{"id":96498,"date":"2018-10-11T13:38:34","date_gmt":"2018-10-11T13:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=9ae003a75e7e7f3a08f18438e89df50a"},"modified":"2018-10-11T13:38:34","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T13:38:34","slug":"press-release-booming-business-in-culham-means-expansion-for-science-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=96498","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Booming business in Culham means expansion for Science Centre"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<div class=\"call-to-action\">\n<ul>\n<li>Culham Science Centre, home to 1,500 highly skilled scientists and innovators, has today (11 October) been granted permission to expand by Science Minister Sam Gyimah<\/li>\n<li>the expansion is needed now that the successful campus site is full. The move will create space for more hi-tech businesses, working in fusion technology and related fields, bringing an estimated 200 new jobs to the area<\/li>\n<li>the site is already home to world-leading science projects, including the European <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> fusion experiment \u2013 the hottest place in the solar system<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>A leading science hub has been granted permission to expand so more hi-tech businesses can call its Oxfordshire site home.<\/p>\n<p>In a visit today to Culham Science Centre, Science Minister Sam Gyimah announced that the UK Atomic Energy Authority (<abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>) would be able to expand the site to create new facilities for companies working in fusion-related fields. The centre already hosts around 60 companies, including 20 start-ups, employing around 1,500 highly skilled science and engineering specialists.<\/p>\n<p>The site is home to some of the world\u2019s most exciting fusion research. It has hosted the world\u2019s most powerful fusion experiment, <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> (Joint European Torus), since 1983. Minister Gyimah addressed staff during his visit, underlining the government\u2019s commitment to fusion research post-Brexit.<\/p>\n<p>Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>From fusion energy, to software for driverless cars, to air-breathing rocket engines, this site is engineering some of the most exciting science in the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">The UK is an innovation powerhouse and with science and tech experts moving here, thriving here and growing their businesses here, it\u2019s a vote of confidence in UK science industry. We are committed to attracting and retaining both homegrown and international talent and will keep supporting international collaboration as we tackle the grand challenges of tomorrow and build a Britain fit for the future.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><abbr title=\"Chief Executive Officer\">CEO<\/abbr> of <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr> Professor Ian Chapman said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The minister\u2019s announcement is excellent news and means we can begin to establish Culham as a home for hi-tech business in fusion and adjacent sectors and reinforce Oxfordshire\u2019s status as a powerhouse of innovation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">The visit was also an opportunity to show the Minister how <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>\u2019s new research facilities will help to get fusion energy on the grid. Fusion could be the ultimate low-carbon energy source, but commercialising it entails overcoming challenges in physics, materials science, engineering and robotics. Recent government support is enabling Culham and the UK to be right at the centre of this world-changing technology.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Addressing staff during the visit, Minister Gyimah also announced:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a new academic partnership with the US to make the most of transatlantic research talent and international collaboration &#8211; the \u00a33.6 million 3-year scheme will see an exchange programme for post-doctoral researchers from <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr> to undertake extended visits to Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to work on key areas of common interest in fusion science<\/li>\n<li>new government funding to extend the <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr> materials research facility &#8211; the facility tests materials that can withstand high energy neutrons from the fusion reaction; critical to the economic viability of both nuclear fission and future fusion power stations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The government has made a clear commitment to science in its ambitious modern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/topical-events\/the-uks-industrial-strategy\">Industrial Strategy<\/a>, which sets out the aim to boost private and public investment in research and development to 2.4% of <abbr title=\"gross domestic product\">GDP<\/abbr> by 2027.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"notes-to-editors\">Notes to editors<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (<abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>) manages the UK\u2019s fusion research programme at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (<abbr title=\"Culham Centre for Fusion Energy\">CCFE<\/abbr>), one of the world\u2019s leading fusion research laboratories. <abbr title=\"Culham Centre for Fusion Energy\">CCFE<\/abbr> is based at Culham Science Centre (the freehold of which is held by <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>). As well as <abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>, Culham Science Centre \u2013 frequently abbreviated to Culham \u2013 also hosts a number of technology, research and engineering companies, creating a hub of cutting edge innovation and enterprise in South Oxfordshire.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr> operates the world\u2019s largest fusion experiment, the Joint European Torus (<abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr>) on behalf of the European Commission. <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> holds the world record for fusion performance and is a vital stepping stone in preparation for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project \u2013 under construction in France &#8211; which will test the viability of the first fusion power stations.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><abbr title=\"UK Atomic Energy Authority\">UKAEA<\/abbr>\u2019s operation of <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> is funded through a contract with the European Commission through Euratom. The <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> underwrite was one of the first proactive actions the government undertook following the triggering of Article 50. We guaranteed our share of the <abbr title=\"Joint European Torus\">JET<\/abbr> costs until the end of 2020, even in the event of a \u2018no deal\u2019, and are working with our EU partners to agree the contract extension.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Culham Science Centre, home to 1,500 highly skilled scientists and innovators, has been granted permission to expand by Science Minister Sam Gyimah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96498"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=96498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=96498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}