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Image shows how tiny water channels control how water enters and exits cells through their membranes The Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) will be set up with a £10m grant from Research England AIME will be led by Professor Roslyn Bill from Biosciences and Professor Paul Topham from Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry The globally unique institute will use biomimetic polymer membranes for applications such as water purification and drug development Aston University will establish the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), a globally unique, cross-disciplinary institute to develop novel biomimetic membranes, after receiving a major grant of £10m from Research England. AIME will be led by Professor Roslyn Bill, from the School of Biosciences, with co-lead Professor Paul Topham from the department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry (CEAC). Membranes, both biological and synthetic, are hugely important in many sectors. For example, the world’s top ten selling human medicines all target proteins in biological membranes, while synthetic polymer membranes are used in the US$100bn/year water purification industry. The team behind AIME believes that the full potential of membranes will only be realised by an interdisciplinary group spanning biology, physics and chemistry that can investigate membranes holistically. Professor Bill, a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced grantee leads Aston Membrane Proteins and Lipids (AMPL) research centre of excellence that studies the structure and function of membrane proteins and associated lipids. Professor Topham leads Aston Polymer Research Group (APRG), which investigates the nanoscale behaviour of block copolymers (a type of polymer with a structure made of more than one type of polymer molecule) and polymer technologies for membranes. AMPL and APRG have already begun collaborative research and AIME will bring together the complementary expertise of both research clusters into one institute. AIME will initially comprise the eight researchers from AMPL and APRG. Alongside the co-leads Professor Bill and Professor Topham, will be Dr Alan Goddard, Professor Andrew Devitt, Professor Corinne Spickett, Dr Alice Rothnie, Dr Matt Derry and Dr Alfred Fernandez. It plans to recruit three further academics, six tenure-track research fellows, three postdoctoral research assistants (PDRAs), six PhD students, a research technician and a business development manager. Importantly, AIME will work with many existing Aston University colleagues to build a comprehensive research community focused on all aspects of membrane science. The new AIME team will focus on the development of bioinspired, highly selective polymer structures for applications in water purification and waste remediation, nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic molecules to treat disorders ranging from chronic wounds to neurological injuries, and the purification of individual membrane proteins with polymers to study them as drug targets. The vision is for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through its facilities access and expertise, ideally located in the heart of the country. Professor Bill said: “The creation of AIME is ground-breaking. Together with Aston’s investment, E3 funding will deliver a step-change in scale and the rate at which we can grow capacity. We will address intractable scientific challenges in health, disease, and biotechnology, combining our world-class expertise in polymer chemistry and membrane biology to study membranes holistically. The excellence of our science, alongside recent growth in collaborative successes means we have a unique opportunity to deliver AIME’s ambitious and inclusive vision.” Professor Topham said: “We are really excited by this fantastic opportunity to work more closely with our expert colleagues in Biosciences to create advanced technology to address real world problems. From our side, we are interested in molecular engineering, where we control the molecular structure of new materials to manipulate their properties to do the things that we want! Moreover, we are passionate about a fully sustainable future for our planet, and this investment will enable us to develop technological solutions in a sustainable or ‘green’ way.” Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, says: “Our new Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME) will be a regional, national, and international research leader in membrane science, driving game-changing research and innovation that will produce a pipeline of high-quality research outcomes leading to socioeconomic impact, develop future global research leaders, create advanced tech spinout companies and high value-added jobs for Birmingham and the West Midlands region. Its establishment aligns perfectly with our 2030 strategy that positions Aston University as a leading university of science, technology and enterprise.” Steven Heales, Policy Manager (Innovation) at the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “WMCA is delighted to see Research England back the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence. This will enable Aston University’s excellent academics and research community to work closely with businesses to make advances in membrane technology and applications. “In 2023 the West Midlands Combined Authority agreed a Deeper Devolution Trailblazer Deal with Government, which included a new strategic innovation partnership with Government. Projects like AIME are exactly the kind of impact we expect this new partnership to generate, so watch this space.” Lisa Smith, chief executive of Midlands Mindforge, the patient capital investment company formed by eight Midlands research-intensive universities including Aston University, said: “This grant is an important vote of confidence in the Midlands scientific R&D ecosystem. AIME will play an important role in the future research of pioneering breakthroughs in membrane science and enable the world-leading research team at Aston University to develop solutions to real world problems. We look forward to closely working with the Institute and nurturing best-in-field research being undertaken at Aston out of the lab and into the wider society so it can make a positive impact”. Rob Valentine, regional director of Bruntwood SciTech, the UK’s leading developer of city-wide innovation ecosystems and specialist environments and a strategic partner in Birmingham Innovation Quarter, said: "As a proud supporter of the Aston Institute for Membrane Excellence (AIME), I am thrilled at the launch of this groundbreaking initiative. AIME exemplifies Aston University's commitment to advancing cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and further raises the profile of the region’s exemplary research capabilities and sector specialisms. AIME's vision of becoming a 'one-stop shop' for translational membrane research, strategically located at the heart of the country, aligns perfectly with our strategy at Bruntwood SciTech. We are committed to working with partners, including Aston University, to develop a globally significant innovation district at the heart of the UK where the brightest minds and most inspiring spaces will foster tomorrow’s innovation.” Membrane research at Aston University has also recently received two other grants. In November 2023, Professor Bill received £196,648 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council’s Pioneer Awards Scheme to understand how tiny membrane water channels in brain cells keep brains healthy. In December 2023, a team led by AIME team-member Dr Derry received £165,999 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to develop biomimetic membranes for water purification. For more information about AIME, visit the webpage.
Expert reaction to the UK AI Safety Summit
Today the UK government announced a "world first agreement" on how to manage the riskiest forms of AI. It focuses on so-called "frontier AI" - what ministers consider highly advanced forms of the tech - with as-yet unknown capabilities. The agreement, signed by countries including the US, the EU and China, was announced at the UK's AI Safety Summit. Dr Alina Patelli, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Aston University, comments: “A summit on AI safety is long overdue. As is the case with all groundbreaking technologies, AI’s transformative potential for public good is only matched by its risks, which are unlikely to be successfully avoided, if AI tech design and deployment are left unregulated and therefore open to misuse, either intentionally or accidentally. The scope of the summit is appropriate, reflective of Government’s cautious approach to managing interactions with AI safety experts from multiple nations and disciplines: the summit focus is kept narrow, to five objectives only, and the number of participants is wisely limited to 100, to keep the conversation productive.” What is likely to come out of this summit? “The summit’s main output will most likely be a bare-bones regulatory document comprising (1) a shared understanding of AI (i.e., a generally accepted definition of the term reflective of all summit participants’ views, not just those of tech experts), (2) a list of major risks associated to AI misuse, both in terms of potential damage as well as likelihood of becoming a reality, and (3) a policy draft outlining the core elements that a yet-to-be-developed governance framework should include.” What AI safety could/should look like? “Although it would be premature to venture a definition of AI safety ahead of the summit, one thing that is certain is that a comprehensive, therefore effective, AI regulatory framework would encompass more than just laws. Non-legally binding codes of conduct, tech design and development processes that are bound by moral and ethical values, both in the commercial ecosystem, as well as when it comes to individual entrepreneurs, revised open-access licenses under which AI should be used in the public domain, etc. are equally important pieces. The best way to integrate all these in a cohesive, overarching governance plan is perhaps a topic to explore in one of the post-summit events.” What are the potential practicalities for a route forward towards safe AI? “The practical way to systematically regulate AI is incremental. Initially, the development and application of those AI tools deemed to be high-risk will most likely be restricted to controlled environments, where the potential benefits justify the risks and where sound mitigation procedures can be quickly and effectively enforced to mitigate those risks. As regulations become better prescribed, AI’s (safe and legal) application space will gradually expand, making its benefits available to larger groups of people without any of the downsides.” To interview Dr Alina Patelli or request further details contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk
Optical research illuminates a possible future for computing technology
Nathaniel Kinsey, Ph.D., Engineering Foundation Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), is leading a group to bring new relevance to a decades-old computing concept called a perceptron. Emulating biological neuron functions of the messenger cells within the body’s central nervous system, perceptrons are an algorithmic model for classifying binary input. When combined within a neural network, perceptrons become a powerful component for machine learning. However, instead of using traditional digital processing, Kinsey seeks to create this system using light with funding from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This “nonlinear optical perceptron” is an ambitious undertaking that blends advanced optics, machine learning and nanotechnology. “If you put a black sheet outside on a sunny day, it heats up, causing properties such as its refractive index to change,” Kinsey said. “That’s because the object is absorbing various wavelengths of light. Now, if you design a material that is orders of magnitude more complex than a sheet of black plastic, we can use this change in refractive index to modify the reflection or transmission of individual colors – controlling the flow of light with light.” Refractive index is an expression of a material’s ability to bend light. Researchers can harness those refractive qualities to create a switch similar to the binary 1-0 base of digital silicon chip computing. Kinsey and collaborators from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, including his former VCU Ph.D. student Dhruv Fomra, are currently working to design a new kind of optically sensitive material. Their goal is to engineer and produce a device combining a unique nonlinear material, called epsilon-near-zero, and a nanostructured surface to offer improved control over transmission and reflection of light. Kinsey’s prior research has demonstrated that epsilon-near-zero materials combine unique features that allow their refractive index to be modified quite radically – from 0.3 to 1.3 under optical illumination – which is roughly equivalent to the difference between a reflective metal and transparent water. While an effective binary switch, the large change in index requires a lot of energy (~1 milli-Joules per square centimeter). By combining epsilon-near-zero with a specifically designed nanostructure exhibiting surface lattice resonance, Kinsey hopes to achieve a reduction in the required energy to activate the response. The unique response of a nanostructure exhibiting surface lattice resonance allows light to effectively be bent 90 degrees, arriving perpendicular to the surface while being split into two waves that travel along the surface. When a large area of the nanostructure is illuminated, the waves traveling along the surface mix, where they interfere constructively or destructively with each other. This interference can produce strong modification to reflection and transmission that is very sensitive to the geometry of the nanostructure, the wavelength of the incident light and the refractive index of the surrounding materials. The mixing of optical signals along the surface can also selectively switch regions of the epsilon-near-zero material thereby performing processing operations. A key aspect of Kinsey’s work is to build nonlinear components, like diodes and transistors, that use optical signals instead of electrical ones. Transistors and other traditional electronic components are nonlinear by default because electrical charges strongly interact with each other (for example, two electrons will tend to repel each other). Creating optical nonlinear components is challenging because photons do not strongly interact, they just pass through each other. To correct for this, Kinsey employs materials whose properties change in response to incident light, but the interaction is weak and thus requires large energies to utilize. Kinsey’s device aims to reduce that energy requirement while simultaneously shaping light to perform useful operations through the use of the nanostructured surface and lightwave interference. The United States Department of Defense sees optical computing as the next step in military imaging. Kinsey’s work, while challenging, has potential to yield an enormous payoff. “Let’s say you want to find a tank within an image,” Kinsey said, “Using a camera to capture the scene, translate that image into an electrical signal and run it through a traditional, silicon-circuit-based computer processor takes a lot of processing power. Especially when you try to detect, transfer, and process higher pixel resolutions. With the nonlinear optical perceptron, we’re trying to discover if we can perform the same kinds of operations purely in the optical domain without having to translate anything into electrical signals.” Linear optical systems, like metasurfaces and photonic integrated circuits, can already process information using only a fraction of the power of traditional tools. Building nonlinear optical systems would expand the functionality of these existing linear systems, making them ideal for remote sensing platforms on drones and satellites. Initially, the resolution would not be as sharp as traditional cameras, but optical processing built into the device would translate an image into a notification of tanks, troops on the move, for example. Kinsey suggests optical-computing surveillance would make an ideal early warning system to supplement traditional technology. “Elimination or minimization of electronics has been a kind of engineering holy grail for a number of years,” Kinsey said, “For situations where information naturally exists in the form of light, why not have an optical-in and optical-out system without electronics in the middle?” Linear optical computing uses minimal power, but is not capable of complex image processing. Kinsey’s research seeks to answer if the additional power requirement of nonlinear optical computing is worthwhile given its ability to handle more complex processing tasks. Nonlinear optical computing could be applied to a number of non-military applications. In driverless cars, optical computing could make better light detection and ranging equipment (better known as LIDAR). Dark field microscopy already uses related optical processing techniques for ‘edge detection’ that allows researchers to directly view details without the electronic processing of an image. Telecommunications could also benefit from optical processing, using optical neural networks to read address labels and send data packets without having to do an optical to electrical conversion. The concept of optical computing is not new, but interest (and funding) in theory and development waned in the 1980s and 1990s when silicon chip processing proved to be more cost effective. Recent years have seen many advancements in computing, but the more recent slowdown in scaling of silicon-based technologies have opened the door to new data processing technologies. “Optical computing could be the next big thing in computing technology,” Kinsey said. “But there are plenty of other contenders — such as quantum computing — for the next new presence in the computational ecosystem. Whatever comes up, I think that photonics and optics are going to be more and more prevalent in these new ways of computation, even if it doesn’t look like a processor that does optical computing.” Kinsey and other researchers working in the field are in the early stages of scientific exploration into these optical computing devices. Consumer applications are still decades away, but with silicon-based systems reaching the limit of their potential, the future for this light-based technology is bright.
Aston University establishes new independent investment company
Aston University is part of a group of eight universities which has established a new investment company Midlands Mindforge will accelerate the commercialisation of university research It aims to raise up to £250 million from investors. Aston University is one of eight research intensive universities in the Midlands to establish a new investment company to accelerate the commercialisation of university spinouts and early-stage IP rich businesses in the region. Midlands Mindforge Limited has been co-founded by Aston University, University of Birmingham, Cranfield University, Keele University, University of Leicester, Loughborough University, University of Nottingham and University of Warwick, collectively Midlands Innovation. This ambitious, patent capital investment company plans to raise up to £250 million from strategic corporate partners, institutional investors and qualifying individuals. It aims to transform ground-breaking science and technology into successful businesses with real-world impact. Midlands Mindforge will help to address the significant funding deficit for early-stage technology businesses in the region. Through the combination of additional capital and company-building skills, Midlands Mindforge will lay the foundations of a more vibrant ecosystem for emerging science-backed companies in areas such as Clean Technology, AI and Computational Science, Life Sciences and Health Tech. Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, said: "Aston University has a strong track record in bringing together industry and academia to solve real world problems and drive innovation through applied and translational research. Â Investment raised through Midlands Mindforge will enable a step change that will ensure we get the very best outcomes for our research. "The impact of increased investment in research translation will be felt widely, with Midlands Mindforge supporting the growth of high value added businesses and jobs in the region and creating the right conditions to build future global companies. This is a hugely exciting time for Aston University and the wider Midlands Innovation group of universities, and I look forward to seeing the benefits that this strategic development will bring." Collectively, the eight founding universities have the most postgraduate students, the highest levels of annual income, more research disclosures and patents generated per unit of research spend in the last three years, in comparison to any other UK university grouping. Minister of State for Science, Research & Innovation George Freeman MP said: "Commercialising UK science & technology for global industrial adoption has never been more urgent for both the UK economy and the global resource challenges facing us. The Midlands Innovation universities are driving a new era of innovation from robotics and advanced manufacturing to life science and autonomous vehicles and much more. "As we in Government increase UK public R&D to a record £20 billion a year, the key is private finance backing spinouts and scale-ups. The Midlands is rapidly becoming a world class UK cluster of excellence and Midlands Mindforge will play a key role in bringing global investors to help back world class companies." Chairman of the Midlands Engine Partnership, Sir John Peace, said: "The Midlands has always been associated with exceptional invention and creativity, but has long experienced significant underinvestment and consequently productivity levels have lagged behind the rest of the UK. "This bold and ambitious initiative led by the Midlands Innovation universities has the potential to help close the investment gap, supporting our region to reach its true potential for sustainable economic growth. Midlands Mindforge will help to further fast-track commercialisation of research ideas, creating a more resilient economy and playing an important role in levelling up the Midlands." Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "A key part of my mayoral mission is to drive our regional recovery forward and help generate the high-quality jobs of the future in order to improve quality of life for local people. This exciting new investment vehicle will very much support that mission planting the seeds for long-term sustainable economic growth here in the West Midlands. "Many brilliant ideas and top businesses have spun out from Midlands universities and this new venture will help us to advance that agenda and retain more of our innovative success stories within our region. "Together we can better nurture the enterprising talent on our doorstep and this new endeavour creates a wonderful opportunity to do just that." For more information about Midlands Mindforge visit www.midlandsmindforge.com
Aston University research to support SMEs and mid-sized companies to be ‘future ready’
‘Future readiness’ is defined as a set of capabilities and orientations that enable companies to thrive in the future Researchers say SMEs and mid-sized companies’ leadership should focus on bridging their resilience gap and exploiting their high level of agility The report found circular economy can combat environment and social impact without sacrificing economic performance. A new report from Aston University has highlighted opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies to develop strategies and pathways to increase their future readiness. The report defines future readiness as “a set of capabilities and orientations that enable companies to thrive in the future”. For SMEs and mid-sized businesses to be future-ready, they must be successful on the three pillars of long-term growth, societal impact and adaptive capacity. Experts say they must be able to generate lasting financial strength driven by innovative business models, products and/or services, to affect society positively in line with environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and to develop high levels of resilience and agility, which enables them to bounce back in difficult times and to identify and seize opportunities as they emerge, creating disruption in business models for the future. The report aims to support leadership teams and the wider ecosystem in understanding how they can help increase the capacity for smaller companies to thrive and positively impact the economy and environment, as well as aid the recovery from the pandemic. Experts also say that circular economy adoption, where the ‘make, use and throw away’ supply chain is converted to ‘take, make, distribute, use and recycle’, in SMEs and mid-sized companies creates a win-win situation for every supply chain stakeholder through sustainability measures to achieve economic, environment and social performance. The World Economic Forum will use the insights generated in this report to further support SMEs and mid-sized companies in their future readiness journey. This will be done through the creation of additional resources, including the continuous development of the Forum’s self-assessment and benchmarking tool on future readiness, the creation of a platform for informal peer-to-peer learning between companies and meet ups with key experts. Prasanta Kumar Dey, professor in operations and information management at Aston Business School and lead author of the report, said: “The post-COVID-19 era is significantly more challenging than most people had initially hoped. Heightened geopolitical tensions, the energy crisis, supply chain disruptions, hyperinflation and extreme weather events are just a few of the difficulties that will make the next decade a demanding one. “SMEs and mid-sized companies’ leadership should try to focus on bridging their resilience gap and exploiting their high level of agility, afforded by their smaller size, as a competitive advantage. “Future readiness capability building should not be developed as ad-hoc initiatives but should be embedded into key corporate strategies and decision-making processes, ideally from the beginning, so that it becomes part of the fundamental building blocks of the company. “While smaller companies can go a long way in building their future readiness, it is important to recognise the direct and important impact that their wider policy environment has on their ability to thrive. It is therefore crucial for policymakers, investors and other stakeholders to do what is in their capabilities to contribute to building the future readiness of this segment of the economy. “One of the high-impact areas of intervention at the system levels revolves around digital trade and includes implementing targeted measures to harmonize and drive trade data interoperability across borders and supply chains. This would greatly contribute to making it easier for smaller companies to trade internationally.” You can find out more about the report findings here.
Aston University joins Birmingham Health Partners alliance
Aston University becomes second university member to join Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) BHP brings together excellence from University of Birmingham and four regional NHS trusts The alliance brings together translational medicine, encompassing health data and academic excellence. Aston University has joined Birmingham Health Partners (BHP), becoming the second university to join the city’s university-NHS partnership. BHP brings together academic, clinical and translational excellence from the University of Birmingham, Aston University and four regional NHS trusts: University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust; Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust; and more recently Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, the Royal Orthopaedic NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the regional Academic Health Science Network. BHP is known for its unique ecosystem which enables a full spectrum of translational medicine: encompassing health data, an established local health system, academic excellence and an extensive clinical trials capability – to help bring about answers to complex healthcare issues for the direct benefit of people worldwide. Aston University will be represented at board level by Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University. While Professor Anthony Hilton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor & Executive Dean College of the College of Health and Life Sciences will join the executive group of BHP. Professor Hilton said: “We are excited to join BHP because it gives Aston University the chance to develop cross institutional collaborations under one umbrella of BHP. It provides an important forum for engagement with our regional NHS trusts and beneficiaries for both research, education and knowledge exchange. “We are keen to see how the alliance will support the funding of future research, enabling us to share innovation at the boundaries of each institutional expertise. “By having a unified West Midlands approach, we can harness key skills, expertise and our resources to have an impact on health in the region.” Managing Director at BHP, John Williams said: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Aston University to be part of Birmingham Health Partners. “Alongside our NHS partners we will make use of our shared capabilities as employers, educators and researchers to positively impact the health and economic growth of our region."
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement is costly, what does the UK need to do? | Aston Angle
As far as trade is concerned, the EU exit has been rather costly to the UK. At the Centre for Business Prosperity, we have been tracking the performance of UK trade in recent years. The UK’s trade dropped sharply during COVID. Like other nations, this was due to the global recession and supply chain disruptions. However, the UK failed to recover and enjoy the boom, despite the tariff-free terms of trade in goods set out in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The UK now trades less with the EU, its largest trading partner, than in 2019. During the same period, Germany and the Netherlands grew trade with the EU by nearly a quarter, and US trade with the EU has also grown considerably. Reports suggest, including those from the British Chambers of Commerce, that exporting to the EU has become much more costly and in some cases, unviable. It appears that the “certainty” provided by the TCA has not reversed the declining trend of the UK-EU trade so far. Our new paper for the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC) has found that UK exports experienced a large, negative, statistically significant decline in 2021 at the end of the transition after the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was put into force. We estimate that this amounts to a 22% reduction in exports to the EU and a 26% reduction in imports from the EU over the first half of 2021, relative to the counterfactual scenario of the UK remaining in the EU. How did this happen? After all, the TCA ensures that goods moving between the UK and the EU have no tariffs or quotas, so long as the rules of origin are complied with. Rules of origin help you work out where your goods originate from and which goods are covered in trade agreements. Our research found that non-tariff measures (NTMs) were responsible for the adverse TCA effect on UK trade with the EU and that the magnitude of loss was significant. It was equivalent to a reduction of £12.4 billion in UK exports over the first six months period of 2021. This equals 16% of UK total exports in the first half of 2019 and 70% of the documented total reduction in the EU exports in the same period. A number of factors can be attributed to the decline of UK exports to the EU. In particular, the increased trade frictions that occurred mainly due to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) as a result of entering the TCA. Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures refer to the EU controls to protect animal, plant or public health. And technical barriers to trade (TBT) refers to mandatory technical regulations and voluntary standards that define specific characteristics that a product should have, such as its size, shape, design, labelling/marking/packaging, functionality or performance. On average, for the first six months of 2021, a 1% increase in SPS resulted in a 13–15% reduction in exports to the EU, most notably in the food and drink, wood and chemicals sectors. Furthermore, a 1% increase in TBT led to a 2–3% reduction in exports, especially in metals, equipment, machines and miscellaneous industrial products. What next? Since the post-Brexit dysfunctions are now diagnosed, in theory we could move on. The UK can directly tackle the trade challenges, so long as other things, such as politics, do not stand in the way. Fundamentally, what needs to happen is the removal or relief of the root causes coded by the TCA – the trade barriers newly erected. This is a key task; it is challenging but not impossible. Trade frictions due to the SPS measures are an acute problem of Brexit. Reducing some of the non-tariff measures between the EU-UK would help by exploring other mechanisms such as equivalent SPS measures or other ways to reduce businesses burden to a minimum. The technical barriers to trade are more complicated and challenging and they could potentially cause significant damage to the UK economy. Despite its limitation, maintaining and broadening the established arrangements of the current TCA provision, through some form of mutual recognition of specific practices or international regulations for selected sectors, should be the ambition of UK government to help ease the TBT trade barriers. Future EU-UK co-operation is critical and mutually beneficial but requires political will and strong leadership. In the short and medium term, supporting firms should be the priority, especially small- and medium-sized firms that are productive enough to have exported to the EU in the past, but now face hurdles to continue exporting. These firms tend to be limited on resource but have the infrastructure and ambition to internationalise. Targeted support for specific challenges could be also fruitful. The UK Department for International Trade Export Support Service, the British Chambers of Commerce and local growth hubs have the expertise and experience to help firms export. Therefore, resources should be made available to allow for customised and responsive support with exports, as well as taking advantage of technologies that can identify and reach businesses who require support. Provision should also be made to collect feedback on the quality of the support provided, to enable further improvement. Helping businesses continue to access EU markets, while enabling the economy to take advantage of welfare-enhancing benefits from trade, remains imperative. Given the economic benefits of the roll-out, the new free trade agreements are expected to be limited and effective only in the long term. UK domestic policies should be the focus to improve the competitiveness of exporters and their ecosystem. By Professor Jun Du Director of the Centre for Business Prosperity Professor of Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School Lecturer in Politics and International Relations School of Social Science and Humanities Dr Oleksandr Shepotylo Senior Lecturer, Economics, Finance and Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report It sets out ten evidence-based recommendations for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) including increasing their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion The report is being launched at a special event on 10 May at NatWest Conference Centre in London with keynote speaker Sir Trevor Philips OBE. A new report from Aston University has set out a plan for advancing the growth potential of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in the UK. The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) has partnered with NatWest for the Time to Change report which sets out ten evidence-based recommendations to promote greater success and inclusion of ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in finance and business support in the UK. Experts say the implementation of the recommendations could help tackle the multiple barriers faced by EMBs, particularly in accessing finance, markets and quality business support, and could increase their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion, highlighting the significant potential of EMBs to the UK economy. The report says that to combat racial inequality, there should be a UK-wide support for ethnic led businesses should be a standard feature of all future plans. This includes integrating them into broader policy agendas of inclusive growth, productivity and innovation. A more inclusive approach to enterprise is key to tackling wider social structural barriers such as unequal access to employment opportunities and product markets, and gender and ethnicity pay gaps. Concerted action is needed to support the growth ambitions of EMBs, particularly in light of damaging consequences of the pandemic for ethnic minority communities. The report calls for a strong action to eliminate the longstanding challenge of discouragement of ethnic minority entrepreneurs from seeking finance and business support. It found EMBs have been particularly hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic due to the sectors in which they tend to operate and recommends recovery support is focussed on the businesses that need it most. The report also highlights the need for greater accountability of organisations across public, private and third sectors, including business support agencies, finance providers and large purchasing organisations, for their business engagement with EMBs. Professor Monder Ram, director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship at Aston Business School, said: “This major report sets out an ambitious yet practical agenda to realise the potential of UK’s ethnic minority businesses. “The entrepreneurial ambition of ethnic minorities can play a crucial role in the UK Government’s vision of ‘Levelling Up’ prosperity across regions, promoting trade opportunities of ‘Global Britain’ and creating a more cohesive society. “Drawing on the latest research and examples of international best practice, the report presents a comprehensive approach to tackling the barriers faced by firms owned by ethnic minority communities. “We pinpoint key challenges and present recommendations – informed by extensive consultation with business support practitioners and entrepreneurs – that invite policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to collaborate in a new partnership to advance entrepreneurial activities and the UK’s diverse communities.” The report calls for central government and local decision makers to develop clear objectives for inclusive entrepreneurship, informed by evidence, and ensure that EMBs can access quality business support that helps them grow. Dr Eva Kašperová, a research fellow at CREME, said: “To address the barriers faced by EMBs and help them realise their entrepreneurial potential will require commitment and leadership from the government as well as local business support ecosystem actors. “The current lack of an explicit UK-wide policy on inclusive entrepreneurship could mean that some parts of the country are left behind in terms of tackling structural inequalities and enabling entrepreneurs from ethnic minority communities and other under-represented or disadvantaged groups to access finance, wider markets and quality business support. “If past experience is a guide, ensuring commitment from key stakeholders may be the biggest challenge.” Andrew Harrison, head of Business Banking at NatWest Group, said: “As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we’re committed to championing small businesses and supporting growth, but we know that there are barriers which disproportionately affect Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs). “This is why we aim for at least 20% of the places on our 13 nationwide accelerator hubs to be for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. In 2021, 26% of businesses in our hubs were EMBs. “Only close collaboration can deliver meaningful change to ensure EMBs get the support they need to reach their full potential. Now is the time to accelerate action, and at NatWest we commit to playing an integral role in the change that is required.” The Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) will share this report, inviting policy-makers, corporations and entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative and strategic partnership to champion enterprise and advance entrepreneurial activities and the UKs diverse communities, further building an inclusive entrepreneurial eco-system supporting businesses to thrive at a launch event at NatWest Conference Centre in London on 10 May.
School to provide increased access to preventative health services for young students so they can learn, grow and thrive To address health issues at the earliest and most preventable stages, provide whole child health, and advance health equity in the community, ChristianaCare opened a new school-based health center at Kuumba Academy Charter School in Wilmington on Friday, May 6th. The creation of the center, made possible through ChristianaCare’s partnership with the Community Education Building (CEB), which houses Kuumba Academy, means that students at the kindergarten-through-8th grade school will have increased access to an array of health services. “At ChristianaCare, we recognize the comprehensive health needs of adolescents in our community and are committed to partnering and using our resources wisely and effectively to expand our school-based health centers,” said Bettina Tweardy Riveros, J.D., chief health equity officer and senior vice president of Government Affairs and Community Engagement at ChristianaCare. “We know that childhood trauma adversely affects the ability of children to learn and build healthy relationships and it increases their risk of mental health issues and lifelong chronic disease. The opening of our school-based health center at Kuumba Academy means that ChristianaCare can support medical and behavioral health services and wraparound social care our children need, so we can positively influence their health, their education and their futures.” With the latest opening, ChristianaCare now operates 21 school-based health centers throughout the First State, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Health & Social Services, the Delaware Division of Public Health and several school districts. Kuumba Academy students, who spoke at an event Friday to celebrate the grand opening, will have access through its school-based health center to the following: Comprehensive behavioral health services. Crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Substance use disorder treatment. Tobacco cessation. Nutrition and weight management. Physical examinations. Health screenings. Treatment for minor illnesses and injuries. Reproductive health. In addition, Kuumba Academy students also will have access to resources that help their families surmount obstacles such as transportation, challenging appointment times, and worries about cost and confidentiality. “Kuumba Academy remains committed to meeting the needs of the whole child and family,” said Sally Maldonado, head of school at Kuumba Academy, the mission of which is to provide an innovative learning environment for the whole child from kindergarten through eighth grade. “The opening of this school-based health center means that our students and families will have daily access to the high-quality behavior and health services that they deserve, and we are grateful to ChristianaCare and CEB for their partnership. We are beginning to see ourselves on the other side of this pandemic and we are energized to emerge with these newfound partnerships focused on health and wellness for our village.” ChristianaCare has partnered with CEB and Kuumba Academy on community-focused health initiatives in the past. In February 2021, ChristianaCare provided more than 800 vaccinations to community members and staff at CEB. On February 7th of this year, ChristianaCare vaccinated 38 people, including 19 children, against COVID-19. This added to the more than 6,000 vaccinations that ChristianaCare Community Health has administered since 2021. “At CEB, we understand the importance that health plays on a child’s ability to learn and succeed,” said Linda Jennings, CEO at CEB. “We are beyond excited to partner with Kuumba and ChristianaCare to launch the Kuumba Academy School-Based Health Center at CEB and add to the list of holistic and integrated support we provide to students and their families.” Today’s event coincides with Better World Day, an annual, national event on the first Friday in May. During Better World Day, students showcase their learning about initiatives that they believe will have a positive impact on their community and the world. Through collaboration and acts of service, students learn the power of their voice to make change. About ChristianaCare Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,299 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute. ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care. About Kuumba Academy Charter School Kuumba Academy Charter School’s mission is to provide an innovative learning environment for the whole child from kindergarten through eighth grade. Our directors, staff, and families share the core belief that parents are children’s primary educators. KACS parents, in partnership with teachers and administrators, believe that every child can maximize his or her learning potential given the opportunity to do so. In response to the outcry from Wilmington parents looking for a high-quality public education and increased access to arts education for their children, Christina Cultural Arts Center leaders, parents, and community supporters took action and were granted a Department of Education charter to create Kuumba Academy Charter School (KACS) in 2001. KACS was the first school model in the state that partnered a public charter school with a nonprofit community organization. Christina Cultural Arts Center (CCAC) and KACS form a unique nonprofit/public school partnership committed to educational excellence. Through the innovative union of academics, arts, technology, and family engagement, each KACS student’s individual learning style is nurtured—resulting in creative learners who are agents of positive change in the community. The CCAC/KACS model is regarded by many as the single most significant achievement in Wilmington’s post public school desegregation history. About the Community Education Building (CEB) CEB was established in 2012 after Bank of America donated the former MBNA Bracebridge IV building to The Longwood Foundation. Living up to its commitment of increasing access to education, the Longwood Foundation created CEB as an independent entity, and transformed the space into an ecosystem to support the social, emotional, physical, and academic development of Wilmington’s youth. CEB is an innovative co-location and shared services model. Focused on supporting the entire family, CEB offers vibrant programs and support systems that provide a sound foundation for each student. It serves as a hub for families by offering services such as healthy meals, life coaches, and mental health services. This model leads to deeper family engagement in their child’s learning and allows schools to focus on teaching and learning, not operations and overhead. CEB is an educational ecosystem that holistically integrates programs and resources for students and their families, ensuring that every student has an equitable opportunity to succeed.
Aston University partners with HSBC UK to support black and ethnic minority student entrepreneurs
HSBC UK launched new student incubator programme in March 2022 Aston University is one of five universities in the country collaborating with HSBC on the pilot programme The programme will support BAME students to bring their business ideas to life. Aston University is partnering with HSBC UK on a new pilot student incubator programme to support black and ethnic minority students to start new businesses. It is one of five universities in the country working in collaboration with HSBC UK to pilot a competitive enterprise programme that will target aspiring entrepreneurs from under-represented and low-income backgrounds to bring their business ideas to reality. The programme will support students of black and minority ethnic backgrounds from Aston University, University of Bedfordshire, De Montfort University, University of East London and Kingston University to bring their commercial aspirations to life. The programme is now live, with successful candidates from each university embarking in March on a 12-week bespoke course run by Start Up Discovery School. The programme will culminate with a finals day to be held in HSBC UK’s Birmingham head office in June. The successful candidates will receive one to one HSBC UK mentoring from commercial banking relationship directors, alongside guidance from the Start Up Discovery School, access to HSBC UK customer webinars and some modest financial support to enable them to bring their commercial ambitions to fruition. It is hoped that the pilot will provide a model for other banks and financial institutions to emulate in collaboration with universities as a way to nurture talent, encourage innovation, and offer support to aspiring entrepreneurs from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds across the UK. Kemi Badenoch MP, Minister of State for Equalities, said: "We’re pleased to see HSBC act on the Commission’s recommendation by launching their Student Incubator Programme to collaborate with a number of universities across the UK. “The programme is designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds to bring their commercial ideas to life and help entrants to attain the business skills they need to aid their long-term success. “We want programmes like this to encourage more people from ethnic minority backgrounds to flourish and to build the next generation of entrepreneurs.” Peter McIntyre, head of small business banking, HSBC UK said: “We are delighted to support new aspiring entrepreneurs and look forward to seeing their creative ideas at the pitch day at our HSBC UK head office in Birmingham. “We are committed to ensuring that access to finance is fair and open to all entrepreneurs and are delighted to be able to further enable these students to start their businesses and to nurture their entrepreneurial talent.” Paula Whitehouse, associate dean for enterprise in the College of Business and Social Sciences at Aston University, said: “Aston Business School is delighted to join HSBC in the development of this major initiative to support the entrepreneurial aspirations of black and ethnic minority students. “The HSBC Student Incubator Programme will provide all-important national networking and expert support to help our leading student entrepreneurs with their new ventures. “We were delighted to be invited by HSBC to help shape this exciting initiative which will support Aston University’s mission to promote inclusive growth in our region and give our innovative students a unique opportunity.” Gosbert Chagula, co-founder of Start Up Discovery School, said: “The early support that entrepreneurs receive, particularly in the early stages, really does have a disproportionate impact on their long-term success prospects. “This impact is even more pronounced when concerning ethnic minority students who typically may not benefit from deep social and professional networks or early funding from family and friends. “This programme is designed to both nurture and grow participants whilst ensuring they are connected to wide ecosystem of support from both across HSBC and beyond.”