Annual report : 2003/04 / Department of Trade and Industry, Global Watch Service.

Date:
2004
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Annual report : 2003/04 / Department of Trade and Industry, Global Watch Service. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/36 (page 4)
    The launch in December 2003 of the DT! Innovation Report marked a significant point in the evolution of UK Government's approach to the challenge faced by companies competing in a global economy. The Prime Minister went on record to say that the government wants the UK to be a key knowledge hub in the global economy, and the Innovation Report sets out the steps necessary to achieve that vision. In practice, this involves helping UK companies to be successful, not just in international trade, but in understanding and accessing technologies and technology partners from other countries that can add to their competitiveness. The DTI Global Watch Service (formerly known as the International Technology Service) is an essential part of this process, offering assistance for those UK- based firms who wish to acquire knowledge of scientific advances, technological developments and the enhanced skills to support their global business development. During 2003/04 the DT| Global Watch Service assisted UK firms through the provision of: e Global Watch Information consisting of: — Global Watch Online — a website using state-of-the art technology to deliver targeted information on science and technology developments from around the world directly to the desktops of 2,600 registered users — Global Watch magazine which is distributed to over 20,000 readers each month in order to raise awareness of the global science and technology agenda e Global Watch Missions which enabled 160 UK companies, intermediaries and academics to visit 12 countries through 21 highly focused visits covering a wide range of emerging technologies e Global Watch Secondment opportunities covering 15 countries and resulting in 20 outward and 14 inward secondees being placed in hi-tech industries e Global Watch Technology Partnering activities undertaken by a network of 16 International Technology Promoters (ITPs) who together facilitated over 1,000 face-to- face meetings between UK firms and validated overseas contacts with the potential to collaborate on innovation issues The Service was brought to the attention of the UK client base and wider stakeholder community through promotional activities which reached over 200,000 targeted individuals and included numerous UK seminars and conferences attracting, in total, over 5,000 delegates. By offering this range of support under the single banner of the DT| Global Watch Service, and by highlighting the UK's innovation capability to the wider world through the UKWatch magazine, many of the barriers to globalised innovation are lowered, or even removed. Indeed, an independent evaluation survey of the impact of the Global Watch Service has concluded that participating client companies are innovative firms who exhibit very high levels of satisfaction and achieve significant and attributable benefits, many of which are expected to be realised in the longer term.