European team of researchers to take on innovative new project
A new concept of innovation projects got underway in the UK on 2 July when the Star Tiger project was officially launched by the country's Minister for science and innovation, Lord Sainsbury. The project, which is part of the European space agency's (ESA) initiative to strengthen innovative and breakthrough research, joins together a highly skilled team from all over Europe, working in a top class laboratory with no administrative distractions for four to six months. The team is sectioned away with a single objective - to create a compact submillimetre wave camera using state of the art technology. 'With Star Tiger we want to dramatically reduce the turnaround time for state of the art technology developments,' said Niels Jensen, ESA's head of technology programmes department. He added that if the project succeeded, there could be similar conceptual projects in centres of excellence in ESA Member States. Although the project will lead to advances for space applications, the camera could be used in a number of other areas, such as climate change and medicine. 'It is this linking together and transferring of technology that utilises the full extent and value of scientific research that will keep Europe at the cutting edge of technology development,' said Lord Sainsbury. The team is made up of 11 scientists from seven European countries, all having skills relevant to the development of the submillimetre camera. They will be based at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory in Oxfordshire, which specialises in the area. One of the team members, James O' Neill, explained what it meant for him to be part of the project. 'I was very excited to find out about the Star Tiger project as it is obvious that this would be a once in a lifetime experience to push technology to its limits in an incredible team working environment at an amazing research facility.'