Government sees the light on energy R&D

The UK's Technology Strategy Board has announced a £10m investment to develop more energy-efficient lighting, lasers and displays.

Lighting accounts for 20 per cent of the UK's power consumption, and significant savings could be made through technologies that improve the efficiency of light sources such as lasers, high brightness LEDs and displays.

The Technology Strategy Board has launched a funding competition which it hopes will stimulate UK companies to improve the efficiency of lighting and reducing energy consumption.

The investment will help to fund projects in which businesses will work collaboratively with other businesses, research organisations and academic institutions.

"As we move towards a lower carbon economy, and recognise the need for more efficient energy use, developing advanced light sources becomes increasingly important," said Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board.

"The Board is committed to stimulating the development and deployment of technologies which contribute to the UK's climate change goals and represent major business opportunities for the UK.

"Advanced light sources is an area where the UK has an excellent reputation for world-class research activity and a healthy industrial base with the capability to exploit the results globally."

The Technology Strategy Board believes that this investment will bring new technologies quickly into use in the UK and around the world.