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Why choose the UK as a location for corporate R&D?
Tony Meggs (Chair); Jackie Hunter, GlaxoSmithKline; Ric Parker, Rolls Royce plc; Michael Walker, Vodafone
Panel discussion and discussion dinner
Monday 2 March 2009, 6pm for 6.30pm
The Royal Society, 7 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG - map
Globalisation is a critical challenge, and a key opportunity for UK research and development. With companies now operating on a global scale, they can choose to locate their R&D functions anywhere in the world. Countries are competing to attract these high-value, high-skill jobs. The UK has a strong tradition of corporate R&D from British and foreign-owned companies and a world-renowned science base. But is that enough for the future?
What attracts large R&D-intensive organisations to locate R&D in the UK? What influences companies to choose the UK as a R&D base? What could be improved to encourage more companies to choose the UK as a R&D base?
Join a panel discussion of major global R&D investors in pharmaceuticals, aerospace and defence and technology, to discuss the answers to these questions and more.
Panellists:
- Tony Meggs, former group vice president for technology at BP plc (Chair)
- Jackie Hunter, SVP, External Science Environment, GlaxoSmithKline: GlaxoSmithKline is a world-leading global pharmaceutical company, ranked 1st for R&D expenditure by UK companies in the 2008 DIUS R&D Scoreboard, and 13th globally.
- Ric Parker, Director of Research & Technology, Rolls Royce plc: Rolls Royce is a world-leading aerospace and defence company, ranked 7th for R&D expenditure by UK companies in the latest Scoreboard.
- Michael Walker, Group Research & Development Director, Vodafone: Vodafone is a leading technology and telecommunications company, ranked 14th for R&D expenditure by UK companies in the latest Scoreboard..