Technology and Innovation Centres
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House of Commons Science and Technology Committee Technology and Innovation Centres Second Report of Session 2010–11 Volume II Additional written evidence Ordered by the House of Commons to be published 15 December 2010, 12 January 2011, and 2 February 2011 Published on 17 February 2011 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited The Science and Technology Committee The Science and Technology Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Government Office for Science and associated public bodies. Current membership Andrew Miller (Labour, Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Chair) Gavin Barwell (Conservative, Croydon Central) Gregg McClymont (Labour, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) Stephen Metcalfe (Conservative, South Basildon and East Thurrock) David Morris (Conservative, Morecambe and Lunesdale) Stephen Mosley (Conservative, City of Chester) Pamela Nash (Labour, Airdrie and Shotts) Jonathan Reynolds (Labour/Co-operative, Stalybridge and Hyde) Alok Sharma (Conservative, Reading West) Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton) Roger Williams (Liberal Democrat, Brecon and Radnorshire) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental Select Committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No.152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at http://www.parliament.uk/science. A list of reports from the Committee in this Parliament is included at the back of this volume. The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in printed volume(s). Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are: Glenn McKee (Clerk); Ed Beale (Second Clerk); Farrah Bhatti (Committee Specialist); Xameerah Malik (Committee Specialist); Andy Boyd (Senior Committee Assistant); Julie Storey (Committee Assistant); Pam Morris (Committee Assistant), Jim Hudson (Committee Support Assistant); and Becky Jones (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Science and Technology Committee, Committee Office, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general inquiries is: 020 7219 2793; the Committee’s e- mail address is: [email protected] List of additional written evidence (published in Volume II on the Committee’s website www.parliament.uk/science) Page 1 Loughborough University (TIC 01) Ev w1 2 Edinburgh Instruments Ltd (TIC 02) Ev w2 3 University of Bath (TIC 03) Ev w3 4 Birmingham City University (TIC 04) Ev w6 5 University of Leeds (TIC 05 and 05a) Ev w7, Ev w10 6 Durham University (TIC 06) Ev w11 7 Scottish Agricultural College (TIC 07) Ev w13 8 Professor Marc Desmulliez (TIC 08) Ev w14 9 Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester (TIC 09) Ev w15 10 Manufacturing Technology Centre, University of Nottingham (TIC 10) Ev w19 11 National Physical Laboratory (TIC 11) Ev w21 12 National Nuclear Laboratory and Dalton Nuclear Institute, University of Manchester (TIC 13) Ev w24 13 National Renewable Energy Centre Ltd (trading as Narec) (TIC 14) Ev w27 14 Professor Lord Bhattacharyya (TIC 15) Ev w29 15 UK Business Incubation (TIC 16) Ev w31 16 DREM Ventures Ltd, Optropreneurs Ltd, Pinacl Solutions UK Ltd and Grounded Innovation Ltd (TIC 17) Ev w32 17 Professor Peter Dobson (TIC 18) Ev w37 18 Centre for Business Research, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge (TIC 19) Ev w38 19 Smith Institute for Industrial Mathematics and System Engineering (TIC 20) Ev w45 20 University College London (TIC 21) Ev w48 21 Kingston University (TIC 22) Ev w51 22 University of Lancaster (TIC 23) Ev w53 23 University of Liverpool (TIC 24) Ev w55 24 University of Strathclyde (TIC 25) Ev w59 25 University of Warwick (TIC 26) Ev w60 26 Professor Andy Hopper (TIC 27) Ev w66 27 Research Councils UK (TIC 29) Ev w68 28 UK Computing Research Committee (TIC 30) Ev w69 29 Professor L Gladden, University of Cambridge, and Professor D Begg, Imperial College London (TIC 31) Ev w71 30 University of Edinburgh (TIC 32) Ev w74 31 Brunel University (TIC 33) Ev w77 32 University of the Arts London (TIC 36) Ev w79 33 Universities Scotland (TIC 38) Ev w80 34 University Alliance (TIC 39) Ev w85 35 University of Sheffield and University of Sheffield’s AMRC with Boeing (TIC 40) Ev w88 36 HDR Architecture (TIC 41) Ev w90 37 Imperial College London (TIC 42) Ev w92 38 University of Bristol (TIC 43) Ev w95 39 PraxisUnico (TIC 44) Ev w99 40 N8 Research Partnership (TIC 45) Ev w104 41 Maddison Product Design (TIC 46) Ev w105 42 Royal Society of Chemistry (TIC 47) Ev w108 43 Health Protection Agency (TIC 48) Ev w111 44 National Composites Centre (TIC 49) Ev w112 45 Food and Environment Research Agency (TIC 50) Ev w116 46 Industrial Strategic Advisory Board of the University of Bristol and Bath University Systems Centre (TIC 51) Ev w117 47 Chemistry Innovation Knowledge Transfer Network (TIC 52) Ev w119 48 United Kingdom Science Park Association (TIC 53) Ev w121 49 The Media Institute (TIC 55) Ev w122 50 The Work Foundation (TIC 56) Ev w125 51 TWI Ltd (TIC 57) Ev w129 52 Harper Adams University College, Newport (TIC 58) Ev w132 53 University of Leicester (TIC 59) Ev w136 54 Surrey Research Park, University of Surrey (TIC 60) Ev w137 55 LGC Ltd (TIC 61) Ev w138 56 University of Plymouth (TIC 62) Ev w140 57 One North East (TIC 63) Ev w142 58 Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (TIC 64) Ev w146 59 Cancer Research UK (TIC 65) Ev w147 60 Loughborough University (TIC 68) Ev w151 61 The Russell Group (TIC 69) Ev w153 62 The Biochemical Society (TIC 70) Ev w161 63 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (TIC 71) Ev w166 64 General Electric (TIC 72) Ev w170 65 Cambridge 100 Group (TIC 73) Ev w174 66 Plastic Electronics leadership Group (TIC 74) Ev w175 67 Sciovis Ltd (TIC 75) Ev w177 68 The Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry (TIC 76) Ev w178 69 BIA Regenerative Medicine Industry Group (TIC 78) Ev w181 70 Technical Strategy Advisory Group (TIC 79) Ev w191 71 Design Council (TIC 80) Ev w197 72 Institution of Chemical Engineers (TIC 81) Ev w200 73 C-Tech Innovation Ltd (TIC 83) Ev w206 74 Business and Innovation and Science Boards, Institute of Physics (TIC 84) Ev w207 75 Retail Asset and Deposit Products, Barclays Bank (TIC 85) Ev w210 76 Icon Medical Technology Development (TIC 37) Ev w211 cobber Pack: U PL: CWE1 [SO] Processed: [11-02-2011 15:21] Job: 007516 Unit: PG01 Science and Technology Committee: Evidence Ev w1 Written evidence Written evidence submitted by Loughborough University (TIC 01) Declaration of Interest I am Head of the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University. We lead the Manufacturing Technology Centre’s (MTC) strand in Intelligent Automation, and have recently submitted a bid for an EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in the field of Intelligent Automation. We are keen to pursue a Fraunhofer-type TIC (‘Maxwell Centre’), either alone, or in partnership with Fraunhofer IPA, with whom we have had a partnership exploration for the past two years, seeking a funding model. We have worked with IPA several times in EU Framework programmes. We see TICs as having a more SME-focused and multi-sectoral impact when compared to the MTC, especially for relatively young or start- up companies. We believe there would be synergy and complementarities between a Loughborough-based TIC in Advanced Manufacturing, and the MTC. 1. What is the Fraunhofer model and would it be applicable to the UK? 1.1 As I understand it the Fraunhofer centres are not-for-profit organisations with permanent staff, offering applied research and development services. The funding model is (nominally) 1/3 from direct government funding, 1/3 from RTD projects (grant from government or EU under peer review) and 1/3 commercial activity (direct industry funding). The proportions sometimes vary (eg 40%, 20%, 40%); the essential key feature being that government funding is more than matched by industry funding. Thus government funding complements success in gaining contracts from industry. 1.2 I see no reason why this model would not be viable in the UK. The major stumbling block is the absence of long-term (>5 years) government funding to underpin applied R&D in key sectors, i.e. funding akin to QR in universities, but focused on topics of interest to industry. Without such funding it may be difficult to survive, especially during a “start-up” phase. The core difference between TICs and university-led technology transfer is that universities secure projects and then recruit research staff; TICs would have core staff seeking projects, and thus one can keep the key skills in place. As noted by Hermann Hauser, there is potentially great synergy in coupling TICs with leading university research groups, which would channel new TRL 1–3 ideas into the TIC. Within the TIC, TRL 4–6 activity (TSB or EU-funded projects) would develop key technologies for TRL 7–9 adaptation (industry funded) and exploitation by individual companies, ie a direct route for research impacts to industry. 2. Are there existing Fraunhofer-type research centres within the UK, and if so, are they effective? 2.1 To the best of my knowledge there are no comparable centres. Universities generally have some sort of Technology Transfer activity, but project-based rather than key staff driven.