DEPARTMENT FOR
INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS News Release (2007/005) issued
by The Government News Network on 3 July 2007
TECHNOLOGY
STRATEGY BOARD
Drinkable vaccines to replace painful needles, car bodies which
biodegrade at the end of their lives, anti-cancer agents drawn
from the sea, greener biofuels and pacemakers with batteries
powered by walking are just around the corner.
It sounds futuristic; but it's all research being funded by
the Government's new Technology Strategy Board, which this
week becomes an independent executive Non-Departmental Public Body
(NDPB), with a key goal of ensuring the UK is out front as a
global leader in the development of new technologies to drive
economic growth.
The Technology Strategy Board, sponsored by the Department for
Innovation, Universities and Skills, will target funding of £190
million this year to support technology and innovation, overseen
by a board of highly skilled business people with an eye to
spotting the next big thing.
The new body is investing more than £50 million through its
November 2006 funding competition, including £44 million for
research and development projects to help businesses work together
or with academic partners to develop technologies needed for the
products and services of the future. Projects include bioscience
and healthcare, energy efficiency and low carbon technologies,
plastic electronics, and sensors and imaging. Secretary of State
for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, said:
"The new Technology Strategy Board is strongly
business-focused for a reason. It is business people who are best
placed to understand the markets, the opportunities and the
strengths that Britain can use to develop and apply new
technologies and ways to innovate.
"The UK is well known for its cutting edge science,
technology and innovation. With many countries now aggressively
competing to take the lead, we've got to work to stay in
front. We will do this by using our heads, by getting in early to
capitalise on new and lucrative markets. "The new board will
also focus on technology and innovation to help key societal
challenges - such as developing low carbon technologies to fight
climate change and tackling the emerging problems of an ageing population."
Graham Spittle, who has chaired the board since 2004, will
continue his leadership role and will drive the board to have a
greater focus on new areas such as the services sector and the
creative industries. Graham Spittle said "the new Technology
Strategy Board is an organisation with business very much as its
focus. Its staff have been largely recruited from business; its
governing Board consists of business people with a wide range of
experience; and its activities will be informed by and respond to
the needs of business. The creation of the new Technology Strategy
Board represents a great opportunity to make a difference for the
prosperity of the UK."
Part of the £50 million funding includes £7 million for the
Intelligent Transport Systems & Services Innovation Platform,
which brings together government, academia and business to develop
new solutions for road congestion.
From 2005-2008, £320 million in funding is available to
businesses to support research and development in key technology
areas. Extra funding also comes from Defra, Regional Development
Agencies and Devolved Administrations, and Research Councils
The latest projects funded include work to develop new
bacteria-based vaccines which can be taken by mouth; to enable
diesel engines to run efficiently on high concentrations of
renewable fuels; and to develop medical scanners which use
wavelengths to more effectively diagnose and treat cancer.
The Technology Strategy Board will be responsible for Innovation
Platforms which bring business and Government closer together to
generate innovative solutions to major societal challenges, and 22
sector-specific Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs),
business-driven collaborations which encourage new technologies
and the sharing of information.
Notes to Editors
1. Since 2004 the Government in conjunction with the Technology
Strategy Board has supported over 600 projects across 40
technology areas with a combined business and Government
investment worth over £900m. For further information see: http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/technologystrategy.
2. The Technology Strategy Board will support the Government to
develop a UK-wide strategy to deliver funding, policies and
strategic objectives for the use of, and investment in, technology
and innovation by business. It will look across all sectors of the
economy to identify priority areas for investment within a
framework established by the Secretary of State. It will also
consider barriers to the exploitation of new technologies, and
recommend how they can be removed. Responsibility for the overall
direction of innovation policy will remain with Ministers.
3. Eleven Board members will guide and govern the new Technology
Strategy Board. For further information on the Board members; http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=294311&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False
4. The Technology Strategy Board has headquarters in Swindon and
when fully established it is expected to have a strength of around
75 staff. The appointment of a new Chief Executive for the
Technology Strategy Board is expected to be announced shortly.
Dr David Evans, Director of Technology and Innovation at the
DIUS, has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive.
In recent years David Evans has held the roles of acting Director
General in DTI Services Group, DTI Director of Finance, and Deputy
Chief Executive of the Small Business Service. From 1998 to 2001
he was head of DTI's Central Directorate and from 1992 to
1998 he was head of DTI's Technology and Standard
Directorate. Previously he was Chief Scientist at the Department
of Energy where he was responsible for the Departments R&D strategy.
5. A senior management team has been appointed to manage the
day-to-day operations of the Technology Strategy Board. The team
includes the following four directors:
Allyson Reed, Strategy and Communications Director
Allyson Reed is a commercial business leader with a scientific
academic background. She was previously Director of Innovation
Partnerships at Qinetiq plc and prior to that was Commercial
Director of the CCLRC (the Central Council of Laboratories of the
Research Councils). She has held senior management roles in a
number of international healthcare, engineering and communications
businesses. Her experience includes extensive involvement with
innovation, policy, investment and early stage startup businesses;
she founded the Rainbow Seed Fund and a knowledge transfer company
and is CEO of 3CResearch, a company commercialising research in
new digital media.
David Way, Director of Operations
Prior to the establishment of the new Technology Strategy Board,
David Way was Director of Innovation Platforms and Key
Technologies in the Science and Innovation Group, at the
Department of Trade and Industry. He joined DTI in 2000 in the
role of Director Aerospace & Defence Technologies, before
which he worked at the Royal Aerospace Establishment, on a broad
range of military and civil air vehicle and propulsion research
and assessment. David Way is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of
the Royal Aeronautical Society.
David Bott, Director of Innovation Platforms
David Bott has extensive business experience. His previous roles
include leading research into electrically conductive polymers and
non-linear optics at the BP Research Centre, running the Strategic
Research Group at Courtaulds, and Director of Group Technology for
ICI. He has sat on the UK Government's Technology Foresight
Panel for Materials and is a past President of the Royal Society
of Chemistry's Industry and Technology Forum. With an
interest in small, high technology companies he is Chairman of
Oxford Biomaterials, a director of Apaclara, and part time CEO of
Materials UK. He has worked with the DTI's Innovation team
since 2004.
Graham Hutchins, Director of Corporate Services.
Graham Hutchins is a commercial director whose UK and
international experience includes roles with FirstPoint Healthcare
Ltd, Vodafone and FedEx. He has a track record of effective
financial management and control and experience of supporting
business improvement activities through major change projects.
Technology Strategy Board
Block B, Floor 1, North Star
House
North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FF
E-mail: enquiries@tsb.gov.uk
http://www.dti.gov.uk/innovation/technologystrategy