As the nation fights to recover, we have never needed our Catapult Network more. Here's why
Catapults are already assisting thousands of UK businesses in key industry sectors and through innovative capability building they are helping to close regional inequality gaps.
As an economic emergency grips a nation reeling from a health crisis, we are all concerned with how the UK emerges from the pandemic with a strong economy, one that continues to enable opportunities for business growth, creates job security and improves our quality of life.
If we’re serious about ‘building back better’, it’s clear that innovation has to sit at the centre of the agenda, powering the advance of technologies that help us both to tackle major challenges and sow the seeds of the business and market growth.
But we know that, in times of uncertainty, the risks of innovation can often seem too great for even our most progressive companies.
As the nation fights to recover and wrestles with a myriad of future challenges, we have never needed the power of our Catapult Network more.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Catapult Network played a crucial role supporting our NHS workers
Catapults are already assisting thousands of UK businesses in key industry sectors and through innovative capability building they are helping to close regional inequality gaps.
For instance, Catapults are helping businesses develop the latest green technologies to help the UK transition towards net zero emissions and to develop a whole systems cross-sector approach towards decarbonisation.
Catapults are providing access to world-leading testing facilities and real-world test environments for trialling innovative products and approaches in manufacturing, energy, space, telecoms, urban environment, transport, and more.
This is helping de-risk innovations in a number of sectors and systems, such as accelerating adoption of advanced digital technologies, supporting businesses to pioneer the next generation of therapies, medicines and diagnostics, bringing more efficient treatment to patients faster.
Through these and other examples, Catapults are helping businesses remain at the forefront of global technological advancement.
The combined capabilities of the Catapult Network across multiple sectors put it in a unique position to boost the UK’s journey towards a thriving and stable economy through innovation.
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Catapult Network played a crucial role supporting our NHS workers, coordinating national efforts to provide vital medical equipment, mobilising a large scale COVID-19 testing programme and is now working to scale up manufacturing solutions for vaccines.
Catapults also stepped up their communication with businesses, rallying their expertise and resources to build confidence and help them continue to collaborate, innovate and access the support available from Government.
Since inception the Catapults have collectively played a lead role in delivering over 14,000 industry collaborations, over 5000 academic collaborations and supported over 8,000 innovative SMEs across a wide range of sectors and extended international partnership projects.
These activities are helping to make firms more resilient, create new jobs, develop supply chains to strengthen existing markets, and grow new ones.
They are enabling businesses to capitalise on emerging opportunities and continue to attract the investment needed to build a robust future.
The combined capabilities of the Catapult Network across multiple sectors put it in a unique position to boost the UK’s journey towards a thriving and stable economy through innovation.
As Andrew Jamieson, CEO of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Chair of Catapult Network comments: “Across the Catapult Network, we work continuously to create ambitious approaches to stimulate business growth. Ultimately, our collective aim is to ensure UK businesses are centre stage in global technological innovation, adoption and talent creation, ensuring the benefits are realised throughout society.”
Jeremy Silver, CEO Digital Catapult and Deputy Chair of Catapult Network added: “As well as individual business support, the programmes we are delivering across the Catapult Network bring stakeholders from business, government and research together to create the best collaborative environment for recovery.”
Download the Catapult Network’s latest Impact Brochure - Creating the future through innovation: recovery and resilience, to learn more about how the Catapults enable businesses to unlock their full potential, innovate and grow.
About the Catapult Network
The Catapult Network is made up of nine world-leading technology and innovation centres established by Innovate UK. It supports businesses in transforming great ideas into valuable products and services, delivering impact across the UK economy and enabling businesses to thrive in global markets. Since inception, the Catapults have collectively played a lead role in delivering over 15,000 industry collaborations, over 4000 academic collaborations and supported over 9,000 innovative SMEs across a wide range of sectors and extended international partnership projects.
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