2007
Mike Carr
Chief Science Officer, BT Group
"Increasing R&D spend is not only a good 'lead' indicator of successes yet to come, it is also a signal of business confidence."
2006
Sir David McMurtry
Chairman & Chief Executive, Renishaw plc
"Our organic growth strategy has allowed us to build a continuously profitable business with an annual turnover in excess of £175m."
Douglas Caster
Chief Executive, Ultra Electronics Holdings plc
"Ultra, with its UK teaming partner GKN, has developed a revolutionary new system for protecting aircraft structures from ice build up during flight."
2005
Sir Christopher O’Donnell
Chief Executive, Smith & Nephew plc
"Smith & Nephew is a global medical devices business. We place a very high value on new products..... twenty percent of sales were new products developed in the last three years...we take research and development very seriously."
Richard Longdon
Chief Executive, AVEVA plc
"To remain at the forefront of innovation AVEVA is investing nearly 20% of sales in R&D and then has an operating profit of just over 10% of sales."
2004
Sir Peter Williams
Chairman Engineering and Technology Board and Chairman National Physical Laboratory
"It is nevertheless this link between science, engineering and technology (SET), R&D, and wealth creation, which is often a pre-requisite for success."
Gordon Page CBE
Charman Cobham PLC
"The UK Aerospace industry relies absolutely upon a vibrant research and technology base to remain competitive."
2003
Sir Tom McKillop
Chief Executive, AstraZeneca PLC
"Innovation is the principal source of wealth creation and we need a good supply of well-trained scientists, passionate about research, if we are to compete successfully."
Brian Harding
Formerly of James Capel Stockbrokers
"The share price effects of a growth strategy based largely on acquisitions are examined for a broad spectrum of manufacturing companies."
2002
Sir David McMurtry
Chairman & Chief Executive, Renishaw plc
"Manufacturing excellence is merely a requirement for survival, not a guarantee of long-term success."
Brian Harding
Formerly of James Capel Stockbrokers
"In recent years UK companies in the quoted engineering, automotive and aerospace sectors have spent more on acquisitions than on R&D and capital investment combined."
2001
Sir William Castell
Chief Executive, Amersham plc
"The product is the medium by which knowledge-intensive industries deliver the fruits of their intellectual capital."
Andy Crossley
Head of UK Small Companies, INVESCO Asset Management Ltd
"London, as a financial centre, has long been supportive of R&D-heavy businesses"
