Technology foresight : first report. Volume II, Minutes of evidence and appendices / Science and Technology Committee.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Science and Technology
Date:
1995
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Technology foresight : first report. Volume II, Minutes of evidence and appendices / Science and Technology Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    24 October 1995] [Continued - a el 5.22 International Issues (recommendations 56-59). OST officials gave a presentation on UK Technology Foresight to senior officials from EU member states on 20 July, 1995. This marked the start of a process by which the results of Technology Foresight will be used to influence and support the UK position on EU R&D programmes, including the work of the recently created R&D Task Forces. Mr Taylor has given Foresight particular emphasis in international presentations—for example, at the OECD ministerial meeting and in discussions with his German counterpart during September. Bilateral discussions with countries that have themselves carried out Foresight exercises, and with whom there are reasonable prospects for future collaborations, are also planned. 5.23 Individual panels are also exploring the scope for collaborative partnerships in Foresight priority areas which match the programmes announced in the EU’s Fourth Framework Programme for R&D. Annex G to this memorandum provides an illustration of the portfolio mapping which the OST has undertaken in order to assess the extent of the fit between Foresight priorities and the current EU Framework programme. It is clear that while some Foresight panels, such as Health and Life Sciences, have fair prospects of encouraging partnerships in Framework Programme areas, other panels—for example, chemicals, construction, financial services, food and drink, and retail and distribution—will have to look elsewhere where they have partnership ambitions. PARTNERSHIPS AND REPORTING 60. We recommend that DTI private sector partnerships should be enhanced. 61. We recommend that the Research Council schemes such as ROPA and CASE studentships be enhanced. 62. We recommend the LINK should be broadened to serve as an umbrella organisation to assist public sector-private sector partnerships in any areas related to Foresight, be these R&D programmes or infrastructure. 63. We recommend that the LINK funding base be sustained and expanded, including exploring the potential involvement of new funding sources such as venture capital. 64. We recommend that Government co-ordinate the production of a Foresight progress report by the end of 1995. 5.24 Partnership (recommendations 60-63). DTI Ministers have taken steps to encourage more private sector partnerships as recommended by the Steering Group. On 22 May 1995 an additional £70 million of DTI funding was announced to underpin innovation and Foresight initiatives. Some £11 million of this funding is to be devoted to an expansion of LINK, which is based upon a partnership concept, over the years 1995-96 to 1998-99. 5.25 The ROPA scheme, which rewards academics working in partnership with industry, has already been expanded once since its inception. As noted by Ian Taylor on 20 July' Ministers intend to keep under review the case for a further expansion of ROPA in the light of experience with the current wave of awards. The Research Councils are employing CASE studentships as a means of directly addressing Foresight priorities. 5.26 Mr Taylor’s policy statement also noted that some universities are particularly successful in combining excellence in scientific and engineering research with excellent connections to business: “We need to learn how they do it, and help others to do the same ... OST and the Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) are studying successful academic-industry interactions which are already happening; they will publish the results later this year.” The lessons from this study will clearly have more general relevance for all partnership schemes operated by DTI, as well as those partnerships specifically following up Foresight priorities. 5.27 As noted in paragraph 4.2, and at Annex B, the LINK scheme is contributing significantly to the implementation of Foresight priorities. The independent LINK board—established in March 1995 in anticipation of the Foresight reports—will take a strategic overview of the contribution that LINK is making to delivering Foresight priorities. 5.28 A number of improvements are being made to the LINK scheme, in line with the recommendations of a review published in March 1995. For example, greater operating flexibility has helped to encourage sponsors such as the MRC and NERC to increase their commitment to LINK, thereby broadening the funding base. In parallel, closer links are being made with other schemes such as the Teaching Company Scheme in order to improve the overall impact of Government-supported partnership schemes in taking forward Foresight. Policy Statement on Science, Engineering and Technology by the Minister for Science and Technology, DTI, 20 July 1995.