Pieternel Levelt, an associate director of the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) has been selected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). KNAW announced this week that it had selected Levelt and 16 other members from a large number of nominations by expert juries in each scientific and scholarly field. They will be officially installed on September 29. “The new members – ten women and seven men – don't just excel in their research; they also attach great importance to playing a role in society as scientists,” KNAW stated in a press release. Levelt has served as the director of NSF NCAR’s Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory since 2021. She specializes in using space-based observation technologies to study air pollution, greenhouse gases, and the ozone layer. Her research provides detailed insights into how pollutants disperse and offers critical data on the state of our ozone layer. Levelt is the principal investigator for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s EOS-Aura satellite, and also was the scientific initiator and former PI of the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the ESA/EU Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite. In addition to her NSF NCAR position, Levelt serves as professor of remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere at Delft University of Technology and is affiliated with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. “I am very proud of this,” Levelt said, noting that KNAW membership is for life. “It is a huge honor.” For more about the honor, see the KNAW press release. See all News

The Ray Dolby Centre officially opens today, 9 May 2025, at a ceremony in Cambridge. The new facility is a major asset for the country that will support world-class physics and bring together a community of the brightest minds to solve some of the world’s most complex problems. Nationally leading facilities The Ray Dolby Centre is the new home of the Cavendish Laboratory, the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physics. It has been named in recognition of a generous £85 million donation from the estate of Cambridge alumnus and sound pioneer Ray Dolby. The project to replace the existing facilities at Cambridge is supported by a £75 million investment from the UK government, administered through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The centre’s ambitions align with EPSRC’s support of nationally leading research facilities such as the Rosalind Franklin Institute and National Wind Tunnel Facility. Fostering collaboration The Ray Dolby Centre will feature 173 laboratories, clean rooms, lecture halls, learning and collaborative spaces, workshops and offices. It will serve as a national hub for physics where the research community across the UK will have access to specialised research equipment, resources and facilities. The Collaborative R&D Environment for Physics (CORDE) national facility, funded by EPSRC, will be hosted at the new Ray Dolby Centre. CORDE will foster collaboration between industry and university researchers and enhance public access to new research. Inspiring future generations Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive Officer, said: The Ray Dolby Centre will make a significant and much welcome addition to the Physics research and innovation community in the UK. The Centre will inspire future generations and foster new collaborations, not least through its innovative plans for equipment sharing and opportunities for users from across the UK to benefit. I am delighted to be able to join in celebrating this remarkable occasion. Pushing the boundaries Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at EPSRC said: The Ray Dolby Centre is an enormously exciting state-of-the-art facility that will enable our research community to continue to push the boundaries of knowledge and generate transformative discoveries. Having recently visited the centre, I am profoundly impressed by the cutting-edge design and the opportunities that it offers. The Collaborative R&D Environment for Physics (CORDE) exemplifies our commitment to ensuring that the benefits of our investments are available widely across academia, while also supporting business innovation and enhancing opportunities for skills training. CORDE, and the wider Ray Dolby Centre, will catalyse groundbreaking advances and enable the UK to maintain its position at the forefront of physics. Creating the right environment Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge said: The Ray Dolby Centre is a state-of-the-art national facility for physics which sits at the heart of the emerging Cambridge West Innovation District. This unique environment is transforming how the UK does science, creating the leading location in Europe that brings together academics, entrepreneurs, and industry. It will be at the forefront of AI, quantum, and climate research, catalysing the growth of UK science and technology. Top image: The Ray Dolby Centre. Credit: University of Cambridge Share this page Share this page on X / Twitter Share this page on LinkedIn Share this page on Facebook

Research England is investing £30 million into four ambitious regional projects through its university commercialisation ecosystems initiative. These projects will bring together universities, industry and other partners to deliver a step change in knowledge exchange activity. This includes: building new and strengthening existing collaborations expanding the pipeline of high-quality investible new spin-outs supporting scale up capability attracting new UK and international investment creating high value jobs embedding longstanding Knowledge Exchange work streams Economic potential The funding forms part of Research England’s wider work to support research commercialisation across the country. It builds on the Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) and the Research England Development (RED) fund, which aim to drive innovation by supporting collaboration and strengthening commercialisation capacity. Announcing the news on a visit to Aston University, Science Minister, Lord Vallance said: The UK is home to some of the world’s best universities, and we have deep strengths from life sciences to cutting-edge fields like quantum and engineering biology. But we can and must do more to unlock scientific research’s vast economic potential, and to help our innovators world-leading public sector labs turn brilliant ideas into businesses that attract investment and sustain jobs. The funding and guidance we are announcing today will reinforce those efforts, supporting our mission to grow the economy as part of the Plan for Change. Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Executive Chair, Research England, said: I am thrilled that through Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund we are able to support the Government’s mission for economic growth by directing £30 million to these four exciting projects across England. The funding will help these projects develop, grow and scale commercialisation capabilities around the research and development base of universities; fostering collaboration, bringing together expertise and research strengths and focus these on opportunities that will directly benefit local communities. The four new projects North East: Strategic Commercialisation Ecosystem North East (SCENE) Led by Durham University, SCENE will build on the success of the Northern Accelerator which has already helped launch over 50 spin-outs since 2018. By strengthening ties between universities and industry, the project will scale up support for research-led businesses, attract international investment, and help ensure new innovations stay and grow in the region. Midlands: Forging ahead/Forging beyond Led by Loughborough University, this wide-reaching collaboration of 15 universities will tackle the fragmentation of skills and talent in the Midlands innovation landscape. The project will help more research make it to market and create lasting economic impact with: a new talent pool expanded accelerator networks targeted support for high-growth sectors like health, net zero and advanced manufacturing Liverpool City region: Biologics Regional Innovation and Technology Ecosystem (BRITE) Led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, BRITE will plug critical gaps in the local biologics innovation pipeline. It will help develop and manufacture next-generation therapies for infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance. The project will also build essential infrastructure and support local job creation while positioning the region as a national hub for biologics. Greater Lincolnshire and East Anglia: Agri-tech Commercialisation Ecosystems (ACE) Led by the University of Lincoln, in partnership with the University of Cambridge and the University of East Anglia, ACE will establish a globally recognised agri-tech innovation cluster. The project will create a new venture fund, develop a national tech transfer office, and support UK-wide agri-tech spinouts aimed at building a more sustainable, food-secure future. Diversity of themes Tony Hickson, Chief Business Officer, Cancer Research UK and panel member for the CCF RED, said: I’m glad that as a panel we were able to advise Research England on these four exciting awards across the country with a diversity of themes and priorities which will be sure to provide a wealth of rich learning. These projects will deliver a step change in commercialisation ecosystems across England. Together, these projects show the power of collaboration, between universities, businesses, and government, to turn great research into practical, life-changing impact. Top image: Credit: Kobus Louw, E+ via Getty images. Share this page Share this page on X / Twitter Share this page on LinkedIn Share this page on Facebook

Notes to editors: [1] https://www.smmt.co.uk/new-car-market-falls-in-april-as-tax-changes-bite/ [2] https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/2-7-million-families-saddled-with-1-600-petrol-premium-if-ev-policy-weakened For more information or for interview requests: George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net

Notes to editors: 1. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/another-boost-for-british-car-industry-as-1-billion-secured-for-new-sunderland-gigafactory 2. https://eciu.net/analysis/reports/2024/electrifying-growth For more information or for interview requests: George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net

By Hannah Fuller The ocean is vast, deep, and often inaccessible to humans. But in recent decades, robots and other technologies have started to give researchers a view of life thousands of meters below the ocean’s surface, unlocking new knowledge about how the ocean circulates carbon and nutrients, how ecosystems thrive in the deep ocean, and what economic opportunities may lie in this hidden world. An examination of these technological innovations and the surprising insights they are yielding, especially in a rapidly warming world, was the focus of this year’s Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture, Ocean Exploration in the Age of Intelligent Robots and a Changing Climate, which was delivered by Christopher Scholin, president and chief executive officer of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). “Robots and sensors have changed the way we can interact with the environment,” Scholin explained. Developing new technologies for exploring the sea is a “team sport,” he said, sharing many examples that showcase how biology, engineering, communications, and classic trial and error come together to create new technologies. By combining the different sensing technologies on floats and deploying them around the globe, “we are beginning to paint a fuller picture of this massive part of our planet that has so much left to explore.” In a warming climate, data collection is more important than ever as Earth’s systems respond and ecosystems change. “We now know that the Southern Ocean — one of the most inaccessible and difficult places to work — plays a major role in ocean-atmosphere carbon cycling and global climate modulation,” said Scholin. “We’re in a race to learn more about the ocean, as it undergoes rapid change. It’s nearly impossible to get a baseline. A sustained commitment to technology development is integral to competing in that race.” Although technology allows for the collection of more types of higher-quality information from more sensors, researchers are now facing a “data deluge,” as Scholin puts it. Machine learning can be an immense time-saving solution to sort through and find patterns within data, which can then be analyzed and made sense of by scientists, he said. New technologies are also enabling researchers to learn more about diverse life in the deepest ocean depths. “Throughout history, we have approached ocean exploration and observation through a decidedly human sensory perspective. There is still much to learn,” said Scholin. “Ocean-dwelling animals experience their environment in many ways we humans have not yet learned to interpret or fully comprehend, such as their perception of sound, electromagnetic fields, and chemosensory abilities.” Scientists at MBARI use the Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS), where an expert can tag and annotate videos with the creatures that they observe. The volume of video data continues to grow as more cameras with higher resolution are added. But as VARS is now trained on 900,000 annotations by scientists, it is getting increasingly better at identifying species as they are captured in video, giving researchers more time to analyze the data itself. In addition, the public can also help researchers with FathomVerse, a game that challenges the player to help identify species and provides additional training for machine learning along the way. “Much of the technological revolution that has been brought to bear on ocean exploration and observation was primarily driven by a variety of industries for purposes that often had nothing to do with marine science,” said Scholin. Advancements in microelectronics, biopharma, aerospace, manufacturing, material and computer science, and other disciplines, as well as social media, have dramatically transformed our ability to access the sea, reveal its mysteries, and share the findings with a global audience. “This cycle is accelerating. Every time we return to the ocean with new technologies in hand, we learn something new and grow to appreciate the connection between societal well-being and the health of the sea.” Watch a recording of Scholin’s full lecture and read his accompanying essay online . Related Resources Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025-2035 Decade of Ocean Science A Research Strategy for Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Sequestration Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste

基礎研究成果の社会に与える影響の拡大、国際共同研究の重要性の増大、さらに地政学的緊張の高まりといった目下の研究を取り巻く状況から、研究セキュリティ確保の対応は国際社会における喫緊の課題です。 研究の自由、透明性、開放性の確保は、知の探求の営みや人類の発展のために普遍的に重要なものであり、いわば研究の本質ともいえるものです。他方、オープンな研究システムの不当な利用により、研究システムの健全性、公正性の毀損、研究成果の悪用、技術流出のリスクの高まりが懸念されています。研究のオープン性の重要性は何ら変わりませんが、そうした動きからアカデミアを守ることがますます求められています。ただし、このような取組において、人種や国籍等による差別はあってはならないことは言うまでもありません。 研究セキュリティ確保の取組は、研究成果・研究者を適切に保護し、開かれた研究環境を守るためのものであり、さらに国の経済安全保障上の要請に応えるものです。 このような背景を踏まえ、JSTでは研究コミュニティとの対話を行いつつ、研究開発事業における研究セキュリティ確保への取組をJST-TRUSTとして実施していきます。 JST-TRUSTについて（研究セキュリティに関するシンポジウム（2025年3月開催）資料より） 各国の研究セキュリティ対応とJSTの取り組み方針 JSTの研究セキュリティ確保への取組（JST-TRUST）について JST-TRUSTでは、各事業で設定している評価基準に基づくPO等の専門家による選考を従来どおりJSTにて行った後、採択候補課題の調整に進む際に、提案書のキーワードスクリーニングとPO等による専門的判断に基づき、経済安全保障上のリスクやポテンシャルの大きさを確認します。 経済安全保障上、注意を要すると考えられる提案の研究代表者に対して、JSTが研究セキュリティアンケート（RSアンケート）の回答を依頼し、研究体制についての状況をお聞きします。依頼された研究代表者は、研究体制上のリスクとそれに応じたリスク軽減策について回答し、JSTがその内容を承認します。 RSアンケートの詳細はこちら 研究開始後、研究代表者はJSTに承認されたリスク軽減策を研究計画の一部として実行することが求められます。JSTは、PO等による研究マネジメントの一環として、研究セキュリティの観点からも継続的なモニタリングを行います。 また研究成果の公開にあたっては、注意を要する情報が意図せず散逸しないように、必要に応じてJST/PO等が、研究代表者やそのチームに外部発表の方法について事前相談を行う場合があります。 JST-TRUSTでは、諸外国においても提唱されている「スモールヤード・ハイフェンス（フェンスを設ける研究範囲はできる限り小さく設定した上でしっかり守り、それ以外はオープンとして扱う）」の考えを採用しています。また、研究者にかかる負担が過大にならないように留意しています。 2025年度は、量子・半導体分野の公募を行う４プログラムで、JST-TRUSTのパイロット公募を実施します。詳細は各事業のHPをご参照ください。 JSTは、研究提案の内容に応じて研究代表者にJST-TRUSTにおけるアンケート（RSアンケート）の回答を依頼します。RSアンケートの位置づけについては、JSTでの取組（JST-TRUST）をご確認ください。 JSTでは2025年3月にシンポジウムを開催し、研究セキュリティを取り巻く国内外の政策動向等の講演、JSTにおける取組の紹介ののち、パネルディスカッションを行いました。 イベントページはこちら 開催報告はこちら

2025年5月9日 対外経済 5月9日（金曜日）、大串経済産業副大臣は、一般財団法人中東協力センターとアラブ首長国連邦のアブダビ経済開発庁との間で開催された第11回日本アブダビ経済協議会（ADJEC）に出席し、来賓挨拶を行いました。 挨拶では、近年、アブダビが世界的なビジネス拠点として存在感を高めていることを踏まえ、従来のエネルギー分野での連携だけでなく、先端技術分野等での更なる両国の協力等について触れるとともに、ADJECが日本とアブダビの協力形成のプラットフォームとして長年機能していることや、大阪・関西万博が多くのビジネス交流や協力プロジェクト形成の契機となることを期待する旨のメッセージを発出しました。 担当 通商政策局 中東アフリカ課長 渡邉 担当者：湯口、茅原 電話：03-3501-1511（内線 3008） メール：bzl-s-tsusei-chutoafrica★meti.go.jp ※［★］を［@］に置き換えてください。

2025年5月9日 ものづくり/情報/流通・サービス 経済産業省は、「ウラノス・エコシステム・プロジェクト制度」に基づいて、産業データ連携の促進に向けた優良な取組として自動車・蓄電池のCFP・DDデータ及び電力データに関連する2プロジェクトを選定しました。 1．概要 経済産業省は、関係省庁や独立行政法人情報処理推進機構デジタルアーキテクチャ・デザインセンター等とともに、人手不足や災害激甚化、脱炭素への対応といった社会課題を解決しながら、イノベーションを起こして経済成長を実現するため、企業や業界、国境をまたぐ横断的なデータ連携・システム連携の実現を目指す取組として、「ウラノス・エコシステム（Ouranos Ecosystem）」を推進しています。 国内において、ウラノス・エコシステムの取組が黎明期にある中、経済産業省は、横断的データ連携に参画する事業者の拡大や新たな横断的データ連携の取組組成の参考となる優良事例を奨励することを目的として、新たに「ウラノス・エコシステム・プロジェクト制度」を開始し、募集を開始したところです。 本制度は、「異なる事業者間で行われる、データに関するコントロール可能性及び参加者が使用するサービスの多様性が担保された、オープンなデータスペースを介したデータ連携」というウラノス・エコシステムの趣旨に合致する取組を、優良事例として選定するものです。 既にデータ連携機能がサービスとして提供されている取組については「ウラノス・エコシステム先導プロジェクト」として、将来的にデータ連携機能をサービスとして提供することを目的としている取組については「ウラノス・エコシステム挑戦プロジェクト」として選定します。 2．選定されたプロジェクト この度、以下の2プロジェクトを選定しました。 自動車・蓄電池のカーボンフットプリントおよびデューデリジェンスのデータ連携プロジェクト カテゴリ：先導プロジェクト プロジェクト運営主体：一般社団法人自動車・蓄電池トレーサビリティ推進センター（ABtC） プロジェクト概要：欧州電池規則への対応も考慮し、カーボンフットプリント（以下CFP）およびデューデリジェンス（以下DD）のデータを安全・安心にサプライチェーン上の企業間で連携させる取組。 Webサイトはこちら 電力データ提供プロジェクト カテゴリ：先導プロジェクト プロジェクト運営主体：一般社団法人電力データ管理協会 プロジェクト概要：全国8000万台のスマートメーターにおいて30分ごとに生成される電力使用・売電実績、電力取引の基礎となる電力データを、一般送配電事業者（データ提供会員）から収集し、データ利用者（データ利用会員）に提供する取組。 Webサイトはこちら 3．ロゴ 選定されたプロジェクトは、プロジェクトがデータ連携や連携を通じた社会課題の解決・イノベーション実現に向けた先導・挑戦的な取組であるとアピールすることを目的に、プロジェクトの選定に応じて下記のロゴが使用可能です。 ウラノス・エコシステム・プロジェクト制度の募集は通年で随時実施していますので、引き続き多くのプロジェクトの応募をお待ちしています。 関連リンク 我が国のデータ連携に関する取組をOuranos Ecosystem（ウラノス エコシステム）と命名しました（METI/経済産業省） Ouranos Ecosystem（ウラノス・エコシステム）（METI/経済産業省） ウラノス・エコシステム・プロジェクト制度（METI/経済産業省） 担当 商務情報政策局 情報経済課長 守谷 商務情報政策局 デジタル戦略室長 立石 担当者：坂本、坂田、鈴木、磯部 電話：03-3501-1511（内線 3961） メール：bzl-johokeizai-digital-strategy★meti.go.jp ※［★］を［@］に置き換えてください。