Why Rishi’s EU Horizon deal is a lifesaver for my mate Matt
Why? Because Sunak’s deal gives scientists like my friend access to a fund that hands out millions for vital scientific and technological research. It’s a deal that boosts post-Brexit Britain, and the PM deserves praise for it, writes Chris Blackhurst
My pal, Matt Burkitt, has been handed a lifeline. As of nine o’clock this morning, he was busy filling out forms for a grant of up to £2m from the EU.
He’s applying for cash from the European Innovation Council Accelerator fund. It falls under the umbrella of the £85bn EU Horizon scheme to boost science research. The agreement, struck between Rishi Sunak and president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, prompted him to dust off the paperwork.
Matt had been waiting for this moment. A scientist, turned entrepreneur, he runs Dimension Technologies, a start-up in Cambridge created three years ago that specialises in researching, implementing and commercialising new forecasting algorithms. The money will be used to expand his two-man firm – which he hopes to increase to 20 – so it can continue producing predictive algorithms for healthcare, insurance, supply chains and manufacturing. The firm is pre-income, so there is no revenue coming in at present.
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