Revising the R&D Society
At the suggestion of our President, Sir Richard Sykes, the Committee of the R&D Society commenced a review of the future direction of the Society – the most fundamental and wide-ranging review of the Society’s purpose and activities since its foundation.
This work included surveying leading members of the R&D community, from multinationals with a strong UK R&D base, to smaller organisations that see the importance of investment in R&D, to organisations that support the innovation process. We solicited their views on the future of UK R&D, and where the Society could or should fit in. Sir Richard kindly hosted a dinner discussion in October for around 25 leading figures in UK R&D to explore these issues further. This work continued into 2007.
UK R&D and policy
Higher Education in 2015 and beyond: will it meet our needs? was published on 4 October. This report, summarising the views of members of the UK R&D community of their current and future skill needs, was created to provide evidence to the Royal Society's policy study on "Science Higher Education in 2015 and beyond". It has been distributed widely, including to a Qualifications and Curriculum Authority project investigating the need for a specialised school (14-19) diploma in science. Media coverage included Research Fortnight; thechilli.com, and the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science.
On 15 December the Society made a submission to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Inquiry into the future sustainability of the higher education sector: purpose, funding and structures. We summarised relevant results from the Society’s consultation with leading figures in the UK R&D community that fed into the Society’s review of its own activities, together with extracts from the Society’s “Higher Education in 2015 and beyond: will it meet our needs?” report. The Committee is due to publish its report in 2007.
The R&D Society cooperated with Queen Mary University, UK and the American Association for the Advancement of Science on a multi-country project, which examined whether barriers to the dissemination of scientific knowledge and technologies are affecting the conduct of scientific research in business and in academia. The results of the study were published in early 2007.
Our publications
We launched a new website on 6 June 2006. It features more information on the Society and UK R&D, and an expanded and more secure members’ area containing materials provided by our speakers and all our members’ publications.
This includes the Society’s print newsletter, From ideas to wealth, which appeared three times in 2006 – February, May and October – and featured summaries of the Society’s talks, including Ian Harvey, George Cox and Gill Samuels and news of the Society’s activities.
Our email update for members was issued in Spring 2006, with news on policy issues and Government activities relevant to research and innovation.
In response to member demand, on 3 August the Society published a draft members’ directory in the members’ area of its website, the first for several years. This will be expanded upon for 2007, and we intend that this will be a regular member benefit.
Our events
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| Sir Tom McKillop, 2006 medalist receiving the medal from Sir Richard Sykes |
- 17 January 2006: The Missing Mezzanine, Simon Davey, Scienti fic Generics
- 21 February 2006: The Technology Strategy Board - one year on and the way forward, Dr Alan Begg
- 21 March 2006: Informed but not governed by public opinion, Dr Gill Samuels, Biosciences Futures Forum
- 25 April 2006: Building visions on R&D, Mr Chris Jofeh, Ove Arup
- 13 June 2006: IP & Innovation: China and Europe – reversing roles? Ian Harvey, Intellectual Property Institute
- 27 June 2006: SIG: Importance of creativity and design to R&D
- 27 June 2006: The Impact of Innovation on the UK Economy, Sir George Cox, Design Council
- 17 October 2006: SIG: Locating R&D in India and China: the opportunities and challenges, Joint event with the Asia Pacific Technology Network
- 17 October 2006: Dealing with discontinuity: Managing innovation beyond the steady state, Professor John Bessant, Tanaka Business School, Imperial College London
- 23 November 2006: 2006 Duncan Davies Memorial Medal lecture, The Challenges of Innovation, Sir Tom McKillop
Our membership
Our membership is the base from which we draw our strength and our mandate to operate. We need a strong, supportive membership for the Society to help make the UK the best environment for R&D in the world.
In 2006, we were pleased to welcome the following as Corporate Members:
- Ministry of Defence
- National Grid
- UK Trade and Investment
- University College London
- University of Central Lancashire
- University of Leicester
Thirty-four Individual members also joined during the year, bringing the total membership to 42 Corporate members and 115 Individual members. This includes Ian Harrison, who was elected as an Honorary Individual Member at our 2006 AGM, bringing the total Honorary members to nine.
The Board is drawn from our membership and governs the Society on behalf of the members. Following the 2006 AGM, the Executive Committee for 2006–7 is:
- Iain Simpson, Chairman
- Stephen Allport, Ordinary Member
- Richard Bahu, Honorary Programme Secretary
- E A Gloag, Honorary Treasurer
- David Knight, Honorary Secretary
- Graham Land, Ordinary Member
- Stephen Potter, Immediate Past-Chairman
- Renate Siebrasse, Honorary Membership Secretary
This Executive Committee will stand until the 2007 AGM on 19 June 2007.