The UK government has identified engineering biology as a strategic priority within its Modern Industrial Strategy, recognising its potential to transform sectors from agriculture and food through to chemicals, materials, medicine and the environment. In recent years, there has been substantial investment through the National Engineering Biology Programme and UKRI’s mission‑led initiatives.
Innovate UK and Defra are preparing for an engineering biology Contracts for Innovation initiative to stimulate the development and adoption of engineering biology technologies. The competition is anticipated to launch this year.
Contracts for Innovation is a competitive UK government programme that enables innovators to work directly with the public sector to develop new technologies and processes, providing funding for R&D and a route to market.
Why attend?
This webinar is the first of a two-stage engagement process. It will help stakeholders understand the direction of the proposed competition and gain insight into Defra’s challenge areas that have been identified as having the potential to benefit from engineering biology–based solutions, including:
- real time, low cost water quality monitoring
- novel biopesticide approaches
- next generation veterinary vaccine platforms
- technologies to address per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution
- real time genomic monitoring of aquatic environments
- AI driven eDNA based ecosystem insights
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with Defra colleagues in break-out rooms to learn more about the specific challenge areas.
The second stage is expected to be an in-person workshop, to explore the problem statements and potential solution areas in more depth, alongside opportunities for partnership building. Details will be shared in due course.
Who should attend?
Innovators from industry and the science based sectors with the potential to develop engineering biology inspired solutions to the problem statements identified, should certainly attend. It is anticipated that these solutions will be at technology readiness level 4 and above.
