Written evidence submitted by Birmingham
City University (TIC 04)
INTRODUCTION
1. The Fraunhofer Model established 1949 appears
to have worked well in Germany within the German context. The
key questions for the UK are:
(a). Germany and UK strengths are not the same,
is the Fraunhofer Model appropriate to support the UK strengths?
(b). Is the model that has worked well for the
last 50 years appropriate for the next 20 years?
These are considered below.
Germany and UK strengths are not the same, is
the Fraunhofer Model appropriate to support the UK strengths?
2. The Fraunhofer Model seems to have worked
well in R&D led sectors of the economy. In the UK these are
represented by such sectors as aerospace, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Companies in these sectors are well networked into universities,
the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board already.
We have missed this boat.
3. However, the UK has strengths in non R&D
led sectors such as the finance and creative industries sectors.
Both use new technology as enablers but the innovation is generally
not captured by traditional R&D metrics.
4. A key challenge that Birmingham City University
has experienced is that of sufficient absorptive capacity in organisations
- which is a particular challenge for SMEs in the West Midlands.
This is one of the reasons why the Knowledge Transfer Programme
works so well. SMEs require support available locally/regionally.
It is not clear how this issue will be addressed.
Is the model that has worked well for the last
50 years appropriate for the next 20 years?
5. On a recent Design Council led trip to South
Korea and China, it was apparent that the governments there see
the fusion of digital, technology and design as key to successful
innovation. The Design Council's Multi-disciplinary Design
Network: Asia Report (2010) says that "… both South
Korea and China are rapidly developing their design capability,
learning from the 'best of the west' as well as building on their
own significant creative and cultural backgrounds. Technology
is a huge driver of innovation in Asia and design is clearly
perceived as a key translator of science and technology[1],
and increasingly too as a means of meeting social needs."
6. In general in the UK, the universities that
are strong in science and technology research are not the same
as those universities that are strong in design and the use of
digital technologies (e.g. social media). This is an untapped
opportunity.
7. Increasingly people are becoming more design
aware such that excellent design can override a better technical
solution. When combined with excellent branding which plays into
people's emotions, straightforward technology will not be enough.
The iPhone is a classic example.
8. The Fraunhofer Model has worked well for last
50 years in Germany but our competitor nations are now changing
the ground rules by incorporating design-thinking into the heart
of their innovation policies.
9. The Design Council report Innovate for Universities[2]
describes pilot activities involving professional designers with
Technology Transfer Officers in research intensive universities
strong in science and technology. This demonstrates how professional
designers working with potential and actual high technology spin-outs
can improve the translation from the lab to the marketplace. In
discussions with the Design Council, it appears that an unexpected
benefit was identifying those developments for which there was
not a viable opportunity at that time.
10. Therefore this is an ideal opportunity to
bridge that gap and create a space for science and technology
researchers, design and digital media researchers, and professional
designers to work together with industry, as well as the public
sector, on emerging technologies and their applications. Thus
we would enhance the UK's competitiveness in meeting the key challenges
facing the world (eg ageing population, security, energy) by exploiting
the combination of our acknowledged scientific, technological
and design capability.
11. A radical solution would be to create regional
institutes between the universities, industry and the public sector.
These institutes would ensure collaboration between science and
technology research intensive universities with post-92 universities
strong in design and the use of digital technologies. Each regional
institute could major on two or three key areas of regional strength.
Virtual national institutes around a key theme eg ageing could
be created which brings together all those regional institutes
active in addressing a specific theme. These could be real institutes
or virtual institutes.
DECLARATION OF
INTERESTS
12. Birmingham City University is a post-92 university
strong in design and use of digital technologies.
Michele Mooney
Director, Research, Innovation & Enterprise
Services
Birmingham City University
18 November 2010
1 My underlining Back
2
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/Support/Innovate-for-Universities/
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