This £5.1 million 4-year initiative will engage several hundred technology-focused small and medium sized enterprises in the UK and facilitate 80 of these to develop collaborative research and development for new product development through robust partnerships with businesses located in the Guangdong Province. UK businesses selected to participate will embark on a leadership programme to build innovation, creativity and leadership capabilities within the company, geared to the challenges and opportunities of international collaboration and trade. This will be enabled by the resourcing of graduate-calibre teams with science, technology, management and design expertise, to work with UK and Chinese partners on specific collaborative projects in both the UK and China.

The project is funded by HEFCE, participant business contributions, Lancashire County Council and the Guangdong Provincial Office for Science & Technology. Key partners will include the Chinese Academy of Sciences, UK Trade & Investment, China-Britain Business Council and the Technology Strategy Board. Priority technology areas have been identified which match key UK growth sectors to the key industrial sectors of Guangdong Province: energy, environmental protection, new vehicle technology, digital and creative, materials, photonics, ICT, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.