http://www.innovateuk.org/ en lee.mullin@tsb.gov.uk A couple of weeks ago I attended the launch of the pilot Innovation Index at NESTA, which highlighted again an issue which is never far from my mind: how to measure the impact of innovation initiatives and the importance of metrics to the innovation landscape... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/blog/iain-gray/do-we-know-what-we-are-measuring.ashx Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:52:08 GMT Last week I was at the first meeting of the newly formed Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/blog/iain-gray/demonstrate-the-way-reduce-the-risk.ashx Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:53:48 GMT I had the pleasure of being a speaker at an ICT industries prompted event held at the BIS conference centre a couple of weeks ago. The objective of the conference was for business to meet with representatives from across the public sector and promote the capabilities of the ICT sector... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/ict-industries-rising-to-the-assisted-living-chall.ashx Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:51:47 GMT It was a privilege for me last week to join in the celebrations at the Science Museum for the 250th Anniversary of Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, formed some 250 years ago at the Dowlais Ironworks, Merthyr Tydfil. A lot has changed... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/advanced-composite-materials-investing-for-the-fut.ashx Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:26:39 GMT After a vacation period of uncertain weather through July and August there was a real feeling that summer was over as I caught the 7.30am train out of Bristol on the Monday morning - darker mornings, queues for tickets and fuller trains. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/on-the-road-again.ashx Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:15:02 GMT It is now only 10 weeks to go before our annual flagship conference, Innovate, to be held this year on October 13th at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. Booking formally opens in a few weeks’ time but over 800 people have already registered their interest.... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/innovate-09-for-growth.ashx Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:55:34 GMT This month we celebrated the second birthday of the Technology Strategy Board. In a world currently marking a number of 40-year anniversaries - the first man on the moon, the first flight of Concorde, the first test tube fertilization of human eggs, the development of the computer mouse… the Woodstock Festival… a second birthday seems hardly significant at all. And yet as we look back over the last 12 months, and prepare content for our Annual Review, it is clear that we have achieved a great deal... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/the-best-birthdays-of-all.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:49:40 GMT Last week I visited the headquarters of Inmarsat in London for the launch of the Space Innovation and Growth Team, a joint industry and government initiative which will “define a 20-year vision and strategy for the future growth of the space industry.” The Technology Strategy Board will play a key role in the IGT, contributing to the Working Groups and to the Steering Board... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/we-have-lift-off.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:42:54 GMT As my regular readers will know, our strategy - Connect and Catalyse - builds around three specific themes: Technology-inspired Innovation, Challenge-led Innovation and what we call the Innovation Climate. In some ways the innovation climate ought to be the easiest theme to deliver on, and yet for many of us it is the most difficult. In a business world where there has rarely been a greater need to invest for recovery it is this fostering of a national confidence in the power of innovation... http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:35:34 GMT The Technology Strategy Board is a UK-wide organisation, and yet whenever I talk to businesses North of the border I am met with expressions of surprise about the extent of our involvement in Scotland’s innovation landscape. Put simply, we are currently investing in 230 projects which include one or more Scottish partners, we are engaged with every major university in Scotland and we have over 120 KTP projects involving Scotttish organisations. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/a-highland-fling.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:32:58 GMT Over the Bank Holiday weekend I went to the theatre – but with a difference. The reason for the visit was not the short, one-off performance itself, but the fact that it was part of a research experiment which is seeking to capture the experience of watching live theatre and extend it to the world of the digital consumer audience. The performance at the Bristol Old Vic was a short piece called Strange Case.,, http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/where-technology-meets-creativity.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:26:20 GMT It is important for us to visit and talk to people right across the UK, and last week it was the turn of the North West. We have built up a good relationship with the Science and Industry Council in the region and we understand their priorities. However I know that we still need to do more to engage with local businesses and, no matter how hard you try, you cannot escape comparisons being made with communication closer to home. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/from-bioscience-to-media.ashx Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:23:17 GMT Last week began for me in our Swindon head office, with internal reviews and preparing for the forthcoming Board meeting. Our main theme continues to be how important it is to invest during this downturn - and the role we must play in building businesses' confidence to ensure continued investment, while recognising the difficulties and the changed priorities. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/iain-gray-13-jan-2009.ashx Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:29:24 GMT Last week we published our first external blogs on the Technology Strategy Board website and we are now being followed regularly through our Twitter updates (www.twitter.com/Iain_Gray). We now have 20 Technology Strategy Board people registered on Twitter, being followed by increasing numbers of followers. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/iain-grays-blog-19-jan-2009.ashx Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:25:28 GMT An interesting week with some thought-provoking meetings and visits. Highlights: can we do even more to bring design thinking up front in our process, as this can have great impact? Can we do more to exploit Knowledge Transfer Partnership linkages to business in our priority areas? How do we help the LDA to closer engage and exploit to maximum advantage the innovation powerhouse represented by London? http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/iain-grays-blog-26-jan-2009.ashx Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:37:35 GMT From what I read and hear at the moment, there is a growing appreciation that if the UK is to emerge from the downturn in good shape, we must do all we can to encourage and support investment in business innovation. Innovation is not something that can be "turned on" quickly when conditions improve. Boosting such investment and focusing it on priority areas is necessary now; and that is at the heart of the Technology Strategy Board's actions in this economic climate. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/iain-grays-blog-2-feb-2009.ashx Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:30:35 GMT Last week was dominated by two things for me: the winter weather, and my interactions with the manufacturing sector - and in particular the automotive sector's approach to low carbon vehicle technology. Whether the two things are linked in any direct way is best left to another debate, but they do have two things in common - the need to address immediate conditions, and the longer term approach to investment in technologies to meet future environmental challenges. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/ian-grays-blog-9th-feb.ashx Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:28:56 GMT I am always keen to reinforce that the Technology Strategy Board is much more than just a funding agency but it is really pleasing when we can announce a new funding competition, particularly when it's long awaited and really welcomed by the community. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/full-of-energy.ashx Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:48:31 GMT On holiday and away from the office last week, but through Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as tracking our electronic news cuttings, I was able to keep abreast of what has been going on. The experience has made me ask myself questions – about increasing the role of social networking in driving innovation, and more particularly developing a social networking strategy for our organisation. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/away-but-in-touch.ashx Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:33:28 GMT One of the main differentiators of the Technology Strategy Board is our business currency. So a key aim for us is to ensure that both our human and intellectual business capital remain topical, and our objectives focused towards the needs of business. This particularly came home to me in various meetings last week, and in discussion with some of our European counterparts who are eager to understand more about our organisation and our contribution to the innovation landscape. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/not-just-an-island.ashx Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:05:02 GMT Last week at least three important subjects cropped up that I want to talk about in the future; the important opportunities presented by ministerial commitments at the 6th March summit on the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy; our progress and challenges in introducing an effective R&D procurement process, SBRI, to benefit both business and government in the UK; and the the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, one of Europe’s leading graduate recruitment programmes. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/meeting-business-leaders-of-tomorrow.ashx Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:26:57 GMT The subject of centres, and their impact on stimulating innovation in business, came up in various meetings I was involved in last week. This has provoked me into thinking about the role of centres in our agenda, and what part they can play in the innovation initiatives being put in place to facilitate recovery after the economic downturn. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/the-importance-of-place.ashx Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:29:01 GMT The Technology Strategy Board’s ability to deliver on its commitments is very dependent on its relationships and partnerships with the Research Councils and the regions. Both Lord Sainsbury’s 2007 report ‘The Race to the Top’ and the DIUS Innovation Nation report made strong reference to this – “The Technology Strategy Board should be given a new leadership role, with more formal relationships with the RDAs, Government Departments and Research Councils”. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/partnership-is-not-just-a-word1.ashx Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:29:28 GMT In a previous blog I wrote about the importance of partnerships with the regions and devolved administrations in delivering our objectives. This last week I visited Wales and had an opportunity to see how it is working there, and what business is thinking about the effectiveness of this relationship. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/travels-in-the-west.ashx Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:06:40 GMT This month we ‘go live’ on our latest SBRI competition, with three separate calls run jointly with the Strategic Health Authority for the East of England. The competition’s three themes are managing long-term conditions, patient safety and keeping children active. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/procuring-innovation.ashx Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:26:16 GMT Last Tuesday night, ahead of the Budget speech, I was speaking at a black tie dinner for members of AIRTO -the Association of Independent Research Technology Organisations. This is a membership organisation for high technology research businesses in the UK, many similar to us in that they work with other companies at the forefront of research and technology development. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/difficulty-and-opportunity.ashx Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:16:19 GMT In our strategic document, Connect and Catalyse, the section on “thinking and acting globally” identifies The Technology Strategy Board’s interest in Europe, the US and other, emerging, economies. It is true however that over our first 18 months the focus for development has been mainly concentrated on our UK work. http://www.innovateuk.org/content/iain-gray/the-european-picture.ashx Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:36:25 GMT