SUMMARY OF CST MEETING ON 5/6 March 2007
Attendees
1. The meeting was chaired in part by Professor Janet Finch and in part by Sir David King. The other members present were:
Professor Sir John Beringer, Professor Geoffrey Boulton, Professor Alan Gilbert, Professor Wendy Hall, Dr Hermann Hauser, Professor Alan Hughes, Dr Sue Ion, Sir Paul Nurse, Dr Raj Rajagopal, Dr Philip Ruffles, Dr Mark Walport.
Apologies were received from Professor Peter Davies, Sir Keith Peters, Professor Michael Sterling, Professor Kathy Sykes
2. Also in attendance for parts of the meeting were: Chris Hendry - Cass
Business School, City University, Lord Rees - President of the Royal Society and
Professor David Eastwood - Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding
Council for England
Conclusions
Dinner with Lord Rees
It was felt that this would be a timely occasion for CST to discuss various aspects of its current and future work with the Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society. Topics discussed included:
- Both sides agreed Multidisciplinary Research was not happening adequately in practice - difference between rhetoric and reality. Should not just focus on research institutes.
- Royal Society is looking to have more involvement in the innovation agenda. CST outlined their work on absorptive capacity/procurement/services/corporate venturing/innovation as an agenda.
- Risk that science was too silo-based, reinforced by the RAE. Contrast this with how business carried out its research
CST agreed to write to the following:
- The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry regarding the transfer of £98 millions from the science budget to fund short-term financial pressures.
- Anne Glover, CSA to Scotland, outlining CST's position on non-CST members being invited to CST members and to explore ways in which CST could work more closely with the Devolved Administrations.
Ongoing work includes:
- Nanotechnology: CST's Nanotechnology report will be published on 28th March.
- Innovation: CST is looking to arrange a dinner with business and influential individuals in the private equity industry to discuss the nature of corporate venturing, what currently happens in the UK and the position of the US as the leader in this field. It is expected this event will take place towards the end of 2007.
- The Research Endeavour: CST is considering how the UK should position its research base so that it is fit for purpose in 20 years time. The vast majority of work has been completed and the report is close to being finalised.
Other items discussed included:
- CST's future agenda - Following the Secretary of State's letter to CST in Feb 2007, it was decided to establish a Strategic Focus subgroup to advice Government on what are the best areas to focus resources on science and technology and innovation which could lead to applications in around five years time. Related to this a further sub-group would be established to to take an in-depth look at the Plastic Electronics sector.
- CST met with Professor David Eastwood, Chief Executive HEFCE. Items discussed included: CST's work on services confirmed the impression that Universities are not necessarily geared towards the needs of the services sector, but that it inadvertently provides individuals to this sector; RAE was seen by many as discouraging multi-disciplinary research. Even if this is not actually the case, the perception could be a driver of behaviour and needs to be addressed.
The next CST meeting will be on 13/14 June 2007.