Cambridge and Manchester bag £4.8m to supercharge UK innovation

The universities of Cambridge and Manchester have teamed up for the UK’s first cross-country innovation partnership, landing £4.8 million from Research England (on top of additional funding from the universities themselves) to boost inclusive growth and collaboration. Supported by city councils, mayors, businesses, and investors, the £6 million project aims to connect research, industry, and entrepreneurs, showing how two powerhouse cities can join forces to drive the UK’s innovation future. Professor Deborah Prentice, Cambridge’s Vice Chancellor, said that the partnership will “deliver real benefits for people and places across the UK”.

Back to the future

A time capsule has been sealed at Cambridge’s Li Ka Shing Early Cancer Institute. The capsule, which includes photos, brochures, everyday lab items such as pipette tips, trays, a copy of the Cambridge Independent, and even a wired computer mouse, will offer future generations a glimpse inside a scientific research institute in the 2020s. Sealed last week by researchers and the redevelopment team, it marks the start of major construction at the site.

A soft touch

Cambridge scientists have developed a highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be fit onto robotic hands like a glove. Although the robotic skin is not as sensitive as human skin, it can detect signals from over 860,000 tiny pathways in the material, enabling it to recognise different types of touch and pressure – like the tap of a finger, a hot or cold surface, damage caused by cutting or stabbing (handy in a robot uprising), or multiple points being touched at once – in a single material.

Oxbridge students to clash in international ekiden competition

On 20 June, Cambridge students will take on the FT Nikkei UK Ekiden, a 114km relay race from Windsor to Reading and back, inspired by Japan’s iconic long-distance running tradition. Instead of batons, runners pass tasuki sashes: an accessory which is used to hold up kimonos sleeves and is as a nod to teamwork and endurance. After finishing second to Oxford last year, Cambridge returns alongside top UK universities and Japan’s elite Ritsumeikan team. Pride, pace, and cross-cultural networking are all on the line.