Edition 2
Welcome to the second 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
The highlights from this issue include the announcements of the ministerial teams at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR); Enterprise Ireland starts phase two of the Innovation Voucher scheme for SMEs; and in Denmark a EUR50m programme is launched to strengthen user driven innovation in Danish companies and public institutions.
Policy
Denham announces new Ministerial Team at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills 04/07/07
Secretary of State John Denham names Ian Pearson as the Minister of State for Science and Innovation and Bill Rammell as Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education.
Ministerial responsibilities announced at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 10/07/07
Secretary of State John Hutton names Stephen Timms, Sir Digby Jones, Pat McFadden, Malcolm Wicks, Lord Drayson and Gareth Thomas as Ministers.
Conservative Party Cabinet Reshuffle 02/07/07
David Willetts has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for DIUS; Alan Duncan DBERR; Michael Gove DCSF and Jeremy Hunt DCMS.
DIUS and Learning and Skills Council campaign to change the nation's attitude to skills and learning 09/07/07
“Our future. It's in our hands” launched by DIUS and LSC to encourage individuals, employers and stakeholders to address modern skills requirements.
DBERR Report: Economic Impact Study of Business Link Local Service 10/07/07
Study of 3,000 SMEs showed that those who used the service had greater job growth than those that did not, and that for every £1 spent in Government funding, there was £2.26 of additional value to the economy.
'Rocket Science' Report to the OTS and RDAs: Research into business support provision for social enterprise 05/07/07
A mapping exercise of the business support services available to social enterprises across England, with recommendations for the sector.
Office of the Third Sector and v: £70 million fund to transform youth volunteering 28/06/07
OTS strategic partner ‘v’ has announced a £70million funding programme as part of a national framework to transform youth volunteering in England.
DCSF: New National Council for Educational Excellence 10/07/07
The PM and Secretary of State to chair a council to advise Government on strategy and measures to achieve world-class education. Members include Sir Terry Leahy, Sir John Rose and Richard Lambert.
DCSF: New secondary curriculum to focus on basic skills and stretching high achievers 12/07/07
England's secondary curriculum is being overhauled to give teachers more flexibility in the classroom whilst focusing on the basics, Ministers say.
DCMS: Speech by Secretary of State - World-class from the grassroots up: Culture in the next ten years 06/07/07
In his first speech as Secretary of State, James Purnell spoke about the direction of public funding for and public access to the arts and the convergence between ‘Culture’ and the ‘Creative Industries’.
DCMS: Sir Brian McMaster to review support for arts 06/07/07
Sir Brian McMaster will lead a review of how Government helps to support excellence in the arts. The report is due in the Autumn.
FreshMinds Report to the DCMS - Culture on Demand: Ways to engage a broader audience 06/07/07
Collates all the available evidence around the drivers of demand for culture amongst the priority audiences as defined in the Department’s Public Service Agreement target.
Minister for Creative Industries pledges to continue the Government’s support of the video and computer games sector 06/07/07
Margaret Hodge: “I look forward to continuing to work closely with the video and computer games sector to support innovation and growth. The Government has an important role to play in championing all the creative industries, both at home and overseas."
RCUK: Revised Concordat to support the Career Development of Researchers 06/07/07
The UK HE sector working group has published a Draft Revised Concordat to Support the Career Management of Researchers. Comments to be submitted in consultation events on 5, 12 and 23 July 2007.
Arts and Humanities Research Council and BBC award 500,00GBP in Knowledge Exchange Programme 09/07/07
Project grants to bring together the arts and humanities research community with the BBC’s Future Media & Technology division to enable co-funded knowledge exchange and collaborative research & innovation.
Audit Commission launches its approach to sustainable development 05/07/07
The approach focuses on how the Commission will challenge and support audited and inspected bodies in improving their performance on sustainability issues.
UKIPO: Patent Highway between the UK and Japan opens 02/07/07
The Patent Prosecution Highway is a 12 month pilot scheme launched to speed up processing patent applications in the UK and Japan.
Scottish Executive: Council of Economic Advisers created 28/06/07
To advise the First Minister on the best way to improve Scotland's sustainable economic growth rate. Chaired by Sir George Mathewson, members include Professor Sir James Mirrlees, Frances Cairncross, Professor Frances Ruane and Crawford Beveridge.
Speech by EU Science and Technology Commissioner on European Research Policy 05/07/07
Edited version of the Commissioner’s speech, in which he called on member states to use structural funds to update their scientific infrastructures.
European Institute of Technology funding agreed - but financing in doubt 27/06/07
EU research ministers have agreed a budget of E308.7m over six years for the EIT, but where the money will come from is still unclear. This delay means that the EIT is unlikely to meet its target start date of January 2008.
Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research: European science going Down Under 05/07/07
The EU’s COST programme has expanded its geographic reach, announcing new pilot schemes to bring European, Australian and New Zealand researchers closer together.
Research
Demos Report - Unlocking Innovation: Why citizens hold the key to public service reform 10/07/07
Essays and analysis from a wide range of public sector experts and practitioners on how public services can better engage their users based on examples of best practice in the public and private sectors.
University of Nottingham Globalisation and Economic Policy Centre Report: The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on New Firm Survival 09/07/07
Argues that the presence of multinationals on UK soil increases significantly the chances of an enterprising new business going bust in its first year.
Report by David Blanchflower: Entrepreneurship in the UK 09/07/07
Professor of Economics and Member of the Monetary Policy Committee examines the causes and consequences of changes in the incidence of entrepreneurship in the UK.
Demos and Creative Partnerships Report - Making Good Work: Realising the Values of Young People’s Creative Production 12/07/07
Argues that young people will need the capacity to link creativity and meaning in their own terms and in ways that allow them to match products to purpose and audience.
IPPR Centre for Cities Report - Two-track cities: The challenge of sustaining growth and building opportunity 09/07/07
Discusses the economic challenges that lie ahead for UK cities and the processes, factors and drivers of economic performance that must be addressed. It sets out the Centre for Cities’ agenda for work in this area over the next three years.
Work Foundation Report: Offshoring, a threat for the UK’s knowledge jobs? Globalisation and the extent and impact of offshore outsourcing 09/07/07
The fear of large numbers of good quality British jobs being outsourced to rapidly developing countries such as India may be overstated.
NESTA related news
NESTA moves into DIUS 04/07/07
As part of the changes to the machinery of Government NESTA is now under the remit of DIUS, in the portfolio of Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson, but liaising with DCMS.
House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee: Oral evidence for Inquiry into the Funding of Science and Discovery Centres 11/07/07
Richard Halkett - Executive Director, NESTA Policy and Research Unit gave evidence to the Committee.
NESTA Provocation: Beginning at the Beginning - the UK's creativity gap 07/07/07 The Sage Gateshead, 13/07/07 London
In the fourth of NESTA's Provocation series, Anthony Sargent and Katherine Zeserson examine and challenge the traditional place of creativity in UK society.
NESTA Policy Briefing: Innovation Policy at the Cabinet Table 04/07/07
Explores the changes to government machinery, and offers suggestions as to how to take full advantage of the opportunities that these changes provide.
Launch of NESTA Crucible 2007 02/07/07
NESTA CEO Jonathan Kestenbaum and Professor Sir Keith O'Nions, Director-General of the OSI launch Crucible, a programme for 30 of the brightest early-career researchers to work across disciplines to develop their work.
Launch of NESTA Environment Challenge Programme 12/07/07
The Innovation Challenges programme aims to stimulate innovation in response to climate change.
Corporate open innovation – if it's so good why isn't everyone doing it? 30/06/07
David Simoes-Brown, Development Manager - NESTA Connect, reviews the defining features of corporate open innovation, making the case for its widespread adoption in the 21st century.
Forthcoming Events
BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur Competition 2007
Competition to select the UK's 20 top entrepreneurs. Categories include the best male, female and young entrepreneur and the most original business concept. Closes 27 July 2007.
Past Events
Royal Society: Summer Science Exhibition, London 02-05/07/07
Twenty three interactive exhibits presenting the best of UK science, engineering and technology, including trying out minor surgery on a conscious patient and journeys through the human digestive system.
Oxford Trust: Why boys like things and girls like people 10/07/07
Dr Val Singh and a panel of experts debate the psychological and physiological differences behind the decline in the number of women entering SET subjects.
International
Enterprise Ireland: Innovation Voucher Initiative for Small Companies Enters Phase Two 03/07/07
The first €5,000 Innovation Voucher has been allocated as part of the Government’s €10m fund designed to assist 194 small Irish firms become more innovative.
EUR 50 million for Danish user driven innovation 28/06/07
Programme for user driven innovation is to be launched with funds of EUR 50 million to strengthen innovation in Danish companies and public institutions.
Singapore to work with Korea to develop creative content industries 05/07/07
The Korea Culture and Content Agency and Singapore's Media Development Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate to develop the local creative content industry including the media and digital media industries.
Iberdrola and IBM in $84.4 Million Innovation Agreement 05/07/07
Iberdrola have entered into an US$84.4m agreement that will promote IT innovation in Spain. There will be a new Innovation Centre at Iberdrola's Salamanca facility, which will work on a global software development and maintenance project.
Technology CEO Council Report - A Great Nation: How Americans Can Lead and Prosper in a Changing World 05/07/07
The US needs a new strategy to ensure it remains competitive in the face of rising global competition, say the CEOs of some its world-leading technology companies.