The Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth

1. The Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth Ian Haines UK Deans of Science, Dec 2011

2. Background The Government’s ‘Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth’ was released at 12.30pm on 8th December 2011 at Burlington House, during the UKDS London meeting. This presentation is a slightly edited version of the presentation given in the afternoon prepared following a very rapid reading of the strategy during the lunch period. It represents only one person’s view of what might be most important to Deans of Science and to science. In some places it uses the words directly from the White Paper without quotation marks, and is presented with no personal comment. Of course the White Paper contains much more information than is given here.

3. Some Headlines • Improving UK’s innovation performance is an essential component of the Government's growth strategy • Innovation defined as the development of new products, services and processes, which may be based on cutting edge research • Funding for blue skies research as well as new discoveries and inventions • Improving the interface between HEIs and Business • Delivering a better environment for commercialising research. Policies to stimulate UK innovation through: • greater use of public procurement, helping Government take the lead customer role increasing investment in the Small Business Research Initiative • increasing access to public data or to knowledge created as a result of publicly funded research and development

4. Research Acceptance of all the recommendations in the review of intellectual property by Professor Ian Hargreaves (provision of funding, proof of concept, market and prototype development activities; help for small businesses to develop innovative, technology-based products and services, etc) RCUK will: work with UK HE funding bodies, and in discussion with individual universities and consortia, establish a principles-based framework for the treatment and submission of multi-institutional funding bids.

5. Sir Tim Wilson’s review Will make recommendations on how to achieve better business:university links (introduction of new innovation voucher scheme aimed at SMEs which have not previously engaged with universities and the wider knowledge base. Government will almost certainly accept all recommendations (subject to costs)

6. Stimulating Innovation • NESTA will establish a prize centre to run, design and facilitate new inducement prizes in areas not well covered by existing activity • Government will co-fund the first prize with £100,000 and contribute £250,000 a year into fund to forfuture prizes • Other actions covered elsewhere in this presentation

7. Access to Research, Data and Funding Government • has commissioned independent groups of academics and publishers to review availability of published research, and to develop action plans for making this freely available • will create Open Data Institute to develop web technologies to use data more effectively and advise public sector/business on how best to to use these and manage data for exploitation for economic and social benefit • will ensure thatUK businesses are fully engaged in Horizon 2020. (the EU Framework Programme for research and innovation) • hold an Anglo-US Financing Innovation symposium in London at time of the 2012 Olympics

8. Innovating to Grow Key technology-based sectors in the UK noted as including: • Life Sciences • High Value Manufacturing (including automotive, aerospace and electronics) • Nanotechnology(coatings, composite materials and nanomaterials such as graphene, medical technologies, displays and sensors) • Digital technologies

9. The Catapults Establishment of network of technology and innovation centres branded as ‘Catapult centres’: • High Value Manufacturing Catapult - consortium of seven centres based across UK (opened Oct 2011) • Cell Therapy Catapult - based in London (launch in 2012) • Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult - commercialising offshore wind, wave and tidal power, development, knowledge transfer from established engineering industries into areas such as foundations, installation, connection, operations and maintenance (launch in 2012) • Three more to be announced in early 2012

10. Priorities Four technology areas prioritised for investment: • Synthetic biology • Energy-efficient computing • Energy harvesting • Graphene (including £50M for Graphene Global Research and Technology Hub)

11. Some Other Priorities/Actions • Challenge-led innovation and research in sectors such as automotive, healthcare, agri-food, construction and digital systems • £21M for next generation satellite-based sensing services • £180M for Integrated Translation Programme to commercialise innovations in life sciences • Design for innovation (design seen as an important aspect of innovative products) • Continued support for KTNs, KTPs, small business research initiative, etc

12. Some Other Priorities/Actions (contd) • Research Councils to support (very) small ‘state of the art’ research facilities • Support for international partnerships, collaborations and strategic alliances • Small Business Research Initiative • Further action on tax allowances for investment in research and development

13. Working with Devolved Administrations Government to work closely with Devolved Administrations to raise awareness, build capacity and ensure coherenceto: • help build innovative capacity of businesses throughout the UK • increase take-up of the innovation advice and support services being funded and delivered through the various bodies and agencies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland • ensure coherence between the initiatives and investments being carried out in each of the Devolved Administrations with UK programmes and priorities, to maximise their reach and impact

14. New and Emerging Technologies ‘As the speed with which technologies are commercialised increases, the UK’s competitiveness will depend on our ability to identify new opportunities at an early stage and mobilise resources of skilled people and investment capital to exploit them. Whilst the UK cannot develop all emerging technologies, we can and should invest in those where we have the research and business capability to accelerate their commercialisation, and build value chains in the UK’