Fraunhofer centres UK move at Strathclyde laser lab
The Centre will be a hub for industry-driven laser research and technology for a variety of sectors including healthcare, security, energy and transport. At the same time Fraunhofer will establish its UK headquarters, Fraunhofer UK Research, at the University, as the umbrella organisation for any additional UK-based research centres in the future.
The new Centre is funded by Fraunhofer and the University, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Funding Council. The Centre for Applied Photonics is expected to be the model for more Fraunhofer research centres around the UK.
"Fraunhofer Centres pride themselves on research that is geared to industry and societal needs – an ethos that closely mirrors our own work at the University of Strathclyde," said Professor Jim McDonald, Principal of the University. "By working side-by-side with colleagues in business, industry and government, we are finding solutions to global challenges, enhancing industry innovation and competitiveness and supporting the economy. Our collaborative approach is also playing a critical role in the development of tomorrow’s highly-skilled graduates and next-generation leaders, ensuring our students’ education is informed by the very latest research and the needs of global employers.
The UK headquarters and the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics will join a growing community of Fraunhofer Centres globally. Fraunhofer has more than 20,000 employees in more than 80 research units in Germany alone, and is establishing Centres throughout Europe, Asia and North America – most recently at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The new Centre will collaborate with this strong Fraunhofer network. "It is fitting that the UK’s first Fraunhofer Centre is dedicated to lasers, a thriving industry Scotland has excelled in for decades. The plans have already been endorsed by our partners in industry and we look forward to working together to innovate, design and develop the products and services of tomorrow," said McDonald.
"Fraunhofer is extremely pleased to have this opportunity to collaborate more closely with the University of Strathclyde. The University has an excellent reputation for industrial engagement and specifically for photonics research and commercialisation via its Institute of Photonics and other research groups," said Professor Ulrich Buller, a Senior Vice-President and Executive Board member of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. "Consequently, Fraunhofer has been eager, for some time, to create a Research Centre in Glasgow in conjunction with Strathclyde."
The news marks the latest in a series of partnerships for the University in the past year. Earlier this month, the University announced it has been selected as the exclusive European partner for South Korea’s global research and commercialisation programme.
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