Innovate and invest

Various plans of UK's government and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to ensure there will be no decline in the number of chemistry places in the south-west are discussed. The government asked HEFCE to give advice on what intervention is necessary to protect higher education courses deemed to be of national strategic importance. The government is determined to create the best possible conditions for British companies to innovate for competing against countries such as China. The government's science and innovation investment framework, announced an increase in funding for the technology strategy that will help to exploit the UK's strong science base and ease the transition of ideas from the laboratory to the market.