Patients will see faster cancer diagnoses and doctors will gain new insights into how diseases develop and resist treatments, as part of 3 new research programmes which harness cutting-edge tech to deliver benefits for hardworking people across the country. 

Unveiled by Science Minister Lord Vallance today (Thursday 19 February), a combined pot of £150 million will support 3 key projects spanning healthcare, clean energy, and the development of state-of-the-art materials. This will help deliver on the government’s plans for national renewal, by growing the economy, improving lives, and helping turn the brightest UK research ideas into new businesses.

The investment is part of UKRI’s record £38 billion funding settlement, which will specifically target curiosity-driven research, R&D addressing government priorities, and support for innovative companies to start, scale and stay in the UK.

The UK’s research community has already been backed by a record £86 billion in R&D investment over the coming years, with today’s announcements highlighting how that support is helping researchers go further and faster to deliver positive change and tangible impact for the British public.

One key area is in the treatment and diagnoses of cancer – a disease which will touch all of us over the course of our lifetimes. The earlier a disease is caught, the better a patient’s chances, while the ability for researchers to understand why a treatment works for one person but not others holds the potential to transform care for millions.

Backed by £55 million, a new medical imaging programme will create ‘Centres of Imaging Excellence’ in England, Scotland and Wales. These hubs for cutting-edge med tech will bring together the latest scanning technology with clinical expertise to unlock new insights into how diseases develop and why some infections resist drugs. For patients, this means faster, more accurate diagnoses and treatments tailored to them. For the NHS, it means staying at the forefront of medical science while easing pressure on services.

A project backed by £15 million meanwhile will tap into Britain’s coastline – one of our greatest natural assets – to help generate reliable, clean power. Blue Horizon will expand the European Marine Energy Centre’s world-leading tidal test facilities in Orkney, meaning more companies can trial their turbines in real world conditions, accelerating the journey from prototype to power grid. The investment brings tidal energy closer to becoming a mainstream part of Britain’s energy mix, creating skilled jobs in coastal communities and supporting the government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.

Scotland’s natural strengths as a renewable energy powerhouse have already seen the country taking on an increasingly pivotal role to deliver growth and opportunity. Lanarkshire’s new AI Growth Zone announced just weeks ago will not only create 3,400 high-value local jobs but will also be powered by on-site renewables. This pioneering approach highlights the potential of renewable energy to power the UK’s science, innovation, and technology ambitions for generations to come.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Britain has world-class researchers and a proud history of turning insight and ideas into innovation. Our job is to make sure those ideas don’t just stay in the lab, but become the treatments, technologies and products that improve lives in hospitals, homes and communities across the country.

Government investment in projects like these – from helping to spot diseases earlier and developing new cancer therapies to taking advantage of our coastline to power the nation – will make a real difference to people and spark the economic growth hardworking communities deserve.

This represents British research at its best – bringing together ideas, expertise, and technical know-how and turning it into impact.

Dr Zubir Ahmed, Health Innovation Minister, said:

After 20 years of frontline NHS experience, I know how vital it is that cancer is caught early to give patients a fighting chance.

Cutting edge research like this could save lives by giving patients faster diagnoses and individually-tailored treatments.

This is another step on our journey to shift our NHS from analogue to digital, as part of our 10 Year Health Plan.

As part of today’s announcements, the government is also rolling out an £80 million National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP) – helping deliver on the ambition of its Modern Industrial Strategy. Advanced materials are already part of daily life – they stop our phone screens from shattering when they’re dropped and help electric car batteries charge faster and last longer. They’re also behind critical innovations in healthcare, defence and clean energy.

Britain has world-leading researchers developing these materials, but promising discoveries too often end up manufactured abroad. The programme unveiled today will bridge that gap, helping UK innovations reach market faster and keeping production in Britain. This sort of innovation is already delivering positive change for the public. Only 3% of UK adults with glioblastoma – the most aggressive brain cancer – currently survive for 5 years, with Cheshire-based QV Bioelectronics now using advanced materials to develop a world-first implant device which delivers targeted therapy directly to the brain. The company has secured £4.5 million, including Innovate UK funding, to now begin first-in-human trials.

The money announced today will help bring together industry, academia, and government to streamline access to funding, and support targeted pilots which could lead to the eventual development of everything from lighter, more efficient aircraft parts through to long-life medical implants.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director Net Zero at Innovate UK, said:

Working alongside Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will help establish a coordinated approach for the UK advanced materials sector and accelerate the pull through of impactful innovations into industry, boosting productivity, resilience and growth nationwide.

The programmes announced today highlight how curiosity-driven research and a focus on national priorities and support for companies to scale up and grow will deliver sustainable, positive change for British people. This agile, focused, and impactful approach won’t just put British expertise at the heart of innovations and breakthroughs delivering for people here at home, but which are transforming lives for the better all over the world.

Notes to editors

The National Materials Innovation Programme will fund 5 areas of activity:

• connecting researchers with businesses – new networks bringing together universities, companies and government
• backing high-potential projects – targeted support for the most promising innovations
• protecting strategic supplies – ensuring the UK can produce materials critical to national security,
• improving testing and data – developing better ways to measure and verify how new materials perform
• building international partnerships – working with global partners to attract investment, share expertise and strengthen the UK’s reputation as a world leader in materials science

The Blue Horizon project is delivered by the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, with funding from UKRI’s Infrastructure Fund.