Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson opened the £11 million ‘state of the art’ Future Technologies Lab at Sussex University (www.sussex.ac.uk) at the end of November, coinciding with the launch of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

He was given a tour of the Lab, where teaching is under way using robotics, advanced computing and other rapidly
developing technologies.

Mr Johnson met vice-chancellor Adam Tickell at the university’s Falmer campus and was shown some of the Lab’s work by teaching and research staff and students.

He described Sussex as “a great research-intensive university”, vital to sustaining the jobs of the future which would be key to Britain’s economic growth.

Mr Tickell said: “This cements the University of Sussex’s place as a regional economic powerhouse and highlights the vital role we can play in delivering the Government’s Industrial Strategy by equipping the next generation with the skills and capabilities that businesses need to enhance productivity.

“Our new Masters’ degrees all include industrial placements, and we are committed to matching the needs of industry with the education we offer.

“Technologies such as drones, robotics, artificial intelligence and 5G are transforming virtually every aspect of modern life, from how we survey large structures to new methods of remote and minimally invasive surgery.

"Sussex academics are also doing some truly boundary-pushing research in sensor design, wearable technology and autonomous vehicles.”