The Government has some big plans for computing and science, with solid commitments to both 'wonder material' graphene and supercomputing.
During its Conservative Party Conference, a 50 million Graphene Global Research and Technology Hub was announced to commercialise graphene the material expected to replace silicon in computer chips.
Graphene can be used in other areas as well, in particular for quicker touchscreens.
There are a range of graphene-related projects taking place across the world, including at the University of Manchester in work led by Nobel Prize winners Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov. They discovered the material at the university in 2004.
"We will fund a national research programme that will take this Nobel prize winning discovery from the British laboratory to the British factory floor," said Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.
"We're going to get Britain making things again."
A business case is currently being developed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to determine the best way to commercialise graphene.
"As the UK's leading centre for graphene research, we look forward to the creation of the Graphene Hub which will help to stimulate the economy, create jobs and new business opportunities," said Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester.
We're going to get Britain making things again.
"Graphene is one of the most important scientific advancements in recent times. We are proud of the world-class research carried out here and to have that recognised by the Government is a real vindication of the work we do."
The University of Manchester will be one possible location of the hub, but there will be an application process in the coming months. Universities and other institutions interested in graphene research will be able to bid for Government funding.
You can find out what graphene is and what it will mean in our Q&A here.
Another 145 million is to go on High Performance Computing (HPC), as the Government wants the UK to become a world leader in supercomputing.
-
Starmer bets big on AI to unlock public sector savingsNews AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
-
UK government targets ‘startup’ mindset in AI funding overhaulNews Public sector AI funding will be overhauled in the UK in a bid to simplify processes and push more projects into development.
-
UK government signs up Anthropic to improve public servicesNews The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic to explore how the company's Claude AI assistant could be used to improve access to public services.
-
The UK’s AI ambitions face one major hurdle – finding enough home-grown talentNews Research shows UK enterprises are struggling to fill AI roles, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet expectations in the global AI race.
-
US government urged to overhaul outdated technologyNews A review from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found legacy technology and outdated IT systems are negatively impacting efficiency.
-
Government urged to improve tech procurement practicesNews The National Audit Office highlighted wasted money and a lack of progress on major digital transformation programmes
-
Government says new data bill will free up millions of hours of public sector timeNews The UK government is proposing new data laws it says could free up millions of hours of police and NHS time every year and boost the UK economy by £10 billion.
-
Online Safety Act slammed by rights groups as bill gains royal assentNews The Online Safety Act has been described as a veiled attempt to secure access to encrypted messages
