End of the beginning policy briefing
Published: October 2007
Download: End of the beginning policy briefing 78kb
Description
NESTA welcomes Lord Sainsbury's Review, published on 5 October 2007.
It contains a detailed analysis of the innovation challenges facing the UK and represents a comprehensive survey of the Government's existing innovation policy. Its recognition of the compelling need to understand innovation in the UK's service sectors, and to move away from R&D spend and patent production as proxies for innovation performance are particularly welcome.
The Government, led by the newly created Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), now has two challenges: to implement the best of the Review's recommendations and to develop and deliver a bold innovation policy agenda that is tailored to the needs of all sectors of the UK economy.
To meet the weight of expectations placed upon them, it is critical that the Prime Minister gives DIUS and the TSB the authority to work across the business community and Whitehall to achieve their objectives.
In implementing the recommendations, they must be careful to concentrate not only on the production of knowledge and STEM-skilled people, but on making sure both are put to effective use for the benefit of the UK.
Importantly, the Review's focus on building on strengths, particularly in existing high-tech clusters around research-intensive universities, should not be misinterpreted as an acceptance of a 'two-speed' innovation system.