Links

BBSRC: the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is the leading funding agency for academic research and training in the biosciences at universities and institutes throughout the UK. Receives most of its money through the Government's Office of Science and Technology.

BioIndustry Association : the trade association for innovative, emerging small to medium sized enterprises in the UK's bioscience sector. Active in representing the UK biotechnology sector and its needs to audiences, from patient groups to regional, national and pan-European governments.

Biotechnology sectors : this webpage on the DTI website gives an overview of the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, government sponsorship including schemes and initiatives, other sector contacts and regulatory guidance.

Biowise: working in partnership with UK businesses, business associations and the UK's biotechnology industry to show how biotechnology can improve your company's competitive position.

Business Links (and equivalent offices outside England) give you advice on business opportunities, technology and innovation and starting and running your business.

CORDIS: the European Community's Research and Development Information Service which gives information on content and scope as well as funding opportunities within the European Community's Framework Programme on research, technology development and demonstration.

EUREKA: the European initiative that encourages international collaborations between companies and other organisations.

Faraday Partnerships: are business-driven knowledge base/industry partnerships recognised regionally and nationally as centres of expertise and collaboration in their sectors or technology. By bringing together researchers and businesses through the involvement of intermediate organisations and "technology translators" (business-literate scientists and engineers) they use private capital and the various support schemes more coherently to bring new products and processes to the market faster.

Foresight: brings together in a unique partnership the voices of business, the research base and government to develop and act on shared visions of the future.

Gambica: the national organization representing the interests of companies in the instrumentation, control and automation industry in the UK.

INTErSECT Faraday: a Faraday Partnership, supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the DTI. The Intelligent Sensors for Control Technologies Partnership managed by Sira and NPL is one of the first four Faraday Partnerships in the UK, established in 1997 to create new and effective links between industry and the academic world. INTErSECT covers new research, related exploitation and training in sensors, measurement and instrumentation, with particular emphasis on the process and manufacturing industries.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: supports partnerships between companies of all sizes and the knowledge base. These enable companies to make strategic competitive advances whilst developing future leaders. They help the knowledge base organisations exploit their advanced knowledge and increases the industrial relevance of their teaching and research.

Link: mechanism for supporting collaborative research partnerships between UK industry and the research base. It provides financial support to individual programmes of pre-competitive science and technology research.

LGC, Laboratory of the Government Chemist: is an integral part of the UK's National Measurement System infrastructure. LGC is the national measurement institute for chemical and biochemical analysis.

NEL, National Engineering Laboratory: is an integral part of the UK's National Measurement System infrastructure. NEL is the national measurement institute for flow technology.

NMS S&T programme websites: the NMS S&T programmes funded by the DTI have a website (or a webpage hosted on the parent organisation's website).

NPL, National Physical Laboratory: is an integral part of the UK's National Measurement System infrastructure. NPL is the national measurement institute for physical measurements.

NWML, National Weights and Measures Laboratory: is an integral part of the UK's National Measurement System infrastructure. It is an Executive Agency of the DTI and provides the focus for legal metrology in the UK.

OST: One of DTI's objectives is to make the most of the UK's science, engineering and technology, in particular by achieving standards of international excellence in basic science and maximising the contribution of S&T outputs to the UK's economic development and the quality of our lives. The Department is responsible both for UK Science Policy (through the Office of Science and Technology), and for promoting Innovation and adoption of technology by industry.

SBS, Small Business Service: is an agency within the United Kingdom's Government that champions the interests of small businesses.

strd: the DTI's Standards and Technical Regulations Directorate aims to secure a standards, testing and certification infrastructure which meets the needs of UK industry. Information is provided through a series of Product Standards booklets.

UKAS, United Kingdom Accreditation Services : is an integral part of the UK's National Measurement System infrastructure. It is the sole national body recognised by government for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, certification and inspection bodies.

The Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers: A Livery Company of the City of London, the WCSIM promotes the craft of scientific instrument making and the exchange of ideas and information by members and guests through meetings, visits and lectures. The members, Liverymen, are all linked with scientific instruments in some way. The Company advances the craft through traditional apprenticeships supervised by Liverymen, and through its Educational Trust Fund, supports technology in schools, provides undergraduate scholarships and research fellowships.