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STFC is to take part in Marblar, as it officially launches its new and exciting interactive web concept, designed to find profitable uses for patents and technologies that have been created through applied and blue skies research.

Creative minds the world over, from across all disciplines, are now invited to join the Marblar web community with the challenge of finding diverse market applications for these emerging or existing technologies, which can be so cutting-edge that their real-world relevance is not always obvious.

STFC is one of a handful of U.K. research institutions, which also includes the Medical Research Council and Imperial College London, to seed the newly revamped Marblar website with its discoveries and, over the next six months, will be posting a series of six technologies provided by Particle Physics, RAL Space, Technology and CLF, each as a series of three week competitions. The first will be the microFTS from RAL Space, a compact spectrometer originally designed for atmospheric space exploration missions.

It is widely accepted that the most exciting innovation occurs at the intersection of disciplines, and each technology will therefore be described in lay-terms so that it is accessible to all participating scientists, or Marblarers, regardless of their discipline.

Marblarers will be able to interact with the inventors to discuss their ideas before submitting their initial proposals for review and shortlisting. Winning submissions will outline new applications that utilise the key features of the technology and provide an exciting exploitation route for the invention. Winners can receive money prizes, opportunities to meet the inventors and collaborate on further research, or even join a start-up.

A previous test-run of the Marblar concept, conducted in association with the University of Southampton, resulted in two possible spin out opportunities that are currently under consideration.

Anyone interested in joining Marblar can register here (link opens in a new window).

For further information contact:

Mohammed Belal
STFC Innovations
Tel: 01235 567096

STFC

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and tackling some of the most significant challenges facing society such as meeting our future energy needs, monitoring and understanding climate change, and global security.

The Council has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar.

STFC operates or hosts world class experimental facilities including:

• in the UK; ISIS pulsed neutron source, the Central Laser Facility, and LOFAR.  STFC is also the majority shareholder in Diamond Light Source Ltd
• overseas; telescopes on La Palma and Hawaii

It enables UK researchers to access leading international science facilities by funding membership of international bodies including European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). 

STFC is one of seven publicly-funded research councils.  It is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

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