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Foreign and Commonwealth Office via Flickr
George Osborne
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Via TECU Consulting Flickr
Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)
The MTC in Coventry is benefiting from the Government's science budget, using the investment to develop advanced manufacturing technologies including additive manufacturing.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has used 3D printing as a case study in his recent speech promoting sciences in the UK by announcing the protection of the science budget.
George Osborne's presentation, which took place in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge on April 25th, emphasises how important it is to nurture science in order to support the economy.
He said that science is "something Britain is brilliant at" and that more needs to be done to turn home-grown ingenuity into commercial success, citing the fact too many innovations are created here but exploited overseas.
"I am hugely proud that Britain has contributed so much to that quest for knowledge - with extraordinary scientific achievements from Newton and Darwin, to Higgs and Hawking," Osborne stated. "I am proud that we continue to lead the way, even as the race to understand intensifies. Whether exploring the first moments of the universe, or the deep structure of matter, or the power of genetic code – scientists in Britain are leading the way."
The Conservative front-bencher continued to extol the benefits of the Government-supported Catapult Centres for promoting research and innovation in science and technology in the UK. They cover satellite technology, offshore renewable energy, the digital economy, transport systems, cell therapy and high-value manufacturing, while precision medicine and energy systems centres will be established in the coming year.
"Each one is focused on a globally important area where we show real leadership," the Chancellor said. "Take the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which I visited in Coventry earlier this year. I saw their cutting edge 3D printing technology – a technology [that] could revolutionise everything.
"And I saw how they were harnessing incredibly powerful lasers to weld and cut mechanical components with a level of precision and efficiency well in advance of current manufacturing standards. I was told that there's only one laser in the world more powerful – and that's the one NASA have to shoot down missiles."
He added the Government's Research Partnership Investment Fund will continue to do great things, with 22 projects currently benefiting from more than £300 million from the Government, and over £1 billion in total investment.
Osborne stated: "We're getting behind Britain's success stories. Backing our successful clusters. Backing our successful technologies, getting our innovations to the market here in Britain.
"When we came to government, the UK was ranked 14th in the Global Innovation Index. Now we’re third."
He concluded by confirming that the Government will deliver the biggest sustained programme of investment in new science and capital ever over the coming five years, increasing capital investment to £1.1 billion for 2015-16 and increasing this in line with prices to 2020-21.