10th MEETING OF EDF INNOVATION SUB-GROUP ON 1st FEBRUARY 2007

 

Attendees:        Frank Bryan, IOD (Chair)

Gerry McCormac, QUB

Bernie Hannigan, UU

Bob Barbour, C for C

Tracy Meharg, Invest NI

Linda Bradley, DEL

Wilfie Hamilton, DETI

Graeme Hutchinson, DETI

Edel Lamb, DETI

 

Apologies:         Stephen Kingon, Invest NI

                        Anne Conaty, DETI

 

WELCOME / APOLOGIES

 

1.      The Chair welcomed members and noted apologies from Stephen Kingon and Anne Conaty.  He informed members that Chris Conway had resigned from the Sub-Group due to work commitments and expressed thanks for his contribution in the past.  The Chair also advised that Siobhan Logue had replaced David McAuley, as DEL representative and he welcomed her deputy, Linda Bradley.

 

2.      The Chair noted that the minutes of the Sub-Group’s 9th meeting on 3 November 2006 had been agreed by members via email.

 

MATTERS ARISING

 

MATRIX: NI Science Industry Panel

 

3.      The Chair informed members that the first meeting of the NI Science Industry Panel (now branded as MATRIX) had taken place in November 2006 and had been focused on agreeing remit, scope of work and immediate priorities.  The second meeting and launch of the Panel are scheduled for 13 February 2007.

 

4.      Members noted the importance of ensuring that the work of the Sub-Group does not overlap with that of MATRIX.  It was agreed that both need to have clear agendas and that communication between the two groups must be maintained.  As the Sub-Group chair is also a member of the Panel, it was agreed that this is a useful point of contact.  It was also noted that the Science Industry Panel has already taken forward the Sub-Group’s earlier interest and involvement in Foresight in the areas of Agri-food and Life and Health Sciences.

 

HE/FE Collaboration Fund

 

5.      Linda Bradley advised members that following the presentation on the HE/FE Collaboration fund at the November meeting, DEL had received comments from Invest NI and the universities and had considered and responded to these.  These comments were incorporated into the final draft of the proposal, which was submitted to DEL on 8 December 2006.  An Economic Appraisal has since been completed and the proposal has been approved.  Letters of offer will soon be issued and the Fund is on track to begin funded activities in April 2007.

 

6.      Members agreed that this was a good example of the Sub-Group achieving an outcome.

 

Centres of Excellence

 

7.      The Chair reminded members that it had been agreed at the September meeting that further research into potential world-class Centres of Excellence within NI and throughout Ireland would be useful.  Invest NI advised that they have commissioned a survey to map all island of Ireland Centres of Excellence, in conjunction with IntertradeIreland and DEL.  A consultant has been appointed in line with procedures and Terms of Reference have been set.  The task will commence in February and be completed in May.  A draft report will be ready for consideration by the Sub-Group at their next meeting in May.

 

8.      Invest NI also noted that in reviewing previous work on Centres of Excellence a number of economic benefits have been identified.  Future work will include establishing a number of thematic areas driven by industry and getting more expertise.  This will include work with Enterprise Ireland and a proposal from Bombardier.  It was noted that Centres of Excellence is a facility for Invest NI to assist in the development of R&D Infrastructure.  This is an important area of work that will need to be addressed on a broad front with a number of organisations.

 

9.      Members noted that given NI’s limited resources there is a need to focus on a few key areas in which NI can gain world class excellence.  It was also suggested that it is necessary to outline the steps that must be taken in order to achieve this.

 

ACTION:           Invest NI to circulate the draft report on all island of Ireland potential world-class Centres of Excellence to Sub-Group members in May and to make a presentation on this at the Sub-Group’s next meeting.

 

Universities’ Paper

 

10.   The Chair informed members that the universities’ paper, ‘The Current Economic Impact of the Northern Ireland Universities and Enhancing their Role in Future Economic Development’, had been circulated at the plenary meeting in December.  The Chair noted that he had represented the views of the Sub-Group at this meeting and had anticipated that plenary EDF would endorse the paper.  However, while there was broad support for the paper, the universities had recommended that the paper be developed further in the context of a wider skills agenda.

 

11.   Representatives from the universities advised that the context for the paper needed to be clarified.  The paper needs to clearly state that the paper is not a reflection of the universities’ priorities as a whole, but that the focus is on innovation.

 

12.   It was also agreed that the paper needs to clarify its priorities.  It should be more specific and should include clear target subject areas for PhDs.  Issues that need to be considered are the infrastructure needed to support PhDs; steps needed to achieve an improved science base in NI; and, planning towards the medium term.

 

13.   The roles of the Sub-Group and of EDF plenary in developing this paper were also discussed.  It was agreed that the universities’ representatives, in taking forward this paper, would liaise fully with their institutions and subsequently with the Sub-Group.  It was agreed that the universities will develop the paper and then invite formal comments from DETI and Invest NI.  The intention is that the paper will be ready for presentation at the next plenary meeting (scheduled for 6 March).

 

ACTION:           University representatives to confirm if the paper will be ready for presentation at the next plenary.

 

REVIEW OF THE SUB-GROUP

 

14.   The Chair advised that he felt that this would be a useful point to take stock of the Sub-Group’s work in the past and re-focus the group for future work.  Members were informed that the chairs of the 4 Vision Sub-Groups had met with DETI to assess the role of the Sub-Groups and their relationship to EDF plenary.  It was agreed that the Sub-Groups and plenary meetings need to focus on recommendations and action.  It was noted that in order to strengthen the links between the Sub-Groups and plenary, future plenary agendas should consist of 2-3 issues raised by each of the Sub-Groups.  The Sub-Groups must bring recommendations to plenary that have been agreed by all the relevant organisations.  The role of the plenary is then to decide if the Sub-Group’s recommendations can be accepted and/or implemented.  It was agreed that it is crucial that actions confirmed at the plenary meetings must be clearly allocated to a lead department, who will then have responsibility for taking the action forward and reporting back on progress.

 

15.   It was suggested that the Innovation Sub-Group might bring issues such as the priorities of the HE/FE Collaboration fund and the universities’ paper to the next plenary meeting.

 

16.   Members agreed that the Sub-Group needs to focus on issues to which it can add value.  It was suggested that it might be useful to have a coherent definition of Innovation to provide structure to future work areas.  It was noted that the five priorities of the Treasury in terms of Innovation are: skills; maintaining investment in the region; developing new products; improving policy in the public sector; and developing new businesses from the research base.  One of the questions that the Sub-Group might discuss is whether these priorities are the same for NI.  It was suggested that it might be useful to have a brainstorming session at the next Sub-Group meeting to identify future work priorities.  It was agreed that to assist discussion of this a progress paper should be prepared on what work the Sub-Group has completed, timescales for ongoing work and potential areas for future work.

 

17.   The membership of the Sub-Group was also discussed.  It was noted that EDF should be a partnership between the public and private sectors but that currently there is only one representative from the private sector.  The chair suggested that the group co-opt two more members from the private sector and invited members to pass on any nominations to the Secretariat.

 

ACTION:           Members to pass nominations for new members to Secretariat.

 

ACTION:           Secretariat to include brainstorming session on potential areas for future work on the agenda of the next meeting.

 

ACTION:           Secretariat to circulate paper on what work areas the Sub-Group has completed, timescales for ongoing work, and areas for future work in advance of the next Sub-Group meeting.

 

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

 

Sub-Group Report for March Plenary Meeting

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to prepare a progress report for the March 2007 plenary meeting for clearance by the Chair.  Issues to be highlighted in the report include the review of the Sub-Group’s work programme, the universities’ paper (to be confirmed by university representatives), the priorities of the HE/FE Collaboration Fund and future work on Centres of Excellence.

 

Date for Next Meeting

 

18.   It was agreed that a meeting be arranged in advance of the June 2007 plenary.

 

ACTION:           EDF Secretariat to liaise with members on a date for the next meeting in late April / early May.