Edition 6
Welcome to the sixth edition of NESTA Innovation Digest (ID). NESTA ID is intended to provide fortnightly information and links on the latest news from the world of innovation policy and research and news of international issues and events.
We're sifting news and updates from dozens of websites and bulletins for each edition of ID. We're keen to know how we could improve this service, or perhaps you have suggestions for inclusion - please email digest@enews.nesta.org.uk.
Regards,
Richard Halkett - Executive Director, NESTA Policy and Research Unit
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This issue
With Parliament still in recess, the policy world in England remains relatively quiet. However, the Scottish Government has laid out its programme for the year ahead and proposals include the setting up of a new cultural body and more support for small businesses. In an independent report, DIUS emphasised the importance of streamlining university/business collaborative research negotiations. The most promising media innovations will be rewarded by MEGAs, a new Guardian award scheme. A Napier University study has revealed that start-ups come up with more radical innovations than mature companies. Finally, the OECD published a report that examines the Chinese innovation system and shows that China still faces many obstacles if it is to become an innovative nation.
Research
Napier University survey – Assessment of innovation styles to create innovation driven enterprises 21/08/07
Survey of 216 CEOs reveals that start-ups come up with more radical innovations than mature companies. The top four drivers for sustainable growth are: knowledge, acquiring knowledge, inter-organisational networks and resources for innovations.
ILO report – Key indicators of the labour market, fifth edition 02/09/07
The US leads the world in labour productivity per person employed in 2006 and the productivity gap between the US and other developed economies continued to widen. The US is followed by Ireland, Luxembourg and France.
UNCTAD report – Trade and development report 2007 05/09/07
Regional collaboration can be one of the most efficient strategies for accelerating economic development. Such collaboration could help developing countries cope better with globalization.
IPPR Report – City Solutions: Financing local growth towards a supplementary business rate? 28/08/07
Examines the Supplementary Business Rates and suggests that a 4p supplement could generate in excess of £400m a year in London and £300m a year in 34 English cities to finance local growth.
Royal Academy of Engineering and Equalitec - Implementing diversity policies: guiding principles 06/09/07
Identifies skills shortages in IT, electronics and computing (ITEC) and recommends the creation of an ITEC Academy, closer partnerships between professional bodies and educational institutions and a review of the policies to help women returners.
Unisys Global Study - Consumerization and IT services: Unisys 2007 research on end-user services in the mobile workplace 28/08/07
49 per cent of employees use IT mobile devices, encouraging managers to adopt more innovative processes. 686 managers across 10 countries worldwide responded to the survey.
Policy
DIUS independent report to the Funders Forum - Streamlining university/business collaborative research negotiations 05/09/07
Concluded that there is an overemphasis on IP protection, a lack of clarity over some high level messages coming from Government and public funders and that good practice in the negotiation process are often not followed.
Scottish Government – Principles and priorities: the Government’s programme for Scotland 05/09/07
Proposals include reduction of the rates burden for small businesses, establishment of a new cultural body Creative Scotland, a new skills strategy and the introduction of a mandatory emissions reduction target of 80% by 2050.
Scottish Enterprise and Samsung Electro-Mechanics sign a memorandum of understanding to start collaborative research in nanotechnology 27/08/07
Samsung will conduct research projects with R&D centres at the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Strathclyde. Successful conclusion of the programme may lead to Samsung establishing a laboratory in one of the Scottish universities.
MediaGuardian Innovation Awards 2008 - The MEGAs 2008 03/09/07
Launch of a scheme to recognise the most promising media innovations. A panel of media professionals will judge innovation in products, services, methods and ideas. The Awards ceremony will take place in London on the 6th of March 2008.
Office of the Third Sector survey – Helping out: a national survey of volunteering and charitable giving 05/09/07
Of the 2,705 respondents, 58 per cent had both volunteered and donated to charity in the previous year. The most common reasons for getting involved in volunteering were to improve services or help people.
DCMS and the Wolfson Foundation – £4 million to English museums 29/08/07
43 museums and galleries in England will receive funding to improve the quality of museum displays.
New Local Government Network report – Finding the energy: domestic microgeneration and planning 28/08/07
Argues for a reform of the planning system to reduce local regulations and introduce new financial incentives to promote the adoption of new home renewable energy technologies.
The Conservative Party's Public Services Improvement Policy Group Report – Restoring pride in our public services 04/09/07
Stephen Dorrell MP and Baroness Perry argue for a new national public health research body and ownership incentives for social housing tenants.
Arts Council of Northern Ireland – Meryl Streep endorses the new Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast 18/08/07
Meryl Streep was in Belfast to endorse the new £16.5 million Old Museum Arts Centre, a new arts facility which is due to open in 2011. There will be two theatres, a large visual space, dance and rehearsal studios, café and public access areas.
NESTA related news
NESTA and the Young Foundation Report Launch - In and Out of Sync, London 12/09/07
Jonathan Kestenbaum and Geoff Mulgan present the findings of the research followed by a Q&A session. Drawing on eleven case studies, the report examines how social innovations spread and grow.
NESTA, Procter & Gamble, British Design Innovation and Oakland Innovation – Open Innovation Challenge Launch, London 18/09/07
Ian Pearson Minister of State for Science & Innovation, Jonathan Kestenbaum and Joachim von Heimburg will launch the Challenge, designed to open communication channels between SMEs and P&G, encouraging collaboration without intellectual property concerns.
Forthcoming Events
GEM: Third Research Conference, Washington, USA 01-03/10/07
50 countries will be presenting results from their analysis of GEM data, with a focus on developing countries. Differences in entrepreneurship, level and extent of economic development and public policies will be the central theme.
Science and Innovation 2007: Competing in the global economy, London 04/10/07
300 delegates will look at how the UK can increase international scientific collaborations, exploit the skills base which women in STEM could provide and look at the Government's recent Climate Bill. Speakers include Professor Sir Keith O'Nions.
Innovation in Public Services, London 19/09/07
Policymakers and businessmen will discuss the impact of new technologies on public services delivery. Among others, speakers include Allyson Reed, Technology Strategy Board and Chris Haynes, Cabinet Office.
NESTA, People into enterprise, Etc… and Create Express - Create to Innovate!, London 26/09/07
Cora Robinson, Jane Shaw and Dr Kevin Byron will explore how creative skills can be harnessed to meet the challenges arising in all areas of the innovation process.
Seedcamp – A week-long event to support European high-technology businesses 03/09/07 to 07/09/07
Seedcamp is an event for start-ups from 40 European countries. 20 starts-ups will win free advice from experience mentors and five winning start-ups will each receive £34,000.
The International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference, Cambridge 10-12/09/07
Intends to bring together entrepreneurship educators and practitioners from around the world, to share knowledge, experience and best practice in developing students entrepreneurial skills in all disciplines.
CBI – Skills Summit, London 12/09/07
Richard Lambert, John Denham MP, Sir Terry Leahy, Dr Annette Doherty and others discuss partnership working between businesses, universities, colleges and skills providers and a more ‘demand-led’ education system.
Delivering Public Sector Services in Scotland 2007, Glasgow 12/09/07
Conference to explore flexible methods for transforming and modernising Scottish public service management and delivery, such as risk management and procurement practices, as well as seeking new models of partnership working.
The third annual national Higher Education Researcher Development Conference, London 13/09/07
Professor Paul Blackmore, Iain Cameron, Professor Mary Bownes and others debate building capacity for research in the UK and the growth, support and development of the research workforce.
British Academy - Working Together Across Disciplines, University of York 13/09/07
As part of the Festival of Science 2007, Wyn Grant, Robert Fish, Liz O’Brien and others discuss the experience of interdisciplinary research and the problems that arise in co-operation.
RAENG - Engineering Research Forum 2007, London 28/09/07
Annual event to highlight the range of research supported by RAENG funding schemes, with a series of presentations and exhibitions.
International
OECD review – Review of innovation policy China 27/08/07
State dominance of R&D, a shortage of scientists and managers and under-exploration of non high-technology innovation are identified as the main challenges to the Chinese innovation system.
League of European Research Universities position paper – The European Research Area: new perspectives 04/09/07
Critical analysis of the European Commission's Green Paper on the future of the European Research Area. Argues that the European Union should focus on stimulating a common market for research and that networks should not be treated as rigid structures.
The Lisbon Council Policy Brief – Consumers and competition: unlocking Europe’s drivers of productivity 30/08/07
Highlights the link between innovation and consumer-oriented policies. Calls for a further development of the single market, integration of the consumer policy in the Lisbon Agenda and the development of a cross-departmental consumer policy.
PricewaterhouseCoopers and National Venture Capital Association report – MoneyTree Report 2007 27/08/07
Shows a jump in US venture capital investment by corporate venture capital groups. They invested $1.3 billion in the first half of 2007, representing the highest percentage of corporate venture deals and dollars since 2001.
New Zealand Government - Project to identify the value of cultural industries 27/08/07
Examines the contribution of government-funded cultural industries to the economy to understand how they can drive economic growth and help define national identity. They currently contribute $2.86 billion a year to the economy.