External Support
Cyber security startup accelerator
The Cyber Security Academic Startup Accelerator Programme (CyberASAP) programme has hit the next stage in its 2024/2025 cycle. Phase 1B of the programme, dedicated to market validation, has welcomed 19 academic teams selected from the initial cohort of 30 that took part in Phase 1A.
The UK cyber security sector remains fast-moving and has generated revenue of £11.9 billion, up 13% since last year, according to the recent Government’s Cyber security sectoral analysis 2024.
As the only pre-seed accelerator programme in the cybersecurity ecosystem, CyberASAP, funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, plays a vital role in supporting cyber security innovation and commercialisation by bridging the gap between academic research and commercial viability.
Through a series of intensive workshops, dedicated events and mentoring that kicked off in April, the 11-month programme offers commercialisation expertise and guidance, providing cyber researchers with necessary and practical entrepreneurial know-how, that will allow them to fast-track their innovative solutions.
Throughout the recent hands-on bootcamp, including investor-readiness pitch training delivered by Ian Tracey of AnchoredIn, sessions in PR and communications with Eskenzi PR, digital marketing with Taylor Communications and networking skills workshop with Will Kinitsh, the teams focused on perfecting their offerings and translating them into compelling brand storytelling.
The CyberASAP team is now gearing up for the upcoming Meet the Entrepreneur Day where the Year 8 cohort teams will present their elevator pitches.
To read the full article, click here.
Foundation industries key to sustainable automotive sector
A new report has set out five key recommendations to support the sustainable future of the automotive industry. The report is published by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, and delivered by:
- Innovate UK
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Economic and Social Research Council
The report, carried out by Ricardo, a global strategic environmental and engineering consulting company, outlines how the automotive sector requires the development of new innovative materials. This includes lightweight alloys and natural fibre composites, made with a lower carbon footprint and higher recycled content, to enable the production of lightweight vehicles.
These materials must also be cost effective, while maintaining:
- safety
- quality
- durability
- performance standards
Read the full article here.
UK and US tackling dementia
Innovate UK has awarded four UK companies a share of £4 million funding through Contracts for Innovation to support innovative research into dementia diagnosis.
The funding will enable organisations to evaluate blood-based and digital biomarkers as part of the Bio-Hermes-002 study. This international study is led by the Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP), a leading research group based in the US.
This Innovate UK investment forms an important part of the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, a government-led effort committed to realising a new generation of precision dementia therapies and solutions for the UK.
Transformative research
The Bio-Hermes-002 study, under GAP’s leadership, focuses on exploring digital and blood-based biomarkers that can predict the extent of tau and amyloid brain pathology as measured by positron emission tomography (PET) brain imaging. These biomarkers have the potential to provide more efficient and less invasive alternatives to the current gold standard of dementia diagnosis, which relies on tau and amyloid PET scans.
The study will engage an ethnically diverse cohort of 1,000 participants shown to be cognitively normal (CN), have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or have mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s Diseases (AD) dementia. The participants are from across 30 sites in the UK, US, Canada and Europe.
Read the full article here.
