JDRF welcomes Scottish funding for type 1 innovation competition

JDRF has welcomed a new £500,000 competition from Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Government to fund innovative new technology to help those with type 1 diabetes in the country.

The competition entitled the ‘Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI)’ is open to companies of all sizes to develop an innovative process, material, device, product or service that will change the lives of those with type 1 diabetes.

Total funding for the SBRI is £500,000 of which 50 per cent is provided by Scottish Enterprise and the other 50 per cent from Scottish Government.

Peter Jones, Chair of JDRF’s Development Group in Scotland, said: “This is a welcome step forward and it is particularly pleasing to see Government engaging with Scotland’s renowned research and development community in an effort to improve the lives of people with type 1 diabetes.  JDRF have been calling for funds like this to be established for many years and I have personally written to the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Enterprise to thank them for their support.

“Scotland faces a huge challenge in terms of type 1, with incidence amongst the highest in the world.  JDRF remains on the front lines in this fight as the leading charitable funder of type 1 research in the world and any funding which encourages innovation is welcome.

“JDRF has offered its expertise in the field of research and innovation to help support the SBRI and I hope we will see some truly innovative products come forward which will improve the lives of those with type 1.”