Thursday 24 January 2019

UK announces £279m to solve global issues

The UK has announced £279 million of new investment to help solve global issues such as ocean pollution, clean mobility and climate change.

As part of its Industrial Strategy, the government will plough the finance into reducing the impact of environmental waste, developing the next generation of eco-friendly packaging and reducing emissions.

The money is split across 28 projects in total - in other sectors it will be used to improve the security of food supply, control infectious diseases and use artificial intelligence to improve the lives of millions suffering from dementia.

One project is the One Ocean Hub, led by the University of Strathclyde, which aims to bring researchers and local communities together to keep oceans sustainable and cut pollution.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) CEO Sir Mark Walport said: "From tackling climate change to preventing and treating infectious diseases, the search for knowledge is a global endeavour that requires collaboration between the world’s best minds.

"The Fund for International Collaboration and the creation of twelve global research hubs demonstrate the commitment of the UK to ensuring our researchers and innovators can work with their counterparts across the world to address important questions."