SUMMARY OF COUNCIL MEETING ON 2 DECEMBER 2002
Purpose
1. The Council met to:
- Discuss the recently announced Review of Innovation.
Consider further ideas emerging from the Quinquennial review process.
- Take stock of further progress with the proposed services study.
- Consider the proposed topic for the next meeting of European Scientific Advisory Councils.
Attendees
2. The meeting was chaired in part by Professor David King and by Lord Sainsbury. The independent members present were:
Mr. Jarvaid Aziz, Professor Sir Alec Broers, Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Dr. Rob Margetts, Sir Paul Nurse, Dr. David Potter, Professor Peter Schuddeboom, Professor David VandeLinde and Mr. John Weston.
3. Also in attendance were Dr John Taylor, Mr. David Hughes, Mrs. Judy Britton, Dr. Elizabeth Hopkins, Ms. Lynne Edwards, Mr. Maurice Potts
Discussions and Outcomes
(i) Innovation Review
4. Members heard from David Hughes (incumbent Director General of Innovation), about the scope for this recently announced review.
5. The focus for the review will be how further to close the productivity gap between the U.K. and its competitors. Emphasis will be on Skills, Knowledge and Technology. As many stakeholders as possible will involved in the review, which plans to report by June/July 2003.
6. Members discussed factors that can effect productivity, in addition to the issue of innovation. Culture; infrastructure; critical mass within activities and barriers to trade were all identified as relevant influences. To address these issues, the successes of the economy need to be identified, to pinpoint where the economy is getting it right, and then emulate and inculcate this practice elsewhere.
7. There are options for CST to participate in the review, including the possibility of representation on the steering board, or becoming involved in interaction with a sub-group.
(ii) Quinquennial Review
8. Following the report of the first stage that was submitted on 11 October, there had been a workshop for members on 5 November.
9. Members were invited to discuss their views further. They considered their perspective on a number of potential outcomes, including: possible attendances by the Prime Minister; changes in the linkages with the policy making process; feedback from Ministers and procedural matters such as the venue and structure of meetings.
10. CST had been a useful sounding board, with clear examples of how it has alerted Government to areas where attention was needed. Consideration of the Council's future needed to take into account the extent to which CST would be expected to raise issues with Government, in addition to responding to the Government's agenda. CST should not be merely an ‘operational' body. The remit of CST should imply a main role of providing advice where further work required and seeing that the issue is followed up, rather than the body providing ‘answers' itself.
11. The final report is due to be submitted on 13 December 2002.
(iii) CST Services Study
12. A meeting had taken place between the chosen contractor (PREST), DTI officials and Peter Schuddeboom (CST member).
13. This first stage of the study is very much a scouting exercise. The contractor is presently drawing up survey materials, and had agreed that the study would concentrate on services that used Science and Technology themselves instead of ‘consultancies'.
14. A further meeting with the contractor has been arranged for 13 January.
(iv) Meeting of European Scientific Advisory Councils
15. The next meeting of European Science Councils is to be held in Paris in Spring 2003. The main subject topic for this event is to be ‘A European Research Council?'.
16. Members discussed the need for any body of this kind to have a clearly defined remit, and the matter of logistics would need careful consideration, e.g. would the Council be a virtual entity or have a home base, and if so, where? Other issues identified include how such a Council would fit with FP6, and the tangible added value that would accrue from its instigation.
17. As is customary, The Secretary will attend with a nominated Council member.
CST Secretariat
January 2003
