Chinese Ambassador and UK Science Minister launch Innovation China UK (ICUK) – the first UK-China joint innovation and knowledge transfer partnership
20 November 2007
At a ceremony held today at Queen Mary, University of London, Her Excellency Madam Fu Ying, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the UK and Ian Pearson MP, Minister of State for Science and Innovation formally launched Innovation China UK.
ICUK is a unique collaboration involving five British and over twenty Chinese higher education institutions. Led by Queen Mary, University of London, ICUK is the first collaborative research and knowledge transfer partnership between the two countries. It supports academic and business partners in forging collaborations, funding proof-of-concept research, and commercialising joint intellectual property across the UK and China. Its activities will enhance the profile and visibility of UK science and technology, and the international reputation of UK universities. The other ICUK British partners are King’s College London, the University of Nottingham, the Royal Veterinary College, and the University of Southampton.
Speaking at the launch Ian Pearson MP said:
“I particularly welcome the launch of Innovation China UK (ICUK) because of its emphasis on helping to bring ground breaking research to the commercial market. It is also a further sign of co-operation between the UK and China.
Such existing research partnerships mark a potentially significant step in the capability of both countries to boost knowledge transfer. With greater knowledge transfer comes a greater ability to innovate. Both the UK and China are at the forefront of cutting edge science. Together we can benefit from a strong research base that works effectively with business”.
Jin Xiao Ming, Director General of International co-operation, Ministry of Science and Technology, China commented:
“Science and innovation is high on the agenda in Sino-British relations. The recent opening of Research Councils’ China Office signals a new era of bilateral science and innovation cooperation. Several major initiatives are unfolding and ICUK is among them. It is high time we tap into the enormously rich resources of joint research projects between our research institutions and bring them into the orbit of practical application and wealth creation. I firmly believe that ICUK will achieve success and expand to involve additional world-renowned UK universities in the future.”
Professor Adrian Smith, Principal of Queen Mary, University of London said:
“This project came about as a result of past experience working with UK and Chinese HEIs, where it became evident that many research-intensive higher education institutions already have significant UK-China R&D collaborations.
“However outcomes of such joint research are rarely commercialised as a result of the significant cultural barriers and the lack of dedicated support for UK-China technology transfer,” added Caroline Quest, Chairman of ICUK Partners’ Board, “ICUK aims to deliver dedicated UK-China technology transfer support, lower barriers and facilitate the commercialisation of UK-China research outputs.”
China now has the biggest Research and Development (R&D) workforce, and the third biggest R&D investment in the world. UK has recognised the importance of collaborating with China to benefit from globalisation and to win ‘the race to top’ of innovation. ICUK supports collaborative research in areas such as energy; climate change and sustainable environment; infectious diseases; biomedicine and drug discovery including traditional Chinese medicine; nanotechnology and material science; and space technology.
The project has been awarded £5 million in funding by the UK Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), which supports knowledge transfer and increased business engagement in universities. China is providing complementary funding through its Ministry of Science Technology (MoST).
For further information please contact:
- Kate Hunter, Head of Communications (Corporate), Queen Mary, University of London 020 7882 5378 k.a.hunter@qmul.ac.uk
- Manyi Cristofoli, Executive Director, Innovation China UK, 020 7882 8341m.cristofoli@qmul.ac.uk
Notes for editors
- Innovation China UK (ICUK) is the first collaborative research and knowledge transfer partnership supporting five UK Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) and twenty Chinese HEIs in promoting innovation through collaboration and commercialisation of joint research worldwide.
The design of ICUK was informed by widespread consultation with stakeholders in the UK and China. ICUK will have three main activities:- A state-of-the-art knowledge network and a complementary events and dissemination programme
- An ICUK collaboration development fund into which partner HEIs may submit applications for proof of concept and business development grants
- Expertise in project management and technology transfer to support commercialisation of joint intellectual property.
Examples of ICUK Chinese collaborators include China Academy of Science (over five institutes), Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Aerospace and Aeronautics, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China Ocean University China, Nanjing University, University of Science and Technology China and Xi’an Jiaotong University.
Further Information
To request further information or an interview please contact:
- Hannah Murray on 01727 737997
email: hannah@communicationsmanagement.co.uk - Phil Smith on 01727 850761
email: phil@communicationsmanagement.co.uk
The Royal Veterinary College
Established in 1791, the RVC is the UK’s longest-standing veterinary college—with a proud heritage of innovation in veterinary science, clinical practice and education.