A "fitness" programme for farmed fish and a new keyhole surgery treatment for back pain are among the projects to secure new funding today, July 1 2004, from a ground-breaking innovation programme.

A total of 26 commercially-focused research projects will benefit from £4.6m of support announced today from the internationally-acclaimed Proof of Concept Fund backed by Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Executive.

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have won a cash award from the Fund to develop pioneering sea-cage technology which helps regulate the swimming of farmed fish - effectively an "aquatic aerobics" programme.

It's hoped the innovation can be commercially developed for fish farms ﾖ helping to keep fish fit and healthy and ultimately boosting quality levels and productivity.

Also securing support is an exciting new technique to treat back pain. A team from NHS Grampian has developed a prosthetic disc which can be inserted using day care key-hole surgery.

The project has the potential to offer major benefits to back pain sufferers and reduce the burden on the NHS and economy caused by absences from work.

Under the latest Proof of Concept funding announced today by Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald nine universities, a college of art, a research institute and a NHS establishment are to benefit from awards.

The Minister also announced a £7.4 million European funding boost to set up Proof of Concept Plus ﾖ a new support scheme aimed at improving the commercialisation potential of projects funded under the existing scheme.

Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

Further details on the the Proof of Concept Fund can be found on the PoC website or by contacting Neil Gibson or Brian McClean at the BIG partnership ? 0141 333 9585. For further details on the University of Glasgow project contact Mike Findlay the University Press Officer on 0141 330-3535.

The Proof of Concept Fund was launched by the Scottish Executive and implemented by Scottish Enterprise in 1999 as a three year ?11m fund ? but its success led to this being extended to a ?33m fund over six years.

It awards grants to assist the pre-commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland's universities, research institutes and NHS Trusts. Its goal is to help researchers take their ideas and inventions out of the lab and develop them commercially into ground-breaking Scottish businesses.

Today?s announcement is the fifth round of support from the Fund, which has so far invested some ?23.7m in 146 projects.

First published: 1 July 2004