15 March 2005 -

Eight high-tech sectors to share £10m

Lord Sainsbury has announced £100m funding for the high-tech sector as part of the next round of the government's technology programme, which has £320m
to distribute to UK companies by 2008.

The latest round is available for firms to take blueprint products to saleable prototype. with stopping climate change and creating new technologies for the auto and aero industries as high on the list.

The eight areas of the technology are:-

• the development of new materials bound for tough environments;
•'direct writing', where materials can be put directly onto complex structures;
• biopharmaceutical processing;
• next generation laser technology;
• tech to help push unsustainable energy;
• pollution-free businesses;
• validation of complex systems;
• micro- and nanotechnology.

Contact: http://www.dti.gov.uk/technologyprogramme/open_comps.html

The competition opens on 25 April, 2005
Applications must be submitted before 13 June, 2005.