PARTNERSHIPS UK TO SUPPORT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PPPs.

26/07/2000 Partnerships UK is establishing a unit to support science and technology based public private partnerships (PPPs) as part of a package of measures announced today by the Government in its White Paper "Excellence and Opportunity: a science and innovation policy for the 21stcentury". The new unit within Partnerships UK will help public sector researchers commercialise their intellectual property through joint ventures with the private sector. Mike Gerrard, Head of PPPs at Partnerships UK said: "Science and technology is an important sector for Partnerships UK, where there is excellent potential to form good value and quality PPPs. It forms a natural continuation of our work in other sectors. "Partnerships UK is building upon the work of the Treasury Taskforce in supporting joint ventures promoted under the Government’s wider markets initiative to make most efficient use of public sector assets, including intellectual property." The unit will complement the support being provided by the Department of Trade and Industry and Office of Science and Technology. In particular, for novel or complex PPPs, Partnerships UK will offer to assist public sector researchers in selecting and paying for specialist advisers, and in the formation of their PPPs. In some cases Partnerships UK may be invited to invest capital in the venture. NOTES TO EDITORS 1. Partnerships UK was launched on 13 June by Andrew Smith, Chief Secretary to the Treasury to assist departments and agencies to develop public private partnerships. Partnerships UK is a government company and is expected to become a public private partnership in late autumn. 2. Press Enquiries to Malcolm Graves on 020 7270 5192. Public enquiries 020 7270 4558. The ExecutiveSummary of John Bakers report can be downloaded (pdf)

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