micro PMT for point-of-care diagnostics, from Hamamatsu Photonics UK
• HEXITEC: Medical applications of hyperspectral imaging, from University of Surrey &  Royal Surrey County Hospital

This is a major opportunity to meet key players in the detectors and healthcare sectors: the delegate rate is £100+VAT for non-UKIF members or £75+VAT for UKIF members.  A limited number of concessionary passes are available for full-time students, at £50. Catering is provided. Registration is open here.

The ability of software and the hardware that supports it to process high volume, high velocity and high variability data is allowing unprecedented levels of customisation of products and services. This is of great interest to large corporations – and small – focused on making the most of their relationships with their customers and a fascinating industry is growing up to support this activity.

This event, sponsored by Blue Yonder, provides an opportunity for large and small companies to hear about new and potentially highly beneficial processes and techniques from both academia and industry. Complementing the technology pitches will be talks from industry on current needs and wants. The event aims to facilitate information exchange via these presentations followed by an afternoon of partnering discussions where companies can discuss directly with technology providers how the technology might be used in support of new product development.

Our keynote speaker is Professor Paul Boyle, of the Economic and Social Research Council

And we have other industry speakers including:

• Mr Rakesh Harji, of Blue Yonder
• Giles Pavey, Chief Data Scientist of Dunnhumby
• Daniel Hulme, CEO of Satalia

Technology presentations include:

• Philip Treleaven, Director of the Financial Computing Centre at UCL
• CERN/STFC CollSpotting (Andrew Grant,  STFC)
• Analytics for digital footprint and lifelog Big Data (George Roussos,  Birkbeck)
• A collaborative Big Data project that includes the Nottingham Geospatial Institute and the Nottingham Business School (Stephen Fuller, Nottingham GRACE)
• Real-time decision making with big data (Plamen Angelov, Lancaster University)
• Beyond computational thinking for business data analytics: Narrative (Fionn Murtagh & Adam Ganz, Royal Holloway, University of London)

The delegate rate is £100+VAT for non-UKIF members or £75+VAT for UKIF members.  A limited number of concessionary passes are available for full-time students, at £50. Catering is provided. To register for the event, visit the event website.

7 March 2013 | Leeds University

In partnership with the NanoKTN, The UKIF is running another of its very successful technology brokering events on 7 March at Leeds University.

People are increasingly finding applications for nanomaterials in consumer products, and the nanomaterials are generally included in these products as a suspension or dispersion in a liquid. Whatever the composition or the ultimate product form, ensuring effective and uniform dispersion of the nanomaterial is key to the production of products of consistent performance.

This event provides an opportunity for large and small companies to hear about new and potentially highly beneficial processes and techniques from both academia and industry. Complementing the technology pitches will be talks from industry on current needs and wants. The event aims to facilitate information exchange via these presentations followed by an afternoon dedicated to partnering discussions where companies can discuss directly with the technology providers how the technology might be used in support of new product development.

Our keynote speaker is Phil Taylor, of Open Innovation at AkzoNobel Decorative Paints and we have confirmed presentations from:

• Professor Jawwad Darr, UCL – Better nanoceramic dispersions by better process; continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis and scale-up.
• Professor Steve Armes, University of Sheffield – Polymeric nanoparticles via a highly versatile and scalable  polymerisation-induced self-assembly formulation.
• Dr Sandy Reid, Promethean Particles – Current advances in the optimum formulation for delivery into end use applications.

We are keen to hear from others who have relevant novel technologies to present. This is a major opportunity to present your work to key players in the consumer products sector.

If you are interested in booking a place at this event, you can register at the event website. For an opportunity to present your own novel work in this area, please contact Helen O’Connor to discuss your proposed topic.

UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

Supported by the ESPKTN

Our Keynote speaker is Ian Pykett, the CEO of Phase Focus. Ian will be describing the process of taking technology out of a university to commercialisation, including the sorts of companies and sector-related bodies that get involved, and illustrated with anecdotes from his stain-free cell imaging technology.

Novel technology being presented includes:

• Dr Kevin Critchley, from the University of Leeds: Next generation quantum dots for bio-imaging.
• Dr Dmitry Ushakov from the University of Leeds: Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to study intracellular protein localisation.
• Greg Norris and David Blatchford from the University of Strathclyde: Research and development activities, including three-photon microscopy for deep tissue imaging and progress towards realisation of a novel super-resolution imaging platform.
• Professor Anthony Parker of the STFC Central Laser Facility: Development of prodrugs for cancer treatment.

We also have confirmed technology presentations from St Andrews, Durham and Heriot Watt universities and UCL.

SUPA will be talking about the INSPIRE Physics and Life Science programme and the STFC will be providing a tour of the Astronomy Centre.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to be among the first to learn about and contribute their ideas to a TSB scoping exercise for a new funding competition for research in photonics.

The programme is split into technology presentations and keynote speaker before lunch, and one-to-one brokering slots during the afternoon, which can be pre-arranged via the event site.

Results from previous events show that close to 100% of attendees state that they would come to another event and would recommend these events to others, with on average 3 conversations to be continued/projects to be pursued after the event and 7 new useful contacts made for each attendee.

If you are interested in booking a place at this event, you can register at the event website which will contain further information as presenters are confirmed. For an opportunity to present your own novel work in this area, please contact Helen O’Connor to discuss your proposed topic.

Technology Brokering Event | Internet of Things

27 February 2013 | UK Astronomy Technology Centre | Edinburgh

The UKIF is running another of its very successful technology brokering events on the theme of Internet of Things, on 27 February at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh.

The event will cover technologies such as sensors and actuators that can be embedded in physical objects, and the architecture and algorithms of the systems that represent them in the virtual world. We are keen to hear from those who have relevant novel technologies they are keen to promote to an audience of individuals and organisations who are interested in commercialising their work.

The event provides an opportunity for large and small companies to hear about new and potentially highly beneficial technologies from both academia and industry. Complementing the technology pitches will be talks from industry on current needs and wants. The event aims to facilitate information exchange via these presentations followed by an afternoon dedicated to partnering discussions where companies can discuss directly with the technology providers how the technology might be used in support of new product development.

The programme is split into technology presentations and keynote speaker before lunch and one-to-one brokering slots during the afternoon. These can be pre-booked directly with any other delegate/presenter of interest or with whom you might like to discuss opportunities.

The fee includes lunch and refreshments. A tour of the Astronomy Centre will be offered during the day.

Previous events using this approach have proved to be very popular and have been successful in providing brokerage and supporting collaboration between academia and industry.

If you are interested in booking a place at this event, you can register at the event website http://iot.uk-if.org which will contain further information as presenters are confirmed. Or, if you would like an opportunity to present your own novel work in this area, please contact Helen O’Connor to discuss your proposed topic.

How can you ensure that your cleantech IP is adequately protected and maximise your company’s revenue?

The clean technology sector is one which spans multiple industries and, still in its infancy, is currently growing. As new technologies are developed, it has become vital for innovators to gain an awareness of their intellectual property and recognise its potential value.

The inaugural Clean Technology Patenting conference to be held on the 5^th February 2013 in London, will bring together experts from in-house counsels, external law firms and patent attorneys and investors to examine and discuss current challenges relating to cleantech patents and best practice for developing your IP strategy.

Highlights will include:

• A panel discussion examining the role of patents in clean technology transfer and R&D
• Identifying whether patents are the best protection for your technology
• Assessing whether the ‘Green Channel’ and other fast track patent schemes are right for your business
• Best practice for patent filing in multiple jurisdictions

Who will attend:

• Major cleantech developers and innovators from the renewable energy, manufacturing and automotive sectors plus others
• Law firms and patent & trademark attorneys
• Venture capitalists, angel and seed fund managers
• Policy makers

For more information and registration please click here.

The UKIF is delighted to anounce that AkzoNobel, the global paints, coatings and chemicals company, has joined the Forum. With activities in more than 80 countries, and employing approximately 55,000 people, it has revenues of around €16bn.

Well known in the UK for its Dulux brand, AkzoNobel has nearly 4000 active scientists and technologists based in more than 160 laboratories world-wide. As a leading producer of decorative and industrial coatings and a diverse range of specialty chemicals, AkzoNobel’s core areas of competence in Science & Technology lie in the Chemical and Materials Sciences.

We are looking forward to AkzoNobel’s participation in the Forum!

The UKIF is delighted to announce that City University London has joined the Forum.

City University is one of the most international universities in the UK with more than 21,000 students from over 160 countries and staff from over 50 countries. City celebrated a significant improvement in its research ratings across the University following the publication of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) results, with 15 areas identified as achieving world-leading quality in terms of originality, significance and rigour.

City’s distinctive features include its focus on academic excellence for business and the professions and its unique location between the City of London and the rapidly growing Tech City cluster of digital media businesses in East London. In addition to a full portfolio of services for businesses and a range of commercialisation activities, City runs the London City Incubator (LCI), which helps early-stage high-growth start-up businesses to prepare for investment. Linking to Cass Business School – a top ranked school in its own right – LCI focuses on high-growth sectors, including Clean Technology, Medical Devices and Digital Media.

The UKIF is delighted to announce that Crown, the leader in metal packaging technology, has joined the Forum.

With operations in 41 countries employing over 20,700 people and net sales of $8.6 billion, Crown provides global breadth as well as regional expertise. It is also proud of its World-Class Performance standards and the innovations provided to the industry from its technology centres.

Areas of particular interest to Crown include: Improved Shelf Life; Improve Manufacturing; Branding Opportunities; Pack Enhancement for Consumers; New Packaging Technologies; Improved Sustainability.

More information can be found here and if you would like to get in touch with Crown please contact Amy Geschke via the Forum.