Supported by

Arup is a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants providing a diverse range of professional services to clients around the world.

Our innovative and fully-integrated approach brings our full complement of skills and knowledge to bear on any given design problem. We exert a significant influence on the built environment and are the creative force behind many of the world's most innovative and sustainable designs.

Arup has three main global business areas - buildings, infrastructure and consulting - although our multi-disciplinary approach means that any given project may involve people from any or all of the sectors or regions in which we operate.

"Research has always played a key differentiating role in Arup and is now more important than ever in maintaining and growing our business position. It must be anticipatory of markets, yet open to emerging technologies and it must operate on appropriate timescales.

With an emphasis on innovation Arup Research is strongly driven by our 'pull' from client's demand and 'push' from our communities and external academic partners"

Marta Fernández, PhD, CEng
Research Relationships Manager
Arup

www.arup.com

Catalyst: London's Science and Industry Council brings together 12 leaders from industry, academia, finance and the public sector and is supported by the London Development Agency. Science and Industry Councils (SICs) provide Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) with a mechanism to engage with and promote their knowledge base for the benefit of their local economies.

The science and technology legacy for the Olympcis was a Catalyst priority, resulting in the London Development Agency grant funding this project.

Made up of senior representatives from industry, academia and the public-sector, they provide support and leadership at a regional level while advising on, and influencing, national policy.

Catalyst will build collaborative partnerships between businesses and London's knowledge base to drive an increase in new R&D investment. Catalyst will promote London's strengths in science, technology and design to a national and international audience and advise the LDA in its long term economic development interventions in this area.

While many business-university collaborations already exist, the potential synergies of such partnerships are not always fully exploited to London's advantage.

Catalyst will build on exemplar projects so that businesses are inspired to seize the potential of London's knowledge base offering. It will aim to mitigate the perceived business risks of collaborative partnerships so that deeper, richer interactions are formed for the benefit of both parties.

Website: www.london-catalyst.org.uk/

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers received its Royal Charter in 1976. It is the professional body that exists to: 'support the Science, Art and Practice of building services engineering, by providing our members and the public with first class information and education services and promoting the spirit of fellowship which guides our work.'

CIBSE promotes the career of building services engineers by accrediting courses of study in further and higher education, by approving workbased training programmes and providing routes to full professional Registration, including Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician.

Once you are qualified, CIBSE offers you a range of services, all focussed on maintaining and enhancing professional excellence throughout your career.

CIBSE provides best practice advice

CIBSE is the standard setter and authority on building services engineering. It publishes Guidance and Codes which are internationally recognised as authoritative, and sets the criteria for best practice in the profession.

The Institution speaks for the profession and so is consulted by government on matters relating to construction, engineering and sustainability. It is represented on major bodies and organisations which govern construction and engineering occupations in the UK, Europe and worldwide.

CIBSE is a pioneer in responding to the threat of climate change

Buildings account for almost 50% of damaging carbon emissions, yet innovative services design can bring dramatic improvements in energy efficiency. Our members continue to create the most environmentally friendly systems in major projects across the globe.

Website: www.cibse.org

KnowledgeEast is the business-facing network of eight universities and colleges in East London and the Thames Gateway. We connect you to the skills and knowledge of over 5000 academics, 100,000 students and more than 40 top-rated research departments to help nurture enterprise in the region.

Since 2004, our team of commercially experienced Business Sector Leaders have helped more than 200 firms use this expert help, generating new business worth more than £3m.

Companies can use KnowledgeEast as the gateway to find academic experts, technical expertise and resources to help solve business problems, improve skills, develop products and improve business processes, and build new businesses.

From short-term student placements to tailor-made consultancy to collaborative R&D, the KnowledgeEast universities provide a wide range of options to get university expertise into your organisation - our Business Sector Leaders work as a team to find the best solution for you.

KnowledgeEast members also collaborate with a range of partners on joint initiatives designed to turn the latest research and ideas into practical support to help organisations of any size, and in any sector, adapt to market change.

Website: www.knowledgeeast.com

Background

The London Technology Fund (LTF) is London's specialist investor in new technology companies. LTF is focused on the funding gap for new, high growth technology companies based in Greater London and bridges the gap by leading and building a syndicate of investors or by completing the gap in an existing syndicate. It can invest in a series of tranches over a number of years alongside other investors, contributing from £50,000 up to a maximum of £1.5m in a single company from its own resources - resulting in a total investment from LTF and co-investors ranging from £100,000 up to £10m.

To date, LTF has completed 15 investments in seven companies, acting as a key investor to help secure over £17m of funding for London-based high technology companies. These investments range from a seed-stage software company raising a total of £355,000, where LTF invested alongside business angels, to a company developing a vaccine for mutating viruses raising £4m, where LTF was the only UK venture capital fund alongside three specialist overseas life science institutional investors.

The Fund's sector focus

The Fund's focus is on the following sectors:

• Communications
• Computer (hardware, internet, semiconductors and software)
• Other electronics related
• Biotechnology
• Medical (instruments, pharmaceuticals and healthcare)
• Emerging technologies (such as nanotechnology)
• Energy
• Environment
• Physical sciences and engineering
• New materials
• Value added manufacturing

How to apply for funding

LTF has developed a streamlined investment process with an initial web-based application that helps entrepreneurs identify and provide the essential information LTF needs for prompt decision-making. Full details are available on the website.

LTF and London SciTech Challenges

London SciTech Challenges offers companies an exciting opportunity to respond to demand identified for particular technologies relevant to hosting the Olympics and Paralympic Games and to work with some of London's leading academic institutions, as well as having the opportunity to exhibit their ideas at a series of events in 2009. Technology companies taking part in the Challenge who are also seeking investment may wish to apply to LTF for funding. For information please see the website or telephone LTF.

About the Fund

The London Technology Fund is funded by the London Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund. It is managed by Company Guides Venture Partners Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Website: www.londontechnologyfund.com

'Podium' is the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games. The Unit has a nationwide remit and has two major aims:

• To communicate both within the sector and with outside agencies about the potential for Universities and Colleges to support the successful staging and delivery of the 2012 Games.
• To coordinate the development of activity within the sector that maximises the benefits of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in this country, contributing to the building of a sustainable and wide reaching legacy.

PODIUM is hosted by London Higher having its main base alongside the offices of London Higher and the AoC London which was also involved in its initial development.

The work of the Unit is guided by a Steering group which is made up of members from both the FE and HE sectors and from institutions based both in London and nationwide.

• Podium operates through 5 main work strands:
• Community Engagement
• Skills and Employability
• Business and Enterprise
• Cultural Olympiad
• Active Participation in Sport

Website: www.podium.ac.uk/

The Royal Institute of British Architects is the UK body for architecture and the architectural profession. We provide support for our 40,500 members worldwide in the form of training, technical services, publications and events, and set standards for the education of architects, both in the UK and overseas.

We work with government to improve the design quality of public buildings, new homes and new communities.

Our annual award schemes recognise outstanding architecture and culminate in the RIBA Stirling Prize.

At the Victoria and Albert Museum, the RIBA hosts exhibitions, archives, talks and shared study facilities in partnership with the V&A. And, from our London headquarters, we help the public to learn more about the built environment through information services, websites and a library that includes an unrivalled collection of books, photographs and manuscripts.

Mission and strategy

To advance architecture by demonstrating benefit to society and promoting excellence in the profession.

Vision

• Champion for architecture and for a better environment.

Strategy

• demonstrate the benefits of good architecture
• promote and enhance the benefits
• facilitate the delivery of good architecture
• provide high-quality support services
• develop the capability to deliver the strategy

Website: www.architecture.com/

Skillset is the industry body which supports skills and training for people and businesses to ensure the UK creative media industries maintain their world class position.

If you're working in one of these industries, we have advice and resources to help you take your career to the next level.

And if you're just starting out, you'll find information on all the different jobs out there to help you decide which one is right for you.

"The Creative Media industry is crucial to the success of the 2012 Games, and innovation and advances in technology will be a large part of the factors contributing to this.

As the Sector Skills Council for the Creative Media industry, jointly funded by industry and government, our job is to support the UK creative media industries have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time, so that our industries remain competitive.

As such we are happy to work with SciTech Challenges and other partners in ensuring that innovation and skills remain a key area of collaborative work."

Glenn Bascombe, London Project Manager, Skillset

www.skillset.org

The Work Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that brings all sides of working organisations together to find the best ways of improving both economic performance and quality of working life.

Our core belief that mutual respect and motivation leads to 'good work' and better performance is supported by rigorous evidence-based research. We provide answers to practical problems for UK-plc and the public sector.

The Board & Executive Directors

The Work Foundation's board comprises five executive directors and eleven trustees. The Work Foundation is constitutionally established by a Royal Charter, awarded in 1984. The trustees are committed to business integrity, high values and professionalism across its activities, all in accordance with the organisation's core purpose to campaign for Good Work.

Our Business

The Work Foundation offers a distinctive mix of practical consultancy and leadership, robust research and campaigning on policy issues. This unique fusion enables us to create tailored services across public, private and voluntary sectors.

Our core areas of expertise include:

• Influencing the workplace agenda
• Research
• Leadership
• Consultancy
• Research
• Events

Our History

The reinvigoration of our fundamental principles to meet the demands of a modern age inspired us to re-launch as The Work Foundation in 2002. Previously from 1918 to 2002 we were called The Industrial Society.

Website: www.theworkfoundation.com