The Catapult Network

Established in 2011, the catapults are independent research and technology organisations that bridge the gap between R&D and industry by acting as a ‘translational infrastructure’ to commercialize innovative ideas. They are inspired by a report on the future role of technology and innovation centres in the United Kingdom written in 2010 by entrepreneur Dr. Hermann Hause. The funding model of the catapults is a “thirds model” which is composed of one third from a core grant from the UK Government via United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI); one third from industry partners; and one third from collaborative R&D funds bid for by consortia involving catapults. The most successful energy-related catapult, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) catapult, has supported 597 SMEs, participated in 648 industry collaborations and 469 academic collaborations since 2013.

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