R&D Society: Government must maintain support for all areas of UK R&D, from academia to business

In response to Vince Cable’s Science, Research and Innovation speech of 8 September 2010, Sir Richard Sykes, President of the R&D Society comments:

The Government must maintain the support of UK R&D - from academia to businesses large and small - if we are to prosper financially and socially in future. This includes maintaining investment in our world-class science base to attract investment and people from all over the world, and finding ways of encouraging businesses and academia to work together effectively.

Vince Cable asks how to encourage academics to collaborate with industry to maximise the benefit of their research. Universities cannot simply increase the commercial viability of their research by turning on a tap. They need encouragement and support to do so – but they also need businesses who are willing, able and capable of working with them. For academic-business links to succeed, businesses need encouragement too, especially now, when many are having to focus on short-term survival in place of longer-term, R&D-based investment. The commercial R&D sector has been under severe pressure in this recession, and we have seen several commercial R&D labs close or scale back in the UK over the past year.

Though Vince Cable did mention support for the Small Business Research Initiative, he omits to discuss how business might be encouraged to work with academia – for example R&D tax credits, networking support, skills transfer schemes. Businesses want to get on with their job in hand, so Government must be a supporting catalyst, not prescriptive – a midwife, not a nanny. This should not happen at the expense of support for business-business knowledge transfer - the Cinderella largely ignored by successive Governments, but one that powers much of UK innovation, especially around smaller enterprises.

The UK is an attractive place to do R&D, and Vince Cable is rightly proud that many multinational companies locate their R&D operations in the UK. But they will only do so whilst it is in their best interests to. Businesses have told the R&D Society about many different reasons why they choose the UK, and one of the most important is the high quality of UK universities. This provides local access to world-class research, and a regular supply of skilled graduates. We are very worried at the cuts to UK science hinted at in Vince Cable’s speech will have the double whammy of reducing the research and teaching capacity of UK universities and discouraging students from studying research-relevant subjects – resulting in more top performing graduates "heading straight for high finance rather than science and engineering", as Mr Cable laments. In order to maintain the flow of ideas to wealth in the long term, a broad portfolio of high-class 'basic' research must be maintained as the fruits of the future.

Opportunity: London Technology Fund Competition 2009, c/d 30 May 2009

The London Technology Fund Competition 2009 is seeking entries. Prizes include a share of up to £1m in investment funding, over 100,000 worth of training and advice and a ‘speed dating’ event offering the opportunity to meet major technology corporates.The company must be based in London; be an SME; be at the seed stage (having an idea), start-up stage (prior to trading) or early stage of development (and still losing money at the pre-tax level); be operating in one of the following areas of technology: communications, computer (hardware, semiconductors and software), internet technology, other electronics related areas, biotechnology, medical (instruments, pharmaceuticals and healthcare), emerging technologies, energy, environment, physical sciences and engineering, new materials, and value added manufacturing. The deadline for submission of entries is 30th May 2009. Winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on 4th November 2009.

Early applicants (those entering before the end of March) will also receive a free copy of the publication Sources of Finance and Advice for SMEs in London, which features the R&D Society.

Events: UK - Tax Relief for Innovation, 15 September 2008, London

UK Trade & Investment is running a seminar at Imperial College London on how to understand tax credits for companies who are being innovative. "With some of the most experienced companies in the country presenting at this seminar, and a High Court Barrister presenting on Intellectual Property Rights, the opportunity to learn about these systems and procedures through real life examples and experts in the field, will give you the edge over your competitors when it comes to applying for tax relief, protecting, exporting and profiting from your innovations." The seminar runs from 5.30pm to 8.30pm on 15 Seotember 2008 and costs £41.13 per person (including VAT). See PDF flyer or booking form for further information.

Opportunity: O2 X Award for Technology & Innovation c/d 1 September 2008

O2 is inviting entries from small businesses (1-50 employees) for the O2 X Awards. Prizes include £10,000 for the overall winner of the O2 X Entrepreneur of the Year Award, with four category winners (for Fashion, Food and Drink, Music, and Technology and Innovation) receiving business mentoring from an industry figure from their category and a profile within one of this year’s media partner publications, Grazia, Music Week, Observer Food Monthly or Shortlist. Entries should be made online by 1 September 2008.

Opportunity: London Technology Fund Competition 2008, c/d 30 June 2008

The London Technology Fund Competition 2008 is seeking entries. Prizes include a share of up to £1m in investment funding, over 100,000 worth of training and advice and a ‘speed dating’ event offering the opportunity to meet major technology corporates.

The company must be based in London; be an SME; be at the seed stage (having an idea), start-up stage (prior to trading) or early stage of development (and still losing money at the pre-tax level); be operating in one of the following areas of technology: communications, computer (hardware, semiconductors and software), internet technology, other electronics related areas, biotechnology, medical (instruments, pharmaceuticals and healthcare), emerging technologies, energy, environment, physical sciences and engineering, new materials, and value added manufacturing.

The deadline for submission of entries is 30th June 2008. Winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on 29th October 2008.

Funding: SPARK Award Call 2007, c/d 16 November 2007

The Electronics Enabled Products KTN, is pleased to announce a new call for SPARK awards aimed at building relationships between SMEs (Small to Medium sized Enterprises) and HEIs (Higher Education Institutes). The grants, which are of a fixed value of £5,000 each, will be awarded to the relevant HEI to tackle a problem of direct relevance to the SME. The grants aim to help the SME tackle a problem they are currently facing, and to lead to longer-term relationships between the educational institutes and the business community. Applications, which may be made online, are actively encouraged in the areas of design, development and manufacture of complex products with integrated electronic and mechanical function.