It’s London Tech Week and there’s a buzz among the ‘techerati’ about the next big innovations.
However, most people don’t realise how the UK’s world-leading research and innovation system is already improving lives through tech.
So, what is tech doing for you now and what will it do in the future?
AI approach to skincare
Across the country, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is funding projects that improve daily life for millions that are already changing how we work, rest and play.
For instance, using an artificial intelligence (AI) approach, researchers in Manchester are improving people’s daily skincare regime.
Their research, in partnership with Boots No7, identified novel rejuvenating molecules which reverse the appearance of multiple signs of skin damage.
Quantum sensing to improve travel
Scientists from Imperial College London are working with Transport for London on quantum sensing on the London Underground that uses quantum physics to develop new sensor technology.
This technology can be used to support underground railway networks, providing safer, more reliable and more efficient public transport systems.
In the long term, the technology will mean travel to work or for leisure is better.
Light tech for better internet
Meanwhile, pureLiFi, a company based in Scotland, has developed technology that uses light to transmit wireless internet with greater security and lower energy consumption.
In the home, it will mean better internet browsing, faster streaming and gaming experiences compared to WiFi.
In the workplace, it will mean safer and quicker management and transmission of data.
The technology has been in development for over a decade, from the initial concept to commercialisation to industry customers.
Alistair Banham, pureLiFi’s CEO, said:
We are at the forefront of a new technology that is going to be part of everyone’s lives as we go forward. I am looking forward to my grandkids’ kids talking about LiFi as part of their daily life as we do about other technologies today.
Lung cancer detection
Sticking with light-based technology, a new tool that uses fibre optic probes to detect lung cancer is being developed by Prothea Technologies, a spinout company from The University of Edinburgh.
Ultimately the firm is targeting biopsy and treatment for lung cancer in a single hospital visit, improving patient outcomes and easing pressure on the NHS.
The work is the result of earlier investments by the Medical Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The councils are pioneering the technology and techniques, working together with medics, engineers and scientists.
Semiconductors: essential in the modern world
In Wales, UKRI has invested in CSconnected, a cluster of companies and academic institutions involved in the production of semiconductors, an essential element in numerous devices, including:
- cars
- mobile phones
- fridges
Without semiconductors, many of the products we take for granted today would not work.
The impact on the South Wales region has been phenomenal, creating highly skilled jobs and drawing in international investment.
With this crucial technology, the subject of geopolitical attention, the need for a sovereign capability is even more important.
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UKRI’s CEO, said:
The technologies that underpin our lives and livelihoods have their roots in discovery research that has been translated into innovative new products and services.
The examples we have highlighted today demonstrate the power of new technologies to improve lives across the country, and how investing in talented people and teams can fuel a high productivity, high growth economy, improve public services and create a wide range of high quality jobs.
Lowering environmental impact
Reducing the use of carbon fuels and lowering the impact on the environment is a high priority for many people.
For example, more people are switching to electric vehicles, with almost 17 million vehicles registered across the world in 2024.
However, there’s a pressing need to deal with the 3.5 million tonnes of waste produced annually.
In Devon, the company Altilium have partnered with Imperial College London to explore how the critical metals inside this waste can be recycled back into new battery cells.
A resilient battery industry
Supported through the Innovate UK-led Faraday Battery Challenge, the project team have developed a new method of hydrometallurgy.
This method recovers the material needed to produce a high-quality cathode-active material, retrieving 97% of the lithium found in lithium-ion phosphate cells.
The process also recovers substantial amounts of graphite used in the manufacturing of anodes.
Since the UK has no domestic source of graphite and geopolitical changes could affect existing supply chains, this could boost the resilience of the UK’s battery industry.
Improving the quality of potatoes
In Lincoln, B-Hive Innovations is developing the ‘super spud’ by harnessing the power of engineering biology through its TuberGene project.
The UKRI-supported firm is developing improved potato varieties that are healthier, bruise resistant and faster cooking.
They’re also working to keep potato farming sustainable, so there will be more British potatoes on our dinner tables for decades to come.