High speed link [LINK project]

The aim of the LINK programme is to enhance the competitiveness of UK industry and the quality of life, by fostering managed programmes of precompetitive science and technology in market and technology sectors, and by encouraging industry to invest in further work leading to commercially successful products, processes, systems and services. Each LINK programme focuses on a particular technology or market sector; programmes cover a wide range of areas, from food and biosciences, through engineering, to electronics and communications. The author describes the UK government´s main scheme for fostering collaborative research partnerships between the research base and industry. LINK recently approved its 1000th project; one of the first project themes-the design of high speed machinery programme-has been the subject of an independent evaluation