Monday Papers: UK growth set for sharp slowdown - other news

Financial Times

* David Cameron is to announce £200 million of funding for a network of German-style ‘technology innovation centres’ as he seeks to convince critics that his government has a credible industrial growth plan.

* Royal Mail is pressing ministers for a relaxation of ‘suffocating’ controls on its commercial freedom in an attempt to make the ambitious privatisation plan for the state-owned postal operator succeed.

* UK growth is expected to have slowed sharply in the third quarter when the first reading of gross domestic product is released on Tuesday.

* BigDNA, a Scottish developer of vaccines, has been granted a patent in Japan to tackle Chronic hepatitis B infection that could provide access to a huge market in Asia.

* European Union proposals to revitalise manufacturing in the 27-country bloc are scheduled to be unveiled in Brussels this week.

* Aberdeen and the surrounding area hope to build on their expertise as a focus of the international oil and gas industry to play a full role in the development of renewable energy and decommissioning in the North Sea.

* Britain’s “big six” energy companies will this week warn Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy, that the government’s proposed “floor price” for carbon emission permits is not enough of an incentive for them to invest in new nuclear power stations.

* John Robertson, managing director of Burntisland Fabrications, has called for a “strong commitment” by the government to sea-based wind power to boost the sector and create thousands of jobs.

* PTT, Thailand’s state-owned energy group, aims to triple output over the next decade and has raised an estimated $1.9 billion war chest to fund overseas acquisitions.

* Italian tyremaker Pirelli is planning to announce a multimillion-dollar move into Mexico to set up a production base to supply the growing North American market.

* India considers an $11 billion deal to buy 126 multi-role combat fighter jets from the US.