Gov advisers pick six crucial techs for UK

If you're not on the list, you're not coming...

By John Oates • Get more from this author

Posted in Science, 27th November 2007 11:13 GMT

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The Council for Science and Technology, which advises the Prime Minister and First Ministers on medium to long-term science strategy, has chosen six technologies it reckons are crucial for the UK.

The Council looked for technologies that would reap a commercial or social reward in about five years' time.

The report picks six technology areas of particular interest: Carbon capture and storage; disaster mitigation technologies; low carbon distribution networks; medical devices; e-health and plastic electronics. Two of these technology areas, plastic electronics and e-health, are considered "high risk/high reward".

The committee also highlighted four other areas of interest: Bandwidth telecommunications; cell and tissure therapies; pervasive systems; and simulation and modelling. The group calls on the government not to channel funding into these areas but "provide additional resources and remove barriers that might otherwise impede progress".

The report is available as a pdf from here.

What do you think? Are these the most likely technologies for success within the next five years? Should the government help or stay well away? What technology should the government be backing? Let us know in Reader Comments below. ®

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