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Eureka! The Bristol city region has officially been designated a Science City; one of only six in the UK to be named by the Chancellor in his Budget speech in 2005.

This award recognises Bristol for its outstanding achievements in academic research, scientific innovation and its strong base of science industry organisations. The Bristol region includes Bristol city, Bath and NE Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire.

Local Science

It's easy to see why Bristol has been awarded this honorary status and become such an important place for science. Some of Bristol's largest attractions have contributed to this achievement, including Explore-At-Bristol, Brunel's ss Great Britain and Bristol Zoo Gardens. Visit the Science City Bristol website to find out more about each of their individual contributions to the world of science.

Bristol is home to a large number of science and technology organisations that play important roles on the global stage. Airbus and Rolls Royce have continued to be instrumental in the development of the aviation and automotive industries, and have made headlines around the world with their involvement in Concorde and the Airbus A380 passenger jet.

Orange mobile and HP Labs have been established in the city for many years and continue to lead the way in communications and mobile technology. The global publishing arm of the Institute of Physics is located in central Bristol and business growth across the sectors of ICT, advanced engineering and environmental technology is particularly strong throughout the region.

Bristol will host a series of special science events and festivals throughout 2008 - see local events to find out more.

Academic Bristol

The Bristol city region boasts a selection of some of the finest universities in the country, all of which continue to play an important role in scientific research and discovery across a range of areas. Most notable of these are:

• Advanced Engineering (particularly in aerospace and robotics).
• Environmental Science (this includes geotechnologies, renewable energy and the built environment).
• Medical Science (across many branches of medicine and biology).
• Digitial Technologies (especially creative technologies and computing).

You can find out more about the four main institutions - University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath and Bath Spa University - by visiting the Science City Bristol website.

Did you know?

Scotsman John Loudon McAdam, who lived in Bristol during the 19th century, revolutionised road transport during his time with The Bristol Turnpike Trust. McAdam discovered an effective method of constructing roads using three layers of graded stones. Roads built this way were commonly referred to as being 'macadamised'. It was only when McAdam thought of covering the top layer with tar to improve durability that the word tarmac was coined.

The much-loved blackcurrant drink Ribena was originally invented in Bristol at the National Fruit and Cider Institute as a vitamin C supplement. Following its subsequent popularity as an every day soft drink, Ribena was then produced in Bristol for many years.

Professor Joe McGeehan, of the Centre for Communications Research at the University of Bristol, developed a secure portable radio in the 1980s that became the basis of Nokia's first mass-market mobile phone..

Caroline Herschel of Bath was the first woman scientist and astronomer to be elected to the Royal Society and her brother, William, using a telescope of his own design, discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.