CERN inks deal with UK science body to boost technological innovation

Start-ups to receive access to organisation's information and £40,000 funding

European scientific research centre CERN has announced a deal with the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to help turn high-end technologies in use at CERN into real-world uses thereby boosting the UK economy.

The partnerships will be run by a new Business Incubation Centre (BIC) based at the STFC's Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus and will work to help turn the high-end ideas to "market reality".

The scheme will see five companies per year, over the next two years, provided with a range of support packages including £40,000 of funding, 40 hours of access to expertise and facilities at the STFC and CERN's own expertise and intellectual property.

CERN's director of accelerators and technology, Steve Myers, said the deal would help ensure the organisation continued in its remit to provide as much of its research to the public at large.

"CERN is committed to maximising the benefit to society of CERN technology through the development and exploitation of innovative ideas in all CERN's areas of expertise," he said.

"Our technologies are already available through schemes ranging from R&D partnerships to licences and consultancy. The CERN-STFC BIC provides a new route to market, and I hope it will be the first of many in our Member States."

The chief executive of the STFC, John Womersley, said the partnership had the potential to "generate major economic and societal rewards for the UK".

"Small companies with a real mission to innovate will benefit from this initiative by CERN and STFC, which brings together some of the most advanced technologies in the world with the unique and focussed business support required to take new ideas to market," he added.

The partnership follows CERN's announcement earlier this year that it is developing a pan-European cloud computing platform, with two other leading scientific organisations, to take advantage of the increased computing power cloud systems offer to help scientists better analyse data.