Institute of Physics News Release PR29 (08)

Today (Thursday, 8 May, 2008) sees the launch of the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) ‘Connect and Catalyse’ strategy for business innovation in the UK.

The success of the government in supporting science based businesses and promoting innovation across the civil service is bound up with the success of the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). The newly-expanded, billion-pound agency is the key vehicle for pursuing the policies set out in the Innovation Nation white paper released in March this year.

In response to the strategy, John Brindley, Director of Business at the Institute of Physics (IOP), said, “We support the key aims of the TSB as outlined in this strategy. The emphasis on the simplification of financial support available to science-based businesses and initiatives like the Proof of Concept fund are particularly good news.

“The government is trying to create a level playing field for science-based businesses, big and small, and is aware of the need to provide financial security if they want to assist businesses in taking cutting-edge innovations to market.

“However, some clarification, particularly with regard to the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and plans for government procurement, is needed. It needs to be explained how the SBRI is going to achieve its aim of supporting R&D within small businesses.

“There is very little detail in the strategy on the relationship between business and government during and after procurement. We know from many of our members working in innovative businesses that they want to see government sharing the risks of undertaking R&D. Government departments must embrace the spirit of innovation in their procurement process and not over-specify or over-regulate the final products. These concerns need to be addressed if the TSB is to become a true friend to innovative science companies in the UK.”

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, attended a Key Insight Business Briefing at the Institute of Physics on Monday, 28 April, prior to the publication of the new strategy. He outlined the TSB’s vision and showed how a number of businesses are already benefiting from the board’s efforts.

Speaking shortly after Iain Gray was Kevin Gell, Managing Director of Tessella, an SME which provides software design and development solutions, IT consultancy, infrastructure support and project management to both public and private sector clients.

Speaking as a businessman who uses innovative technology to solve clients’ complex problems, he put an emphasis on the need for TSB to keep bureaucracy to a minimum and for Government not to try and regulate through procurement.

While welcoming TSB’s ethos, he did express some caution about overbearing state apparatus. He said, “Politicians are not the best qualified people to tell businesses how to innovate. Businesses do not succeed by launching products which are looking for a problem to solve. Businesses have to respond to market demands and too much interference from government can distort the relationship between the market and a successful business. Good business leaders know when a product or service is ready for the market and that’s why they innovate to create them and then launch them.”

Notes to Editors

1. For further information please contact IOP Press Officer, Joe Winters:
Tel: 020 7470 4815
Mobile: 07946 321473
E-mail: joseph.winters@iop.org

2. The Institute of Physics is a scientific membership organisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of physics. It has an extensive worldwide membership (currently around 34 000) and is a leading communicator of physics with all audiences from specialists through government to the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.

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