Select Committee publishes report on the commercialisation of research

The House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee has today (13 March) published a report, Bridging the valley of death: improving the commercialisation of research.

As outlined in our booklet Innovation and the Research Councils, published earlier this week (11 March), RCUK plays a crucial role in the UK innovation ecosystem – by investing in knowledge creation and supporting the translation of this knowledge; by training highly skilled people; and by supporting collaboration between the UK research base and the public, private and third sectors. This leads to an extensive range of benefits for the economy and for society as a whole.

RCUK provided both written and oral evidence to the Select Committee. We will continue to work with others in the UK innovation system, such as the UK funding Councils, the Technology Strategy Board and Government to address barriers to the commercialisation of research.

One of the ways we are working to achieve this is the development of Gateway to Research, which will provide a mechanism for businesses and other interested parties to identify potential partners in universities to develop and commercialise knowledge, and maximise the impact of publicly funded research.

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Further information

Contact:
Katie Clark
Press and Communications Manager
Tel: 01793 444592 or email: Katie Clark

Notes to editors

1. Bridging the valley of death: improving the commercialisation of research is available here.

2. Innovation and the Research Councils is available here.

3. The beta version of Gateway to Research is available at: http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/

4. Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils who annually invest around £3 billion in research. We support excellent research, as judged by peer review, that has an impact on the growth, prosperity and wellbeing of the UK. To maintain the UK’s global research position we offer a diverse range of funding opportunities, foster international collaborations and provide access to the best facilities and infrastructure around the world. We also support the training and career development of researchers and work with them to inspire young people and engage the wider public with research. To maximise the impact of research on economic growth and societal wellbeing we work in partnership with other research funders including the Technology Strategy Board, the UK Higher Education funding bodies, business, government, and charitable organisations. www.rcuk.ac.uk.

   The seven UK Research Councils are:

   • Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
   • Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
   • Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
   • Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
   • Medical Research Council (MRC);
   • Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
   • Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC).