Written evidence submitted by Research
Councils UK (RCUK) (TIC 29)
1. Research Councils UK (RCUK) is a strategic
partnership set up to champion the research supported by the seven
UK Research Councils. RCUK was established in 2002 to enable the
Councils to work together more effectively to enhance the overall
impact and effectiveness of their research, training and innovation
activities, contributing to the delivery of the Government's objectives
for science and innovation. Further details are available at www.rcuk.ac.uk.
2. This evidence is submitted by RCUK on behalf
of all Research Councils and represents their independent views.
It does not include or necessarily reflect the views of the Science
and Research Group in the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills. The submission is made on behalf of the following
Councils:
- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council (BBSRC)
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Medical Research Council (MRC)
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
3. RCUK recognises that there can be a gap between
the early stages of research development and knowledge transfer
that we fund and the full exploitation of innovation opportunities
emerging from that research. We welcome the opportunity to work
with agencies responsible for filling that gap. RCUK does not
currently fund anything which exactly matches the Fraunhofer-type
institute model. While we support knowledge transfer and commercialisation,
and provide important research facilities and resources for industry,
we do not tackle the Technology and Innovation Centres' (TICs)
aims of providing later-stage platforms for large scale development
from strategic technologies into new products as set out in the
Hauser Report and the Dyson Review.
4. RCUK believes that the Technology Strategy
Board (TSB) is well placed to coordinate a national strategy for
TICs and welcomes the opportunity to support it in this development,
as announced by the Government on 25 October 2010. RCUK has been
assisting the TSB with its work on the development of potential
TICs. We have identified areas of high priority from the research
base perspective from a long-list of areas that the TSB has created,
and have had discussions on the research excellence which could
be drawn upon.
5. RCUK funds excellent research wherever it
is found, and this will continue to be the case in the future.
Any TICs should be designed and established in such a way that
they are able to exploit this excellent research, giving particular
attention to interfaces with academic centres of excellence. One
example could involve working in partnership with academics at
research organisations which are eligible for RCUK funding. This
is a model which is working successfully to encourage collaboration
at the International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC). The RCUK
complementary portfolio of investments has already created centres
of excellence in research, facilities and postgraduate skills
and any TICs should be closely aligned with and draw on the outcomes
from these investments. RCUK welcomes the potential for TICs to
drive economic growth based upon this excellent research.
6. RCUK believes that world leading and cutting
edge capability in the research base is a necessary but not sufficient
requirement for a TIC. Industry and market "pull" and
the necessary conditions within the UK to allow exploitation of
the technologies developed are of fundamental importance. It is
vital that a progressive approach is taken to considering a wide
range of sectors during the analysis of industry needs to ensure
that all sectors with potential for significant growth are considered.
7. It should be recognised that a TIC will not
be appropriate for all technology or sector areas and that a one-size-fits-all
approach is unlikely to be successful. In order to show early
success, the TIC programme should build initially upon previous
investments and focus on technology or sector areas where there
is significant potential for growth and where the public and private
sectors are already closely engaged.
8. RCUK encourages the Technology Strategy Board
and Government to put the development of TICs into the context
of the governance of the innovation system as a whole. It is vital
that TICs help reinforce links between parts of the system rather
than adding fragmentation or complexity.
Research Councils UK
December 2010
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