Funding for new innovation centres
Dr Hermann Hauser
Moves are eventually under way to boost the commercialisation of the UK’s scientific research, in part through a new string of innovation centres. They will be supported by new enterprise funding.
The budget wasn’t all bad for innovation. In spite of earlier cuts to the universities’ monies, it announced a £35 million University Enterprise Capital Fund to provide early-stage funding for the commercialisation of promising university innovations.
Naturally the private sector has a role with the government contributing £25 million and expecting another £10 million coming from the private sector.
In reality, the new fund takes over from the University Challenge Funds, which provided capital for very early stage development. These challenge funds were launched in 1999 and have been credited with fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in universities.
The new University Enterprise Capital Fund is being touted as aiming to put more money into a network of technology and innovation centres. This trend is being put at the doorstep of Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, who visited Germany in February and was said to be impressed with the Fraunhofer institutes, of which there are 59.
The move is also thought to be based on a report submitted by Hermann Hauser, the Cambridge-based technology entrepreneur and scientist, to the government who argues that technology centres are critical in supporting innovation.
The Technology Strategy Board will implement the policy, working with research bodies and industry but the strategy will not be developed until after the next pre-budget report.
Hauser’s report identified Asia and Scandinavia as having good examples of initiatives that help commercialising research and also high-lighted France which in 2006
set up a network of Carnot Institutes.
“While the UK has invested in equivalent structures . . . the current UK approach is by comparison sub-critical, follows no national strategy, and pays insufficient attention to business requirements and the location of relevant expertise,” Hauser said.
He also called on the UK to focus on technologies for global markets and specialisms with the capacity to carry out not only research but also manufacturing, something that has long been criticised as holding back commercialisation of British inventions.
The first centres are likely to be the Bioscience Campus in Stevenage, the Manufacturing Technology Centre near Coventry and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield.
Why does it seem that UK’s education sector is not in the same page with regards to its efforts in increasing support for sectors that will immensely help its innovation, particularly the ICT sector?
RobJ asks:
“with the innovation funding underway, why does it seem that UK’s education sector is not in the same page with regards to its efforts in increasing support for sectors that will immensely help its innovation, particularly the ICT sector?”
I looked on the internet, and found this regarding the funding of an innovation centre in Market Harborough:
“Once built, the centre will provide a base for new businesses, with support available to ensure they survive and prosper. It will also provide much-needed employment opportunities in the district, both during the construction phase, and also longer term as businesses take on more staff.
Building work is set to start soon, and will be completed by Spring 2011.
When complete, the centre will boast 60 offices, plus meeting rooms and a number of ‘hot-desks’ for shared use.”
http://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/Funding-secured-for-new-innovation.6296479.jp
This made me wonder if it really matters where the funding for innovation comes from (education sectors etc), as long as it supports the re-building of our economy?
Your question -> “This made me wonder if it really matters where the funding for innovation comes from (education sectors etc), as long as it supports the re-building of our economy?” Really depends upon the people in-charge of finding the investments.
I looked for an article regarding the sources for this investment. One article caught my attention-> http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=home&tpl=eu-funded
The article is entitled, “EU Funding for ICT Research.”
In one part of the article, it indicated that the purpose of finding investments is, “To benefit society fully, technological innovation needs the right environment – in research settings, business and industry. This is where the European Union takes its lead, with policies and support to help researchers and budding entrepreneurs convert ideas into new technological innovations, from quieter jet engines to smaller microchips.”
With this information at hand, I think that the funds do not have to come from a specific sector as long as it helps accomplish the purpose.
With that in mind, is there a sector in the society that is not advisable for the ICT to take investment from?
DATES FROM 2005
“Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can give a significant boost to the productivity of a company..it shows how e-commerce brings positive benefits across a range of sectors when used for procurement, and in distribution sectors for e-selling. The research also shows significant productivity gains when employees use computers and have access to the Internet..The data used covers the period 1995 – 2003, with most observations post 2000. It covers all sectors of UK industry except banking, insurance and agriculture.”http://www.publictechnology.net/content/3799
Ultimately, for me, this shows that practically every sector needs ICT, for productivity, so whilst they NEED ICT, surely that means that any sector would be advised to invest in it, because it would be investing in their sector’s future!
But, the question that all this has raised in my head, is why don’t more sectors invest in ICT? Because, they evidently should be!