6th MEETING OF EDF
INNOVATION SUB-GROUP ON 1 FEBRUARY 2006
Attendees: David Dobbin, CBI
Bernie Hannigan, UU
Bob Barbour, C for C
John Mann, QUB
Stephen Kingon, Invest NI
David McAuley,
Graeme Hutchinson, DETI
Anne Conaty, DETI
Tracy Meharg, Invest NI
Alistair Fee, QUB
Welcome / Apologies /
Minutes of Last Meeting
1.
David
Dobbin welcomed members to the 6th meeting of the Innovation
Sub-group and noted apologies from Wilfie Hamilton, DETI and Chris Conway,
Nortel. He welcomed Stephen Kingon to
his first meeting of the Group.
2.
The
draft minutes, as circulated with papers, were agreed without further
amendment.
Matters Arising
Foresight
3.
Anne
Conaty reported that a proposal to establish Niche Technology Horizon Scanning
Panels had been prepared and submitted to the SoS’ office for consideration
under a new Skills and Science Fund. She
explained that it was intended the panels would have strong industry leadership
with support from NI’s most expert academics in the relevant technology
sectors. The panels would be tasked with
taking forward the work developed by previous Foresight exercises, built on
since, with the help of the Forum’s Innovation Sub-group, the Business
Alliance, the HE / FE Forum, Invest NI’s directors and other innovation
stakeholders. She reported that while a
decision had yet to be finalised, the proposal had met a positive response from
the SoS’ special adviser and an announcement surrounding the Skills and Science
Fund was expected shortly. It was
intended that the panels would be established by September 2006, with interim
panel reports by March 2007 and final reports by March 2008.
HE
/ FE Collaboration Fund
4.
David
McAuley reported that a paper was with the DEL Minister and advised that he
would bring this paper to the next meeting of the Sub- group.
ACTION: David
McAuley to provide a paper for the next Sub-group meeting.
Review of Innovation
Sub-group Report Presented at Last EDF Meeting
5.
The Chair reminded members
of previous discussion about the tradeable services sector and advised members
that the Sub-group now needed to determine a way forward. Members agreed that the term “tradeable
services” needed to be defined but that it needed to be broad enough to be able
to determine areas of higher added value. Tracy Meharg advised that there was an
increasing amount of R&D being undertaken in the tradeable services sector
and explained that Invest NI was taking forward an exercise to determine economic
and innovation potential within the sector as a means of determining where to
build competitive advantage. The export
potential of the sector also needed to be harnessed. Members asked that key areas identified be
brought to the next Sub-group meeting.
6.
Graeme reminded members
that DETI was in the process of undertaking high level research into tradeable
services and innovation. He confirmed
that Terms of Reference for the project were currently being developed and it
was agreed that these would be presented at the next Sub-group meeting.
ACTION: Tracy Meharg to bring the results
of Invest NI’s exercise to determine economic and innovation potential of the
tradeable services sector to the next meeting.
ACTION: Graeme Hutchinson to bring
Terms of Reference for research project into tradeable services and innovation
to the next Sub-group meeting.
Nanotechnology
7.
David Dobbin reminded
members that the Group’s discussions had concentrated on the need for
additional funding for PhD students as a means of developing a critical mass in
nanotechnology research. Prof Hannigan
advised that a short paper setting out a case additional for PhD students had
been prepared after the last meeting and the Chair reported that he had
mentioned the issue to the Minister on the fringe of another meeting. The issue of the need for evidence of the
impact that such funding would have on the economy was reiterated and it was
agreed that Professors Hannigan and Mann would facilitate a paper for the next
Sub-group meeting.
ACTION: Professors Hannigan and Mann
to prepare for the next meeting a paper to highlight the need for funding of
more PhD students to include specifics on the impact of such funding on the NI
economy.
Centres of Excellence
8.
David Dobbin reminded
members that some work had started to determine the economic value of the
Centres of Excellence. Tracy Meharg
advised that Invest NI was undertaking work to consider centres of excellence
on an all-island basis to determine the available leverage which might be
provided by working on an all-island basis.
It was suggested that DETI and Invest NI representatives should liaise
to consider if a proposal on the way forward should be brought to members at
the next meeting.
ACTION: G
Clustering
9.
Following discussion about
the merits of clustering members agreed that the culture in NI was a mindset of
competing rather than collaboration and development of external export
potential. Members recognised that a
critical mass of clusters would be essential to entice FDI. However, to secure funding for clusters they first
needed to understand their economic impact.
Bob Barbour agreed to liaise with Invest NI to bring a paper on a
proposed way forward to the next meeting of the Sub-group.
ACTION: Bob Barbour in liason with Tracy
Meharg to develop a proposal on the way forward for the next Sub-group
meeting.
Innovation Metrics
10. Members were advised that in-house
work was continuing with regard to developing a suitable questionnaire for
regularising the measures of innovation from NI particularly from a business
perspective. The issue of analysing the
forthcoming CIS4 survey was also raised and members welcomed the point that
results from a NI and wider perspective would be circulated as and when ready.
ACTION: DETI to highlight progress on
the innovation metrics issue at the next Sub-group meeting.
Regional Science /
Innovation Council
11. Anne
Conaty advised on the proposed establishment of a Northern Ireland Science Industry Panel (NISIP). She informed all that NISIP would be an
advisory panel to encourage the business community - in partnership with the
public and academic sectors - to take a leadership role in the development of
the region’s science and R&D base. A
bid to support this had been made by DETI under the Skills and Science Fund.
12. It
was proposed that NISIP would be led by high-technology and
R&D intensive industry; remain purely advisory in nature; report to the
DETI Minister; develop and maintain strong links with EDF and the EDF
Innovation Sub-group; develop and maintain strong links to the Invest NI Board;
and develop and maintain strong links with the Inter-Departmental Working Group
overseeing the Regional Innovation Strategy (with particularly strong links to
DEL and DE).
13. It would exploit the R&D and science base
and the promotion of innovation; champion and develop a more effective and
productive relationship between industry and the regional R&D and
science/technology base; develop a Technology Horizon Scanning programme to
maximise the future success of Northern Ireland’s R&D and innovation based
economy; and act as central point of coordination in building the case for
resources to develop the science and technology base in the region. Membership of NISIP would include business,
Invest NI, EDF, universities and the FE sector with a Chair who was
internationally renowned in the business community.
14. It
had been suggested by DETI that NISIP should run as a 2-year pilot programme
followed by an assessment of its effectiveness.
While it was recognised that there were gaps in the NI’s science agenda,
members were concerned that NI had insufficient scientific base to warrant the
establishment of such a body nor did it have enough businesses with the
critical mass to raise the R&D base.
In general, members were not against the establishment of such a group
as NISIP and recognised the need for expertise but they did raise concern about
duplication of work and the need to consolidate. Members suggested that there might be merit
in either standing down the innovation Sub-group or alternatively use the EDF
Sub-group as a base for NISIP and add the necessary expertise to it.
15. Anne
Conaty advised that although she noted members’ concerns there was a need to
focus on science / research while the innovation Sub-group concentrated on the wider
innovation issues.
Action: Anne Conaty to keep members informed of
developments.
Innovation
Greenhouse Proposal
16.
Alistair
Fee explained that he ran a marketing innovation technologies course at
QUB. Through his work he had developed
an idea to bring academic research and industry
together, with the help of government to build a creative network to
commercialise research. The networks or
clusters would design, develop and build on the research being carried out by
universities. Universities would commit
resources of ideas, research and support to help industry achieve its long term
objectives in new product / technology/ process innovation.
17. Prof Fee
explained that his idea might be taken forward by:
–
establishment of an Innovation Forum that meets 4 - 6 times a year
and creates ideas which can be used by all taking part. This type of forum works best in small groups
of about 25. This could be a campus
based series of events and could be built upon through meetings more often
in specific clusters, but with non specific participants. For example, engineering to discuss
engineering issues but with anthropologists , medics, and others present to
create positive imbalance;
–
furnishing of a specific creative space in which participants might
learn from each other, explore the future, share ideas and technology, share
business opportunities and cross sector information to create a series of spin
out companies / technologies that N Ireland could exploit; and
–
building an International Irish Innovation Institute in
18.
In
response to members’ queries Prof Fee explained that contact with NI industry
had to date been limited to contact with BT in December 2005 so actual outputs
for his proposal were unavailable. While
members appreciated that Prof Fee was trying to find the right structure to
allow a free exchange of ideas they explained that to support such a proposal
they would need evidence of the impact it would have on the NI economy.
19.
Members
agreed that Bob Barbour would maintain a watching on developments with Prof
Fee’s proposal and suggested that a substantive proposal might be brought back
to the Sub-group when available.
Global Tracking of
Innovation
20. David Dobbin reminded
members that global tracking of innovation had been raised during discussion
about the Sub-group’s report at the December plenary meeting.
21. Bob Barbour gave members a
paper which set out the European Innovation Scoreboard and also the “hot spots”
for innovation around the world. Members
recognised that NI was a region of a larger nation and it was important to
understand intervention. Tracy Meharg
explained that in relation to intervention Invest NI had learnt from
ACTION: Tracy Meharg to send details of Invest NI Design
Programme to Sub-group Chair.
Any Other Business
Innovation
Week
22.
Tracy
Meharg advised members that Invest NI was hosting an Innovation Week and asked
members to forward any views / thoughts to her for consideration.
Plenary
EDF Meetings – Agenda Items
23.
Members
had no items for discussion / debate at future meetings.
Sub-group
Report for March Plenary Meeting
24.
Members
noted that a short progress report needed to be prepared for the March plenary
meeting.
25.
Members
noted that the next meeting of the Sub-group was set for 23 May 2006, 9.30am at
Dale Farm House.