NEST - facing up to the challenge of innovation

PSTI will contribute to a project funded by the UK governmentís Office of Science and Technology on the transfer of expertise between the UK research community and industry. The project, led by NERC, aims to improve UK competitiveness by enhancing the dialogue and promoting partnerships between R&D users, providers and enablers by creating a Network for the Exploitation of Science and Technology (NEST).

This will be achieved by the creation of a virtual market on the information superhighway. In the first year of the project a demonstrator network will be formed around the natural resource and environment sectors and the work funded by UK Research Councils. Industry will be represented through trade organisations and similar bodies. Best use of available technologies and expertise will be made by building on regional and sector specific activities at Leeds University and PSTI. During the first year the business potential of the NEST concept will be evaluated and the ability to include other sectors in the network demonstrated. The end result will be to achieve a significantly higher ëhití rate of successful UK-led innovative ventures.

PSTI will contribute its experience of networking between researchers and the oil/gas industry, including that gained from the design and operation of PTERIS. Specifically PSTI will:

• enable access to the existing PTERIS international gateway to science , engineering and technology (SET) information;
• facilitate access to over sixty member companies in the oil/gas sector;
• enable promotion of NEST towards the users of the PTERIS gateway;
• conduct NEST trials with potential NEST users in the oil and gas sector;
• provide advice on the development of the NEST demonstrator system.

For further information contact Simon Burnett, e-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01224 706600 Fax: 01224 706601