3rd MEETING OF EDF INNOVATION SUB-GROUP ON 22 AUGUST 2005

 

Attendees:        David Dobbin, CBI

Fabian Monds, Invest NI

Bob Barbour, CforC

Bernie Hannigan, UU

Chris Conway, Nortel

Wilfie Hamilton, DETI

Anne Conaty, DETI

Jim Hanna, DEL

 

Welcome / Apologies / Minutes of Last Meeting

 

1.      David Dobbin welcomed Professor Bernie Hannigan and Jim Hanna to the 3rd meeting of the Innovation Sub-group and apologies were noted from John Mann, David McAuley and Graeme Hutchinson.

 

2.      The draft minutes, as circulated with papers, were agreed without further amendment.

 

Matters Arising

 

Higher and Further Education Collaboration Fund

 

3.      David Dobbin advised members that, as David McAuley was unable to attend the meeting, it had been agreed that the issue of the Higher and Further Education Fund would be carried over to the Group’s next meeting.

 

Innovation Agenda for FE Sector

 

4.      Fabian Monds referred members to the progress paper on the action plan to take forward the Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship – Further Education Report.  Sub-group-members noted the inclusion of a referral system which should result in the development of a tripartite system between FE, HE and business and thus improve the interface between education and industry.  Sub-group members suggested that there might be merit in looking at the issues to be addressed on an individual industry sector basis.  Some concern was expressed that the timescales in the action plan were ambitious, however, the sub-group agreed that as these targets were set by the FE sector itself they should stand.

 

Invest NI Representation on the Innovation Sub-group

 

5.      David Dobbin advised members of Invest NI’s wish for Tracy Meharg to sit-in at future Sub-group meetings.  Following discussion it was agreed that, Tracy Meharg should be invited to the next meeting of the Group to give a presentation on Invest NI’s work in relation to innovation - a decision on future participation would be made after this.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to invite Tracy Meharg to make a presentation at the next Sub-group meeting.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to include Tracy Meharg on the copy list for minutes of Sub-group meetings.

 

Payback from Centres of Excellence

 

6.   Fabian Monds advised that Invest NI had noted the Sub-group’s comments in relation to the evaluation of payback from the Centres of Excellence and advised that the Sub -group’s suggestion in relation to the ranking of the Centres might prove difficult.  In realising that ranking may not be viable, sub-group members suggested that there might be merit in categorising progress to date in each of the Centres into bands especially in terms of the value that their performance makes to the commercial sector.

 

Education Dimension – Development of ToRs for the Skills Sub-group

 

7.   Jim Hanna referred members to the Skills for Innovation paper and explained that it set out DEL’s current approach to skills and considered some of the issues relating specifically to innovation skills.  Jim advised members that DEL would welcome the Sub-group’s views.

 

8.   Sub-group members discussed the issue of the lower proportion of graduates progressing further for a higher degree in NI compared to other regions.  Professor Hannigan mentioned an InterTradeIreland sponsored taskforce, “Engineering the Knowledge Island” which included a review of what the Island of Ireland needed to achieve to be one of the  top 5 innovative countries and identified the key characteristics needed to be in the top 5.  She advised that the key issues arising from the report, which was due to be published shortly, were the supply of people/skills at the higher degree level and the dearth of funding, both from government and industry in supporting higher level students. 

 

9.   Sub-group members also discussed the importance of taught post graduate programmes which often offered a speedy response to employers needs.  Sub- group members noted the withdrawal of DEL funding from this area.  Sub-group members also noted that DETI was working with DEL to identify  key niche technologies likely to be of the most economic benefit to NI in the future and suggested that the funding for taught programmes at post graduate level be re-considered in the key technology areas identified through the DETI / DEL work.

 

10. Sub group members also discussed the difference between innovation and research. While research depended on the availability of higher degrees, innovation depended on other skills such as design, product development etc.  The provision of the necessary skills and mind set revolved around the embedding of innovation skills in the curriculum.  Sub-group members also recognised the need for shorter to medium term solutions within businesses themselves, such as using current mechanisms to improve such skills, for example, through the Invest NI Company Development Programme.  Members agreed that it would be helpful for Tracy Meharg to include in her presentation at the next meeting, a section on the development of innovation skills through Invest NI programmes.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to arrange for Michael Maguire, Chair of the Skills Sub-group to be invited to the next Sub-group meeting.

 

ACTION:     Anne Conaty to liaise with DEL on progress in identifying key technology areas, in relation to future skills needs.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to ask Tracy Meharg to include, in her presentation, a section on the development of innovation skills through Invest NI programmes.

 

Current Measures of Innovation in NI – Approach to Indexing Innovation

 

11. Bob Barbour outlined the work undertaken since the last meeting in terms of determining a way forward in relation to measuring innovation in NI.  He explained that the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) only provided data every 4 years, although UK proposals were that this be moved to a 2-year cycle.  The Irish Innovation Panel data was produced on a 3 year basis with current data from both surveys being focussed more on research rather than innovation.  He went on to explain that following meetings between DETI, C for C, Forfas, the universities and InterTradeIreland, it was proposed that a scaled down version of the CIS i.e. an annual “CIS Light” survey which would include the main indicators of the full CIS plus extracts from other innovation surveys should be established.  This survey would allow for benchmarking with ROI on an annual basis and could also be referenced against UK and EU CIS data.

 

12. Members were content with the proposal to date but suggested that the annual survey might provide a good opportunity to include indicators on what companies were doing in terms of developing their skills base.   Consideration should be given to what other innovation enablers might also be measured, for example, uptake of ICT services by NI companies.  It was also suggested that some consideration might be given to the inclusion of indicators which would provide data on the level of NI companies’ and universities’ international collaboration.

 

ACTION:     Innovation metrics group to consider members’ suggestions and produce an update paper for the next Sub-group meeting.

 

ACTION:     Invest NI to include, in the presentation for the next Sub-group meeting, details of international collaboration included in Invest NI’s innovation activities.

 

Identification of exemplar supply chains / clusters

 

13. Bob Barbour referred members to the roadmap network paper and the model which had been developed to enable cluster level support rather than individual company support.

 

14. During the discussions which ensued it was recognised that there were gaps in addressing clustering opportunities in the fields of tourism and the environment and it was suggested that a suitable action for the EDF would be to prepare a case study of an exemplar cluster which might be used as an example to other companies / sectors.  It was also recognised that this work need to be related back to the key technology areas work being progressed by DETI / DEL.

 

ACTION:     Bob Barbour to prepare a case study of an exemplar cluster for the next Sub-group meeting.

 

Innovation Agenda for the Tradeable Services Sector

 

15. Fabian Monds referred members to a paper which set out Invest NI’s current activity in relation to the tradeable services sector.  He explained that Invest NI would like to see the sector having the same access to support as other traditional sectors.  He went on to advise that Invest NI had started work in terms of consulting on issues for the sector with a view to producing a statement on priorities and objectives.

 

16. Sub-group members enquired if a Foresight review had been carried for the tradeable services sector. Having determined that no formal Foresight review had been conducted sub-group members suggested that a review should be arrange but recognised that the sector may need to subdivided for a Foresight exercise to be effective.  From further discussion it was established that Foresight reviews in general had been organised on a sector by sector basis with no over arching responsible organisation.  It was agreed that consideration should be given to mapping foresight work carried out to date and identifying whether any key technology sectors had been missed.

 

ACTION:     Anne Conaty to identify foresight work to date and relate this to the key technology work being progressed by DETI / DEL and provide a paper for the next Sub-group meeting.

 

ACTION:     Invest NI/Tracy Meharg to include tradeable services as a section in her presentation for the next Sub-group meeting, particular any gaps in current support provision.

 

ACTION:     Bob Barbour to forward to Sub-group members, a copy of a Business Alliance / Universities paper on mapping between technologies and sectors.

 

Progress Template

 

17. Members felt that the first draft of the progress template should be refocused to fully reflect the work undertaken by the Group to date, for example, the work on measuring and benchmarking innovation in NI should be identified.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to amend the progress template to reflect members’ views.

 

Sub-group’s Report for September EDF Meeting

 

18. Members agreed that the progress template would form the basis of the Sub-group’s report for the September EDF and would be supplemented by a short narrative report.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to prepare initial draft of report and then invite the Sub-group Chair to a meeting to sign-off in advance of issue to other members for approval.

 

Any Other Business

 

19. Bob Barbour referred members to a consultation document entitled “Supporting Growth in Innovation – enhancing the R&D tax credit” which highlighted the low take-up of the R&D tax credit and suggested that this might be another area which the Group might consider.

 

ACTION:     Fabian Monds to raise the consultation document with Invest NI to see if anything needed to be done to assist NI companies to take up R&D tax credits.

 

Dates of Future Meetings

 

20. Bernie Hannigan, through the Secretariat, had raised the issue of the Sub-group meetings being held on Mondays.  This caused a problem for both Professor Mann and herself as QUB and UU management meetings were held on Mondays.

 

ACTION:     Secretariat to liaise with Professors Hannigan and Mann to find out most suitable times for future meetings and report back to the Chair.