7th May 2018
Beijing, China
This March, I visited three research and development projects jointly funded by Chinese and UK government that are tackling the problem of clean energy, mobility and aging via the Newton Fund: China-UK Research and Innovation Bridges competition. Transition and access to affordable, reliable and clean energy systems is vital for mitigating further climate change and […]
Read more on Improved Life Ahead with Newton Fund Projects | Reply
25th September 2017
Shanghai
In January of this year, the Dong Feng (East Wind) train arrived at Barking rail terminal, completing a 7,000 mile plus journey. 17 days previously the freight train had departed from Yiwu City in Zhejiang Province on its maiden UK-China journey. The East Wind train is the latest manifestation of China’s ambitious Belt and Road […]
Read more on Innovation by road, rail and air to rebuild the UK-China Silk Road | Reply
28th August 2017
Beijing, China
I keep saying it, but I can’t believe how fast the past four years has gone. It’s been a non-stop whirlwind but it’s been a great pleasure to lead the UK’s science and innovation relationship with China during these exciting times. When I started the Newton Fund didn’t exist and now it stands at £360m […]
Read more on Goodbye to China! (for now) | Reply
3rd July 2017
Guangzhou, China
Guangdong Province is China’s largest provincial economy and the principal driver of the national economy over the last 30 years. Under China’s innovation-driven development strategy, Guangdong is positioned as China’s Innovation Centre for Science and Technology Industry, with special focus on industrial development and technology transfer. Companies in Guangdong employ more R&D personnel than any […]
Read more on Working together to tackle urban challenges: MoU signed between Innovate UK and Guangdong | Reply
23rd June 2017
Beijing, China
What do you think of when you think about big data technology? A matchbox sized sensor may not look like much, but it can significantly improve the safety of key infrastructure; for example it can collect data on humidity, weather conditions, and traffic volume, analyse the effect of these on the structure of a bridge […]
Read more on Big Data, Bigger Opportunities | Reply (1)
27th January 2017
London, UK
Chinese New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in the world. There are twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, starting with the Rat, including the highly auspicious Dragon and finishing with the Pig. I’m an Ox, which next comes around in early 2021. Here in Beijing, in the last few weeks, red lanterns have […]
Read more on Happy New Year of the Rooster! | Reply (1)
15th December 2016
Beijing, China
On 6th December I attended the 4th UK-China People to People Dialogue which is chaired by Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Jeremy Hunt. It covers a range of issues including science and innovation, education, health and culture. John Loughhead, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, travelled to Shanghai to […]
Read more on Developing the first UK-China joint strategy on science and innovation | Reply (3)
14th December 2016
Shanghai
It was just over sixty years ago that radio telescopes across England discovered a series of mysterious meteorites entering the Earth’s orbit. A leading scientist from the British Rocket Group was sent to investigate and he was shocked to discover these meteorites were part of an alien life form, a life form that emitted a […]
Read more on Speeding up the search for alien life | Reply (4)
9th December 2016
Shanghai
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR for short) could be the biggest killer you’ve never heard of. Last year an estimated 700,000 people around the world died from AMR. And this figure is increasing rapidly. If left unchecked, deaths will increase to 10 million per year by 2050. To put that in context, 8.2 million people globally died […]
Read more on Tackling the ‘superbug’ that threatens the future of medicine | Reply
29th November 2016
Beijing, China
Connected and autonomous vehicles (or CAV for short) will bring huge changes to the way we travel, the way we transport goods, and to the quality and safety of travel. It is an area that China is making rapid progress in, as I saw when I attended the launch of the I-VISTA Intelligent Vehicle Integrated […]
Read more on Witnessing the development of Chinese Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) | Reply
