Material scarcity – how might it affect your R&D?

Please help the R&D Society and Materials KTN to create an event that is useful to you and your organisation.

Some materials are becoming scarce, or are in danger of becoming scarce in the near future. Some are well-known and frequently discussed - eg oil or natural gas. However, there is increasing awareness that other materials are in danger of becoming scarce, which has challenges and opportunities for future R&D and design.

The R&D Society and Materials KTN are planning to hold an event on this issue, and we would be grateful for your input at an early stage to help us in planning this, by answering a short survey on our website.

We’d be grateful if you could respond at your earliest convenience – preferably by 28 December 2010.

R&D Society PR: Universities need to change if they are to embrace the second phase of World Wide Web, issued 9 October 2009

Press release issued by the University of Southampton, Friday 9 October 2009

Universities need to change if they are to embrace the second phase of World Wide Web

The challenges which face the World Wide Web in its next phase and the need for academics to embrace its further development will be outlined by Professor Dame Wendy Hall next week.

Professor Hall, who is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton’s School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) will receive the Duncan Davies medal and deliver the 2009 Duncan Davies lecture on the topic of Research 2.0: The Age of Networks at a Research & Development Society event at the Royal Society on Monday 12 October at 6.30pm.

The Duncan Davies Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward making the UK the best-performing research and development environment in the world.

In her lecture Professor Hall will describe how since its inception the Web has changed the ways we communicate, collaborate, and educate and that it has now developed sufficiently to facilitate interdisciplinary research by international teams to tackle the major problems faced by the world today.

‘In a very short-space of time we have come to live in a web-dependent society within a web-dependent world,’ she will say. ‘There is a growing realization that a clear research agenda aimed at understanding the current, evolving, and potential Web is needed.’

She will go on to present the important of Web Science, which embraces the study of these phenomena and she will explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing need for interdisciplinary research undertaken by international teams and the role that universities, governments and learned societies can play to facilitate such exciting and necessary developments.

‘The role of government is crucial in setting policies to create an environment in which such research can flourish but in the age of networks, universities may also have to radically change in order to facilitate such exciting and necessary developments and better train people to meet the needs of businesses in the future,’ she will say.

The 2009 Duncan Davies lecture on the topic of Research 2.0: The Age of Networks will take place at the Royal Society on Monday 12 October at 6.30pm at 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG.

ENDS


Notes to Editors

1. Professor Dame Wendy Hall is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and was Head of the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) from 2002-2007. She was the founding Head of the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia (IAM) Research Group in ECS.

She has published over 400 papers in areas such as hypermedia, multimedia, digital libraries, and Web technologies

In 2008 she was elected as President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and is the first person from outside North America to hold this position.

She was Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2005-2008 and is a Past President of the British Computer Society (2003-2004). She is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, a member of the Executive Committee of UKCRC, and Chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Committee. She is a founding member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council.

For further information about Professor Dame Wendy Hall, please visit: http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/wh/

2.For further information about the R&D Society Duncan Davies Medal, please visit: http://www.rdsoc.org/duncandavies.html

3.With around 500 researchers, and 900 undergraduate students, the School of Electronics and Computer Science at Southampton is one of the world's largest and most successful integrated research groupings, covering Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, and IT in Organisations. ECS has unrivalled depth and breadth of expertise in world-leading research, new developments and their applications.

4. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.

5. With over 22,000 students, around 5000 staff, and an annual turnover of more than £370 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.

The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres, including the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Web Science Research Initiative, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Mountbatten Centre for International Studies and the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute.

R&D Society PR: Dame Wendy Hall honoured for inspiring role in UK research and development, issued 10 September 2009

Dame Wendy Hall honoured for inspiring role in UK research and development

Web pioneer and leading campaigner for women in science receives nineteenth Duncan Davies Medal from the Research and Development Society for making an outstanding contribution toward making the UK the best-performing research and development environment in the world.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng is the recipient of the 2009 Duncan Davies Medal awarded by the Research and Development Society. Dame Wendy will accept the medal at a lecture she will give to the R&D Society on the evening of 12 October 2009 at the Royal Society, London.

The Duncan Davies Medal is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution toward making the UK the best-performing research and development environment in the world.

Dr David Kingham, Chair of the R&D Society, commented, "Dame Wendy is a leading academic researcher who is passionate about business, maintaining links and providing expertise to innovative companies large and small. Her work as a role model and advocate of fair opportunities for women in science and engineering careers is benefiting UK R&D well beyond her own subject area of web technology. She’s been an inspiration to both men and women in the UK, and we’re pleased to award Dame Wendy our highest honour."

On hearing of the award, Dame Wendy commented, “I’m deeply flattered by the offer of this award – I can’t believe the company I find myself in when I look at the list of previous recipients. I am pleased that this award recognises my commitment to attracting more women into computer science. I believe my research area of the semantic web will open up a whole new wave of businesses, applications, services and R&D processes in the future, which the UK could lead, if it takes advantage of the talents of the very best men and women. I look forward to discussing this at the R&D Society event in October.”

Dr Duncan Davies was the third President of the R&D Society, and began his presidency in 1982, shortly after retiring as Chief Scientist and Engineer at the Department of Trade and Industry. Passionately concerned about R&D in the UK, he took a very active interest in the work of the Society. His sudden demise in 1986 came as a harsh blow to the Society and to UK R&D. To acknowledge the debt that it owed to Duncan Davies's leadership, the Society decided to establish a medal in his memory. Dame Wendy joins an esteemed list of recipients including Sir David King, Sir Robin Saxby, Lord Kumar Bhattacharya, Dame Bridget Ogilvie and Lord Sainsbury.

Dame Wendy will speak on “Research 2.0: the Age of Networks” on 12 October 2009 at 6.30pm, where she will discuss the development of Web Science, the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing need for interdisciplinary research, and how this may drive universities to radically change.

Notes for Editors

Biography: Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng
Wendy Hall is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton and was Head of the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) from 2002-2007. She has published over 400 papers in areas such as hypermedia, multimedia, digital libraries, and Web technologies.

She was Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2005-2008 and is a Past President of the British Computer Society (2003-2004). She is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology and a founding member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council. In 2008 she was elected as President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and is the first person from outside North America to hold this position.

She was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in 2000, and became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in the same year. She was awarded a DBE in the New Year’s Honours list in 2009, and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009.

A longer biography is available at http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/wh/

Synopsis of “Research 2.0: the Age of Networks”
Full event listing at: http://www.rdsoc.org/09L7.html

Since its inception the Web has changed the ways we communicate, collaborate, and educate. In a very short-space of time we have come to live in a web-dependent society within a web-dependent world. There is a growing realization that a clear research agenda aimed at understanding the current, evolving, and potential Web is needed. Web Science embraces the study of these phenomena. In this seminar we will consider what Web Science is, and why it is important, as well as presenting ideas about how we can study the Web as both a technical and social phenomenon. We will use this discussion to explore the opportunities and challenges posed by the increasing need for interdisciplinary research undertaken by international teams to tackle the major problems faced by the world today. Researchers are increasingly using the power of social networking tools to undertake their work.

The role of government is crucial in setting policies to create an environment in which such research can flourish but in the age of networks universities may also have to radically change in order to facilitate such exciting and necessary developments and better train people to meet the needs of businesses in the future.

Event: research connection 2009, Prague, 7 and 8 May 2009

The European Commission is holding a conference, research connection 2009, in Prague on 7 and 8 May 2009, for scientists, entrepreneurs and researchers interested in research and innovation. The European Commission budget for research and innovation is increasing each year, and the conference aims to give participants first-hand information about priorities, objectives and participation rules. The participation fee will be €50 for the two days. One-day passes will be available for €30.

R&D Society PR: Government must pick winners, issued 4 March 2009

Government must pick winners

R&D Society meeting on "Why choose the UK as a location for corporate R&D?"
With Tony Meggs (Chair); Jackie Hunter, GlaxoSmithKline; Ric Parker, Rolls Royce; Michael Walker, Vodafone

The Government must be prepared to pick winners in its science and innovation policy if it is to get maximum economic benefit out of the excellent research base in the UK, concluded the latest R&D Society meeting, held on Monday night. There was clear support for the Government's new policy to pick winners in areas of high growth potential, where the UK has a competitive advantage and could realistically be number 1 or 2 in the world. However, there was concern about the decision-making process and about whether the Government could be sufficiently "joined-up" to follow through and purchase the results of the R&D.

The meeting was chaired by Tony Meggs, former Group Vice President for technology at BP. In his opening remarks Tony said that the UK needed to improve its cross-disciplinary and inter-university collaborations to be able to tackle major global issues, referring to his experience of this being done much more effectively in the USA. He also picked out new energy technologies for special attention, saying that "it is all very well for the Government to want the UK to be the leader in R&D for sustainable energy, but this needs to be supported by an industrial infrastructure and a strong Government policy to adopt new energy technologies".

Jackie Hunter, Senior Vice President of GlaxoSmithKline welcomed the Government's new focus on picking winning areas to support through its science and innovation policy. Jackie said "the UK needs to focus and to be prepared to seize opportunities" and added that "we need a thriving biotechnology industry supported by intelligent and strategic Government policy".

Ric Parker, Director of Research and Technology at Rolls Royce suggested that the Government should look at President Obama's substantial increases in the science budget and argued that maintaining current spending levels was not sufficient to maintain the UK's international competitiveness. He said that rather than reducing VAT, “the Government should invest in R&D to achieve the same short-term stimulus, but with long-term strategic benefits”.

Professor Michael Walker, Group R&D Director of Vodafone, was critical of short-term thinking in the UK and urged the Government to invest in opportunities with potential to be world leading. “If we have a world-leading position, we should invest in it.” While welcoming the Government's intention to pick winners, he urged that the Government take care to use the right processes. “The science and engineering base, including industry, must be heavily involved – they know where we could be better ”. Mike picked out Mobile VCE, the Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile & Personal Communications, supported equally by Industry and EPSRC, as a model for effective collaborative R&D.

The panel and event attendees praised the UK’s international strengths, especially our science base, which produces talented researchers and world-leading “blue skies” research. The UK’s multicultural society encourages and enables companies to bring researchers from across the world to UK-based research departments. Staff in companies and universities were also praised for their ability to accept innovative and creative methods of working together. However, this was tempered by concern that Full Economic Cost (FEC) requirements – where universities recover the full cost of research cooperation from research partners – could hamper university/business collaboration. Businesses appreciated the necessity to cover costs, but thought that an across-the-board requirement for FEC recovery did not recognise the full range of benefits that business-university collaboration brings. The meeting agreed that the Government should offer FEC “top-ups” of around 20% for university/industry collaboration, which would support industry, universities and stimulate economic growth.

Before the meeting, David Kingham, Chairman of the R&D Society said "Globalisation is a critical challenge, and a key opportunity for UK research and development. With companies now operating on a global scale, they can choose to locate their R&D functions anywhere in the world. Countries are competing to attract these high-value, high-skill jobs. The UK has a strong tradition of corporate R&D from British and foreign-owned companies and a world-renowned science base. But is that enough for the future?"

Reflecting after the meeting, David Kingham said: "The purpose of our meeting was to give originally British, but increasingly global, companies based on science and technology the opportunity to express their views on R&D in the UK. We were delighted by the forthright views expressed, but it does raise a concern about whether Government policy makers are really listening and paying attention."

David Kingham continued: "it is clear that while there is strong support for the Government to be bold and pick some winners, this should be extra investment in selected areas and not come at the expense of basic science. Meanwhile there are grounds for concern about the process for picking winners and about whether the Government will then be sufficiently joined-up to then purchase the winning new technologies that it has supported."

Notes for Editors

1. The Research and Development Society is a UK-based organisation which aims to promote the better understanding of R&D in all its forms and to make the UK the best place in the world for R&D. It is unique in the UK in covering all types of business and industry with an interest in R&D, enabling common issues and solutions to be discovered, shared and solved. With a membership spread across the full range of UK R&D community, it holds regular meetings on a wide variety of topics relating to innovation and R&D management best practice. The R&D Society’s administration is provided by the Royal Society, but the R&D Society is independent, being a company limited by guarantee funded and run by its members through a Board of Directors, chaired by Dr David Kingham.
2. Future meetings of the R&D Society in April and May will feature David Willetts, Shadow Minister of Science and Innovatuion and Lord Drayson, Minister of Science and Innovation, respectively.

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.

Event: Open Innovation in Practice, London, 20 March 2008

Open Innovation is a concept that in recent years has come to the forefront of innovation management. The concept of Open Innovation is that by looking outside their own boundaries, companies can gain better access to ideas, knowledge, technology and markets than would be the case if they relied solely on their own resources – a relatively uncomplicated theory which many people dismiss as being too simple or merely describing what they have been doing for years.

For the past two years, the Innovation Advisory Service for the South East of England has helped numerous companies to use Open Innovation to their advantage. Now there is an opportunity for companies to learn from this experience. On Thursday 20 March the Innovation Advisory Service South East is hosting a National Conference on Open Innovation in Practice at The Royal Society in London, where delegates will have the opportunity to hear from companies, both large and small, about how different elements of the Open Innovation model have worked for them.

The event includes speakers from General Dynamics UK, the Technology Strategy Board, Innovation Advisory Service South East, South East England Development Agency, BAE Systems; Thales Research and Technology and Balfour Beatty; and from growing innovative companies such as, Lein Applied Diagnostics; Jack Knight Designs Ltd and Wines Medical Ltd.

Further details, including the event programme, registration arrangements, and the cancellation fee are on the IASSE website.

Events: John Denham, Science and Innovation minister, webchat 13 March 2008

John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skiils, will take part in a live webchat on 13 March 2008 at 13:30 GMT. John's remit includes increasing the supply of people in science, technology and engineering as well as developing a world-class research base in the UK. You can submit questions in advance of the event by entering your email address and clicking through to the question form. The website states that John "will take questions focusing on science and technology as the country celebrates National Science and Engineering Week from 7 to 16 March."

R&D Society events: Open Innovation afternoon seminar and keynote evening talk, 19 February 2008

On 19 February 2008, the R&D Society's events examine Open Innovation - what it is, and how it can benefit your business and the UK economy.

In the afternoon seminar, Perspectives on Open Innovation - New approaches to the management and exploitation of R&D, four speakers, chaired by Dr Andrew Mackintosh, will focus on Open Innovation and different organisational perspectives. Between them, Richard Halkett, Executive Director, Policy & Research Unit, NESTA, Dr Neil A MacGilp, Group Technical Director, SABMiller, Professor Colin Whitehouse, Deputy Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Dr Treve Willis, Director of the Innovation Advisory Service South East will introduce the concepts of Open Innovation, explain the approaches being taken to successful open innovation, and discuss the important role that Open Innovation has to play in future innovation policy,

The seminar will be followed by an evening talk and discussion dinner on "Philips and the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven - Opening up corporate innovation" with Dr. Ronald M. Wolf, Senior Business Development Manager, Philips. He will discuss Philips' Open Innovation and internal venturing structures, which are widely considered to be world-class.

The meeting fee for the afternoon event is £25 for R&D Society members, or £50 for non-members, including refreshments. The meeting fee for R&D Society members is £20 for the event only; or £65 for the event and dinner. For non-members and guests the meeting fee is £40 for the event only, or £85 for the event and dinner. Book by completing the online form and follow with payment online or by post.

Event: GenSight Executive Seminar: Optimising Portfolio Management through Effective Project Selection, 29 November 2007

The theme of this day seminar at the Institute of Directors, London, will be how organisations can more strategically manage project portfolios to optimise constrained resources and achieve alignment with corporate goals. Attendees will leave this seminar with a wealth of stimulating ideas on how to enhance strategic alignment, flexibility, efficiency, risk reduction and value creation. Speakers will be addressing:

• How to achieve portfolio balance to deliver strategic goals.
• How to manage portfolio performance to reduce risk and increase value
• Resource planning and optimisation methods
• Enhanced governance
• Accelerating project throughput
• Enhancing information quality to improve project control

This event is free to attend, and is open to senior executives involved in New Product Development and R & D, Strategic Programme Management, Strategic Planning, Portfolio Management and Project Based Investment. To register, email terry.cummings@gensight.com with your name, job title, company details, phone number and that you saw details of the event on the R&D Society website.

R&D Society event: Investing in R&D: the how, where, when, and why , 22 November 2007

Why does R&D expenditure matter? How should executives manage their R&D investment? Should companies increase their R&D spending for greater returns? Should executives (and their company's shareholders) view R&D as an expense or an investment? With the recent publication of the 2007 UK R&D Scoreboard and the 2007 EU Scoreboards, which benchmark companies and countries on their R&D spend, Investing in R&D: the how, where, when, and why, seeks to draw out the key lessons from the scoreboards' tables, to celebrate companies that are leaders in their field, and to help companies understand why R&D expenditure matters.

Following an introduction from Mike Tubbs on the latest evidence for the links between R&D and business performance, a panel of senior executives from leading R&D-intensive UK companies will give their insights, including:

• Richard Longdon, Chief Executive, AVEVA
• Bill Stuart-Bruges, Development Director, Sondex
• Brent Vose, VP of Oncology in Development, AstraZeneca

Following the presentations, a panel and audience discussion will explore the how, where, when, and why of investing in R&D.

Doors open for registration and coffee at 6pm. The meeting starts at 6.30pm with a drinks reception at 8pm. Book by completing the online form and follow with payment online or by post. The meeting fee is £20 for R&D Society members and £40 for non-members, including refreshments and wine reception.

R&D Society event: How important is R&D? with David Edgerton, 30 October 2007

R&D Society event: One of the great problems we have with science and technology is that elite discussion (let alone public understanding) is based on sometimes dubious assumptions rather than on the basis of evidence. A good example is the underlying assumption that national R&D spending correlates with national rates of economic growth. It does not, as I will show. But this is not an argument for the unimportance of R&D. Rather it suggests that R&D must be thought about in less nationalistic ways, for which there are other compelling reasons. Avoiding the naïve economics of R&D is essential to good policies for R&D. At the same time we need to recognise more clearly that doing R&D is far from the only way of changing either the world, or the performance of the British economy.

Speaker: David Edgerton, Hans Rausing Professor at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Imperial College London.

Doors open for registration and coffee at 6pm. The meeting starts at 6.30pm with a drinks reception at 8pm. Book by completing the online form and follow with payment online or by post. The meeting fee is £20 for R&D Society members and £40 for non-members, including refreshments and wine reception.

Event: Innovation Forum: Walking the talk: increasing innovation in the media sector, 11 October 2007

At this event we will bring together thinkers and doers from the media sector and beyond to look at the established and potential models for innovation in media, from traditional technology R&D to corporate development units; collaboration with universities and third parties to industry fora and consortia; design- and user-led-development to open innovation. We will review past revolutions in industry to better understand how innovation relates to broader dynamics in business and society. And we will consider contemporary barriers to innovation in the media sector, highlight best practice, give examples of success, point up areas of failure, and identify possible ways to increase innovation in media. The panelists are R&D Society member Dr Norman Lewis, Wireless Grids Corporation; Rachel Jones, Instrata Limited; Professor David Edgerton, Imperial College London (also speaking at the R&D Society on 30 October); Frank Boyd, Unexpected Media; and Lorenzo Wood, LBI International. Further details and booking information can be found on the event page.

Event: University of Cambridge Horizon Seminar: Energy in Cities, 10 October 2007

Full programme details will be announced shortly. For more information, see the Horizon website. Confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Peter Guthrie, Department of Engineering
• Professor Marcial Echenique, Department of Architecture
• Professor Gehan Amaratunga, Department of Engineering

Events: Chinese and Japanese Innovation, 2 and 3 October 2007

Two events from the Asia Pacific Technology Network:

• How Chinese Cost Innovation Is Disrupting Global Competition, London: 2 October 2007
  Professor Peter Williamson, (Judge Institute of Management Studies, Cambridge) argues that the most innovative Chinese companies are leveraging their cheap-labour advantage, and Western companies which decide to re-focus on high-margin, specialist sectors are leaving themselves open to attack. John Frieslaar, Consultant - CTO Office Huawei Technologies (UK) Co will comment from the perspective of one of the companies under discusion.
• Industry-Academia Collaboration in Japan : The Search for Innovation, London: 3 October 2007, with Dr Katsuhiko Yamashita, Chief Fellow, Corporate Technology Planning Division, Toshiba, Professor Sandro Macchietto, Professor of Process Systems Engineering at Imperial College London and founder of Process Systems Enterprise Ltd