One of the key things business tells me is the need for the UK to build on its competitive advantages in high tech. We need to become the leading EU country for high tech goods and services.
So today’s publication of the independent Dyson Report is a great contribution to this debate. He’s rightly highlighted the need to recognise creativity right across industry and that we need to promote science and engineering as being both important to the country, and great careers for individuals.
But it’s his championing of collaborative research which particularly caught my eye. In the past, R&D has been a secretive, inward process. Now more and more sectors are realising the need to open up, to change how they handle Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and to avoid missing out on some of the leading areas of research.
Universities, business, and investors all have a role to play and we need to get firms, large and small, to change how they innovative, if we are to gain from the way research and development works in modern business.
Find out more and read the report here.
( 4 comments ) Tags: Dyson Report, high tech, Intellectual Property Rights, r&d
Comment by Ordier on March 9, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Innovative and entrepreneurial businesses will drive recovery – the web will underpin this. See how all the parties are preparing for a photo finish at the election
Comment by Andrew k on March 10, 2010 at 6:53 am
Here are some killer lines for David cameron to use in pmq’s and beyond: the Gordon brown illusion
created a ” boom based on debt”
“boom and super recession”
“not just a recession but a Gordon brown super recession”
Comment by Mucker on March 10, 2010 at 11:22 am
I like this report and it shows how the country could take these opportunities. We must fix the education system to nurture our young and get them interested in how pure subjects have real aplication to business!
Regarding the TV debates, if Brown tries to frame Cam for the ERM mess, just remember that Brown supported the government policy at the time. Any criticism sounds very hollow when this is taken into consideration.
On unemployment, go with the 6m number not just the headline rate when comparing with the 80s.
On repos, go with personal insolvencies as well.
Comment by Neil on March 15, 2010 at 6:36 am
It really is irritating that the bulk of IT (systems development) projects being delivered for the government are off-shored, which adds to the the failure rate, cost, and doesn’t bring benefits to the UK economy.
Can the conservatives have a policy that government projects have to be delivered by uk staff, we have the skills it would be an excellent start for graduates and it would be a massive boost to the UK economy, this is a massive sector.
We have an advantage in that we are seen as reliable, easy to communicate with, we do a thorough job, problem is that the cost of employment is so high that even uk firms offshore, but in general want to bring work back on-shore because of the problems off-shoring adds to the projects.
Having the government using uk software delivery companies would create a path for other companies to use uk software services, especially if you encouraged departments to use small companies where appropriate.