The UK Science Minister George Freeman has announced that regional clusters of world-class innovation across the UK are to be backed by a share of £75 million that will boost local economies and pioneer game-changing solutions. 

Following pilots in Liverpool and Teesside, launched earlier this year, a further 8 Launchpads, facilitated by Innovate UK, will be rolled out across every nation of the UK. These initiatives will build on existing clusters of high-tech innovation in each region, such as renewable energy in Southwest Wales, Agri-tech in East Anglia and digital health in Yorkshire.   

Launchpads is a programme that supports emerging clusters of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing each Launchpad up to £7.5 million from Innovate UK to fund innovation projects led by local businesses. 

The £7.5 million bespoke funding from each Launchpad will allow SMEs in each region to bid for support that is tailored to the unique needs of each business cluster, helping them drive innovation, expand operations, and boost their local economies. 

Launchpads concentrate their support in specific areas of the UK with strong innovation capabilities. This approach encourages close collaboration with local leaders and provides tailored support, including funding for research and development, access to specialised innovation resources, and opportunities for SMEs to connect, share ideas, and participate in joint ventures. 

Teesside University has so far taken the lead in net-zero research projects, investing in initiatives like waste diversion technologies to reduce landfill waste and protect the environment. Meanwhile, funding for Liverpool City Region is backing 23 green projects including an eco-friendly concrete block to help protect coastal communities against climate change-related flooding, which has supported dozens of jobs. 

The funding follows a competitive bidding process involving more than 40 proposals from across the UK put forward by local leaders and carefully evaluated by a panel of Innovate UK directors, sector experts and academics. 

The project aims to establish world-leading, globally interconnected innovation clusters, catalysing increased employment, economic growth, and productivity within these regions.  

The 8 clusters, following investment in Liverpool City Region and Teesside, to receive funding are:  

• Net Zero Industry Launchpad – Located in South West Wales, this Launchpad is dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable solutions in net-zero industrial emissions 
• Digital Technologies Launchpad – Positioned in North East England, this Launchpad will be at the forefront of digital technologies applied into fast growth and emerging markets 
• Health Technologies Launchpad – Based in West Yorkshire, this Launchpad is dedicated to pioneering breakthroughs in technologies that will improve healthcare outcomes. 
• Agri-tech and Food Tech Launchpad – Nestled in Eastern England, this Launchpad will revolutionise agri-tech and food technology, driving innovation in food production and sustainability. 
• Marine and Maritime Launchpad – Located in the Great Southwest, this Launchpad will support initiatives in marine and maritime industries, fostering growth and sustainability in this sector 
• Bio-based Manufacturing Launchpad – Positioned in Scotland, this Launchpad will drive innovations in bio-based manufacturing, promoting sustainable production methods.  
• Immersive and Creative Industries Launchpad – Centred on Coventry and Warwickshire in the West Midlands, this Launchpad will champion technologies for the creative industries and immersive experiences, paving the way for groundbreaking innovations.  Innovate UK will deliver this Launchpad in collaboration with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 
• Life and Health Sciences Launchpad – Situated in Northern Ireland, this Launchpad is dedicated to the advancement of healthcare solutions and medical breakthroughs. 

As part of a major research consortium announced last June, the UK’s top scientists have discovered that some seabirds are demonstrating immunity to avian influenza. 

The FluMap consortium, headed by the world-leading research team at the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA), has developed laboratory tools that can dissect the immune response in birds that have been exposed to avian influenza viruses in their lifetime. 

Preliminary investigations in a small sample size of some species of seabird, including Northern gannets and Shag, revealed specific immunity to H5N1 showing exposure and recovery in a proportion of birds. However, avian influenza viruses are prone to change and so antibody levels will likely decline over time with next year’s offspring not guaranteed to be immune suggesting there are no great population level benefits yet. 

The consortium has also identified several genetic characteristics that explain the ability of the current H5N1 viruses to spread fast and infect a greater range of species. Research has found that multiple virus genes have switched and evolved to act together to enhance fitness to infect, transmit and persist in birds, but remain un-adapted to humans. 

The consortium has mapped the spread of infection over time and made important discoveries regarding airborne transmission of the virus – determining that infectious virus can only travel short distances (less than 10 metres) and is very unlikely between farms through the air. 

Scientists hope to look at the effect of antibodies on infection, to better predict the emergence of new viruses with different protein combinations in the future, allowing experts to stay one step ahead to safeguard animal and human health, given 60% of new human diseases originate in animals. 

You can read more in the full press release which also provides a link to the research. 

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have launched a new interactive map  of reported wild bird mortality and findings of avian influenza virus in wild birds and wild mammals as well as a new interactive dashboard allowing you to explore findings of avian influenza in wild birds from the APHA surveillance programme.  

In the United Kingdom, the following number of cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed since 1 October 2023:  

• 1 case in England (295 since October 2021)  
• 1 case in Scotland (50 since October 2021)  
• 0 cases in Wales (15 since October 2021)  
• 0 cases in Northern Ireland (7 since October 2021) 

There was one confirmed case of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H7N3. This case was confirmed in Scotland on 20 March 2023. 

This means that the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is assessed as medium (event occurs regularly). 

The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as: 

• low (event is rare but does occur) (with medium uncertainty) where there are substantial biosecurity breaches and poor biosecurity. 
• low (event is rare but does occur) (with low uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied. 

The latest updates can be accessed here 

An employee who was sacked after taking five days off work to recover from a near-fatal allergic reaction has successfully sued his employer. 

After accidentally eating food that was seasoned with a peanut-based spice at his brother’s wedding, Ope Ajanaku’s reaction was so severe he had to be rushed to a hospital resuscitation ward. He was discharged the next day having been prescribed a course of medication and advised to take five-days rest at home.  

The tribunal heard that Ajanaku followed his company’s absence protocol and told his boss he would need the week off to recover. But when he returned to work, he was informed that as he had been absent for more than 3 days, he would need to produce a medical certificate.  

Ajanaku told the hearing he didn’t think he needed to submit medical evidence, as ACAS guidance suggested this was unnecessary if the absence was fewer than seven days. But consequently, Mr Ajanaku was then put on notice and was called to a disciplinary meeting which questioned his performance at work. He was then dismissed without hearing. 

On the grounds of disability discrimination, Mr Ajanaku, a compliance & onboarding analyst at financial services firm Monsas, launched employment tribunal appeal proceedings where Employment Judge Tina Elliott said it was not disproportionate for his employers to seek a medical certificate.  

However, the employers did not set out the allegations he was facing regarding his performance at work or the possible consequences of the meeting, he was not given time to prepare, or afforded the right to be accompanied. She said: “We find that had he not been absent, Monsas would not have dismissed him… for performance reasons, particularly when this had never been addressed with him.” 

A compensation amount is to be decided at a later date. 

Simon Williams, Chief Executive of Anaphylaxis UK, stated: “This is an important case as he won on the basis of disability discrimination due to his allergy. The case underlines how important it is for employers to take allergies seriously”. 

Following a meeting earlier this year, the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Allergens have published a report entitled “Risk Assessment of Food Allergens – Part 5: Review and establish threshold levels for specific tree nuts (Brazil nut, macadamia nut or Queensland nut, pine nut), soy, celery, lupin, mustard, buckwheat and oats”.  

Previously the Committee had made recommendations on Reference doses (RfDs) for global priority allergens, which included: walnut (and pecan), cashew (and pistachio), almond, peanut, egg, hazelnut, wheat, fish, shrimp, milk, and sesame. However, reference doses were not recommended for several regional or national priority allergens as they did not meet the criteria to be global priority allergens. Subsequently, the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) indicated interest in potential reference doses being derived for the following specific food allergens:  

• specific tree nuts (Brazil nut, macadamia nut or Queensland nut, pine nut),  
• soy,  
• celery,  
• lupin,  
• mustard,  
• buckwheat 
• oats.  

The full report can be downloaded in pdf format here 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with input from the Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ), have conducted a comprehensive scientific assessment of microbiological risks linked to water use in the post-harvest treatment and processing of fresh and frozen fruits, vegetables, and herbs. 

Water use in this area presents a substantial risk of product contamination, especially from micro-organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, E. coli, and viruses like norovirus. However, while some outbreaks are traced back to processing plants, it’s important to note that bacteria can also enter facilities through primary production. Despite investigations into such outbreaks, the exact route of contamination is rarely confirmed. 

The assessment included a literature review, analysis of outbreak monitoring data, and an industry survey. It revealed several under-implemented good practices in the industry:  

• Replacing infrastructure to prevent biofilm formation. 
• Monitoring and addressing biofilm formation in the water management system. 
• Implementing water cooling.  
• Monitoring the quality of process water 

It concluded that relying solely on a basic prerequisite program (PRP) for water control is no longer feasible and showed a need to adopt a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) based approach for water management.  

As a result of the findings, BIOHAZ have recommended that outbreak investigation reports should include more information and clear guidelines for companies on the use of water disinfection measures to maintain the microbiological quality of water used in post-harvest handling and processing of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. 

You can read the report in full here