The government’s Technology Strategy Board is one year old. It aims to foster research and development in UK business and identify technology priorities crucial to the growth of the economy. The Board, John Cridland and Ian Wilding explain its strategy and comment on progress so far.

The Technology Strategy Board

Supporting R&D in UK business
 
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led decision making body with members that are business leaders and venture capitalists with a range of technology, regional, and investment expertise.

Its authority stems from the DTI Innovation Review and the Ten Year Science and Innovation Investment Framework published jointly by DTI, Treasury and DfES.  The Board looks at the co-ordination and effectiveness of support for innovation across government and how such support can be best used to stimulate innovation and investment in R&D in UK business.

More investment needed

The UK is widely recognised as a global hub of innovation.  MITI, the Japanese equivalent of the Department of Trade and Industry, point out that 55 per cent of the world's inventions over the past century have come from British ideas.  We have a world leading research base pushing forward the boundaries.

But at the same time, many sectors of the UK economy are investing in R&D at levels below our competitors. We are facing extraordinary challenges from emerging economies such as China and with ten new countries having joined the EU with wage costs far lower than ours; it is imperative that we respond to globalisation through building a strong knowledge economy.

In developing a national technology strategy, the Board has gathered evidence and developed an understanding of the challenges as well as the mechanisms and levers at its disposal to influence change.

As part of the strategy, two broad approaches are being proposed:

• Research into new and emerging technologies
  This will be done through the £370 million Technology Programme, which shares the risk of investing in new and emerging technologies with businesses.  The Programme is already supporting over 260 projects and brings together funding from DTI, Defra, the Research Councils, Regional Development Agencies and Devolved Administrations
  
  
• Tackling major challenges
  This second approach brings together government policy makers and funders with academia and business to tackle challenges including traffic congestion, the growth of cyber crime and cost-effective healthcare in an ageing society.
  
  The Board considers that the major challenges facing society also provide some of the biggest opportunities for business innovation and technology exploitation.  Such challenges will provide a focal point for cross-government action.
  
  The opportunities identified may be met in a number of ways and it will be for the Board to decide which levers will deliver substantial benefits.  Research will always be one of the options, but more innovation-friendly regulation as well as innovative public procurement also possess the ability to provide significant benefits.
  
  The Technology Strategy Board published its first annual report in November.  It has a key role to play in giving the research and development needs of business an influential voice within Government.

The Technology Strategy Board can be contacted at enquiries@dti.gsi.gov.uk.

For further information, visit the Technology Strategy Board website.