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A farmers field being irrigated with a centre pivot sprinkler system

Why ‘A New Vision for Water’ must consider the role of water for food security and economic growth

A profile picture of Dr Christopher Bowden. By and Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

Farming and food security, in the UK, is increasingly exposed to drought and water scarcity. Yet, the UK government’s White Paper, ‘A New Vision for Water’, treats farming primarily as a source of water pollution, not as a sector whose productive capacity is closely linked to water security. The White Paper promises a once-in-a-generation reform […]

Quantum technologies: a new frontier of the information age

Headshot of Jayadev By and Filed Under: Science and Technology Posted:

In recent decades, rapid progress in the development of quantum technologies has established their place as one of the next major technological frontiers. Future quantum technologies are expected to have a revolutionary impact on advanced materials, healthcare, finance and our national security, while also bringing with them substantial economic benefits. Previous UK governments have devoted […]

Rows of semiconductor/chip technology

Britain’s chip strategy: smart focus, but does it pack enough punch?

Headshot of John Goodacre By Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

Semiconductors, or microchips, are akin to tiny silicon brains inside everything – from your phone and car to NHS scanners and the nation’s power grid. They are essential, yet Britain’s role in making them has been uncertain. In 2023, the Sunak government unveiled its National Semiconductor Strategy, identifying where the UK can compete in the market. […]

A diagnostics laboratory, with two workers in white coats operating laboratory equipment.

Getting genomics right: why data standards must underpin the UK’s international competitiveness

By Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The UK is a leading nation in genomics, with the 10 Year Health Plan outlining a major shift towards a population-wide genomic health service. This strategy could deliver savings and improved patient outcomes for the NHS – but critical to its success is the data that underpins it. Here, Dr Peter Freeman outlines why policymakers […]

Image of the Manchester skyline on a day with sun and cloud

Unlocking the north-west’s industrial biotechnology potential

A profile picture of Professor Aline Miller By Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies Posted:

Industrial biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that draws on biological resources to produce and process everyday products such as food, fuels, materials, and medicines. It holds huge potential to revolutionise industry by making production processes more sustainable and so addressing global challenges such as food security, resource scarcity and environmental degradation. In this article, Professor […]

Doctors in white coats walking through a greenhouse. One talking and holding a clipboard.

Designing life: how synthetic genomics could hold the key to sustaining the world

Headshot of Patrick Cai By Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

With climate change affecting our rising demand for sufficient food, affordable medicines, equitable healthcare, sustainable fuels and safe but effective agrochemicals; there is an increasing need to find new ways to produce these goods at scale. In this article, Professor Patrick Cai explores how synthetic genomics can address these global challenges and provides recommendations about how […]

Scientist or engineer in a lab working on robotics

Compound semiconductors – building UK resilience in a transactional world

Daniel Dyer By and Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

Semiconductors play a key role in our day-to-day lives and are crucial for modern living. They are used to make the computer chips at the heart of smart technology including phones, laptops, cars and planes. The UK has strengths in this technology, however, steps are needed to create greater resilience in supply in light of […]

Two surgeons in scrubs looking at a scan on an electronic screen.

Machine-learning in medicine: why data access, education and ‘hybrid intelligence’ matter

Claudia Lindner headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) hold the potential to modernise health and care provision in the UK and provide innovative solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. With ongoing debate around the sector’s use of AI, and the government committed to building an NHS fit for the future, the time to discuss the […]

Two researchers, one man and one woman, discuss data on a computer screen in a laboratory.

Why policy support for evolutionary biology is critical in the fight against antimicrobial resistance

Dr William SmithDr Danna GiffordDr Matthew Shepherd By , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering Posted:

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) looms among the greatest health and economic challenges of the 21st century. AMR causes more than 1 million deaths annually; by 2050, this number is forecast to double, piling over $1 trillion in additional costs onto stretched healthcare systems worldwide. Without urgent action, we risk a future where treating infectious diseases, chemotherapy, […]

A female scientist in a lab examines a piece of laboratory equipment.

In silico technologies: the future of UK life sciences?

Professor Alejandro Frangi By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The UK life sciences sector contributes £94 billion to the economy each year, but it faces increasing global competition, alongside internal challenges such as low numbers of NHS clinical trials, and slow regulatory approval processes. Here, Professor Alejandro Frangi outlines how in silico technologies – Artificial Intelligence and other computer-based approaches for virtual product development […]

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