Faculty of Science and Technology

InfoLab21 company Kinetic Cubed, one of the region's fastest growing international trade and investment consultancy organisations and partners have beaten off stiff competition to win a project with the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office looking at partnerships between the UK and India in the areas of R&D, Science and Innovation and technology.

The project is co-sponsored by the UK and Indian Governments and the findings will be presented at the UK-India Round Table in April 2007.

The project has three key strands:

(i)To examine how to encourage the more effective commercialisation of India's increasingly world-class scientific research, including greater involvement of British development and funding capacity, and draw lessons for UK-India wealth creation and innovation processes;

(ii)To recommend how better to identify and bring together British and Indian sources of knowledge, entrepreneurship and finance;

(iii)To identify models and opportunities for more effective transfer of UK-India research collaboration into commercial outcomes, including through better engagement of technology entrepreneurs, SMEs and capital markets.

Kinetic Cubed is one of the region's fastest growing international trade and investment consultancy organisations and operates from Lancaster University's InfoLab21. Mark Beresford, one of the founders of Kinetic Cubed, said:

"This is great news for the business. We continue to be right at the heart of UK-India business development activities in the area of Science and Innovation with a high level UK Government client."

Kinetic Cubed's leader on the project is Tony Aggarwal, who has already made several visits to India where the company is to open a branch office in New Delhi.

"This means a great deal because our clients are the UK and Indian governments and what we say could influence national policy.

"India is an emerging market and the potential benefits are huge. I'm going out to meet various players like universities, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to build up contacts."

Mark Beresford said the prestige of being located at InfoLab21 helped the firm secure the project.

"I took my MBA at Lancaster and that's why I wanted to come back. Lancaster University is a well respected institution in both the UK and India. The kudos of being here helps to contribute to our overall capability and appeal, as well as boosting our credentials on these sorts of projects."

The project aims to encourage the commercialisation of India's scientific research, bringing together British and Indian expertise, business and finance, and translating research collaboration into commercial outcomes.

Mr Aggarwal said: "It's all about blending and getting the best of both worlds. Through an Anglo-Indian collaboration, India can access markets in Europe, the US and UK.

"For example, if we were producing a new vaccine, the UK could offer testing to international standards and the feel of a properly researched product. But through working with India, we could develop that vaccine much quicker because they have many more scientists than us. And we can meet their requirements in terms of adaptability to their market, and cost."

Mark Beresford said winning the project was a vote of confidence in the firm, which is only just over a year old.

"It's a key strategic project for us and we've done pretty well to be working at such a high level with UK and Indian policy makers."

http://www.kinetic3.co.uk

For further information please contact us on mberesford@kinetic3.co.uk or tel: Mark Beresford on 07788 917931

Fri 04 August 2006