Category: Sources

• new proposals to develop a Knowledge Exchange Framework to compare how effective universities are at business engagement and knowledge exchange are outlined
• the Minister also announced the first successful projects from the £100m Connecting Capability Fund and the successful regions selected for the third wave of the Science and Innovation Audits

Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson today (12 October 2017) outlined his vision to secure the UK’s status as a pioneering nation and called for universities to secure more return from the research conducted by institutions across the UK.

Speaking at the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) annual conference, Jo Johnson reinforced the importance of science and innovation in the Industrial Strategy and urged universities to deepen collaborative relationships with businesses to ensure the UK’s innovative strength has real-world and economic impact.

As part of this, new analysis published today by HEFCE of the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey highlights the progress already being made in improving knowledge sharing between UK universities and the commercial sector, which has continued to grow in 2015-16, with income reaching a record £4.2 billion. Despite this progress, the UK still lags behind comparable countries like the United States in terms of intellectual property income per research resource and the number of successful spin-off companies.

Jo Johnson said:

Universities have a vital role to play in their local communities and in the national economy. Given the record levels of public investment in R&D, it is essential that universities engage with businesses and communities to make the most of their knowledge and research.

There are great examples of this across the country but the system needs to find a new gear. University income from business engagement is growing more slowly than the economy as a whole, with British universities producing fewer spin-outs and less licensing income per pound of research resource than US counterparts. As a greater proportion of R&D takes place in universities in the UK than in other countries, it’s especially important that we get this right.

To help close this gap, the Science Minister announced plans to ask Research England within the new UK Research and Innovation body to consult the sector on the development of a new, public Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) to benchmark the performance from university-business collaboration and knowledge exchange. This builds upon the work undertaken by the knowledge exchange steering group led by Professor Trevor McMillan, and complements his proposal that the sector should develop clear statements of purpose in order to increase the effectiveness of engagement with business and the wider community.

Alongside the Research Excellence Framework and the Teaching Excellence Framework, the KEF will act as a benchmark for universities to ensure they are making the most of the opportunities available and help ensure that the UK benefits from the research, skills and knowledge in the higher education sector.

Additional funding for the Rutherford Fund:

The Government has been clear on its ambition to foster greater international collaboration in science and innovation, recently signing a Science and Technology Agreement with the United States and outlining plans to seek an ambitious science and innovation agreement with the EU. Celebrating the important contribution international scientists and researchers make to UK innovation, the Science Minister pledged an additional £18 million for the Rutherford Fund budget to attract the brightest minds to the UK. The funding is on top of the £100 million the Government has already invested and will enable an additional 200 fellowships to start this year, ensuring the UK remains the go to place for innovation and scientific discovery.

Connecting Capability Fund:

Jo Johnson also announced the first four projects to receive funding from the £100 million Connecting Capability Fund. Focused on university collaborations to boost the commercialisation of research, the first round will see groups of universities from England share £20 million to address areas such as age-related diseases, access to finance for spinouts, and support for SMEs as they scale-up.

Science and Innovation Audits Wave 3:

Emphasising the value of greater collaboration to further innovation, Jo Johnson confirmed the next 12 regions that will undertake a Science and Innovation Audit (SIA) to map their local research, innovation, and infrastructure strengths. Now in its third wave, the SIA process has already brought together businesses, universities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Devolved Administration equivalents to identify the opportunities for inward investment and regional growth, and will explore strengths in a number of sectors and disciplines across the UK including the marine economy in the Highlands and Islands and applied digital technologies in the North East of England.

NOTES:

The twelve consortia that will be part of the 3rd wave of the Science and Innovation Audits are:

1. Cyber Resilience Alliance (led by Worcestershire LEP with support from The Marches, Gloucestershire and Swindon and Wiltshire LEPs)
2. Maximising the Marine Economy of the Highlands & Islands (Led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise)
3. North West Nuclear Arc Consortium (led by Bangor University with support from Welsh Government and North West England LEPs)
4. North West Coastal Arc Eco-Innovation Partnership (led by Lancaster University with support from North West England LEPs and the Welsh Government)
5. Northern Powerhouse Chemicals & Processing Science (led by Tees Valley Combined Authority with support from North East, Humberside, and Liverpool City Region LEPs)
6. Northern Powerhouse in Health Research (led by Northern Health Science Alliance and includes LEPs, universities and teaching hospitals from across the Northern Powerhouse)
7. The South Wales Crucible (led by Swansea University)
8. Upstream Space (led by UKSA/Scottish Enterprise comprising Scotland; Leicester; Belfast and a corridor between Cambridge and Portsmouth)
9. Precision Medicine Innovation in Scotland (led by the University of Glasgow)
10. Applied Digital Technologies (led by North East LEP)
11. Sustainable Airports (led by Brunel University, looking at Heathrow)
12. The Knowledge Quarter, London

The first four funding projects within the Connecting Capability Fund are:

1. East of England – Essex University, University of East Anglia and University of Kent will collaborate on a project which aims to address the region’s productivity challenges by supporting company development and entrepreneurial skills growth
2. North of England – Higher Education Institutions in Manchester, Leeds, and Sheffield will collaborate on a project which aims to establish an investment fund to improve access to finance for university spinouts
3. South of England – this will be an extension of an existing collaboration between the universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey (the SETsquared Partnership) which aims to better support SMEs as they scale-up
4. The universities of Oxford, Birmingham and Dundee, and the Francis Crick Institute are collaborating on a project which aims to support the development of new therapeutics to tackle age-related diseases

Knowledge Exchange Framework:

Following the Innovation & Science Strategy 2014, HEFCE sought to increase the effectiveness of university knowledge exchange by establishing a knowledge exchange (KE) framework and steering group. The Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, Trevor McMillan, was asked to champion this within the sector. A number of tools and good practice guides for KE (such as “Good practice in tech transfer”) have already been developed and have been used by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) when developing their KE strategies.

Extensive data is already collected about universities’ KE performance via the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA) annual Higher Education Business Community Interaction Survey, and Research England will consult the sector as to how this data can be used to develop a balanced scorecard. Other recommendations from the McMillan Group are being taken forward, including the sector developing a set of common principles for effective KE, and the leadership of HEIs committing to adopting these principles.

• Scottish Secretary joins President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox at the first new Board of Trade today in Bristol.
• First meeting attended by representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Advisers from across the United Kingdom present – including two from Scotland – to provide expertise on trade and investment.

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, will today [12 October] take his place at the table of the new Board of Trade, convened to help boost exports, attract inward investors and ensure the benefits of free trade are spread equally across the country.

The new UK Government Board of Trade will bring together prominent figures from business and politics from each part of the UK to provide expertise and guide the Board on trade and investment matters.

David Mundell will be joined two expert business advisers from Scotland: Brian Wilson and Ian Curle.

Secretary of Scotland David Mundell said:

As the UK leaves the EU and we create an ambitious new trading relationship with the world, it is imperative that the voices of Scottish businesses are at the very heart of our planning.

I will be joining Cabinet colleagues in Bristol today as part of the UK Government’s new Board of Trade to bang the drum for Scottish businesses. The UK Government is committed to driving prosperity, supporting Scottish businesses and ensuring everyone feels the economic benefits as we build a truly global Britain.

I am very pleased that Brian Wilson and Ian Curle are joining us in this effort. Together, we will be a strong voice for Scotland, as we aim to help more Scottish businesses export overseas.

President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox said:

There is a world of opportunity out there for UK businesses and the Board of Trade will help identify and unlock new export markets and encourage further inward investment.

The advisers on the Board will act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the modern businesses community to ensure the benefits of free trade are spread equally across the country.

Brian Wilson was a Labour MP from 1987 until 2005 and is a former UK Trade Minister and Energy Minister. He is currently the chairman of Harris Tweed Hebrides and a director of Celtic plc. In 2012, he was named UK Global Director of the Year by the institute of Directors and in 2014 was the author of a report on Scottish exporting. Brian is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde.

Ian Curle has served as CEO of the Edrington Group since 2004, having joined the company in 1986. Edrington is one of Scotland’s leading premium spirits companies and produces internationally recognised brands such as The Famous Grouse. The company has annual sales of over £500m. Ian is also chairman of the North British Distillery and former chairman of The Scotch Whisky Association.

• Draft legislation designed to place a temporary cap on energy prices will be scrutinised by Parliament
• Publication comes as regulator announces a further million vulnerable consumers are to be protected by its existing price cap this winter
• Government remains committed to putting an end to households being charged excessive prices for their energy

Draft legislation that would see rip-off energy prices capped for millions of households has been published by the government today (Thursday 12 October).

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has outlined measures in the draft bill that would limit the cost of standard variable tariffs (SVTs) and other default tariffs that customers are moved onto at the end of a fixed-term deal.

Around two-thirds of energy consumers in Great Britain are currently on this type of tariff – that is around 18 million customer accounts, four million of which are on pre-payment meters and are already protected by a price cap.

As Ofgem announced yesterday, a further million vulnerable households will be protected from unfairly high bills this winter, meaning five million people this winter will be protected by price caps.

This has been welcomed but the government believes no-one should be overcharged by their energy company. It is now up to the energy companies and Ofgem to act – if they fail to act, the legislation will ensure customers get a fair deal.

The government will ask the Commons’ Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee to scrutinise the Draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill. The proposed legislation would mean a cap would run until 2020 at which point the independent regulator, Ofgem, would recommend to government whether it should be extended on an annual basis, up to expiry in 2023.

The Prime Minister said:

I have been clear that our broken energy market has to change – it has to offer fairer prices for millions of loyal customers who have been paying hundreds of pounds too much.

Today’s publication of draft legislation is a vital step towards fixing that, and in offering crucial peace of mind for ordinary working families all over the country.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said:

People who show loyalty to well-known brands are paying hundreds of pounds a year too much on standard variable tariffs and I am determined that this practice should end.

We have published draft legislation today, sending a clear message to the industry that we will protect the interests of their customers if they do act now to tackle the detriment found by the Competition and Markets Authority.

As the Competition and Markets Authority review of the retail energy market found last year, customers of the Big Six suppliers on standard variable tariffs and other default tariffs face a £1.4bn-a-year detriment. The government is determined to tackle this detriment, including through the introduction of smart meters that will enable consumers to see the cost of their energy usage and more easily find the best tariff for them.

People who are the most vulnerable to flu are being urged to get their free vaccination from today (12 October 2017), ahead of the winter period when the virus is most common.

This year, Public Health England (PHE) is offering the vaccination to more people than ever – around 21 million people in total. Children in school year 4 will be offered the vaccine for the first time and children over age 4 in reception year can get their vaccine in school.

The national drive marks the start of ‘Stay Well This Winter’, an initiative from PHE and NHS England to help the most vulnerable people prepare for winter and avoid having to visit hospital due to common winter illnesses.

Professor Paul Cosford, PHE’s Medical Director, said:

This year we are offering the nasal spray vaccine to more children than ever. Ensuring children get vaccinated is extremely important not only to protect them from flu but also to stop then spreading it to vulnerable groups they come in to contact with. For someone with a long term health condition like asthma or COPD, flu has the potential to turn very serious. We want as many eligible people as possible to get their jab, as it is the best way to protect everyone from flu and minimise the burden on the NHS during the season when it faces the most pressures.

Around 6.3 million people under 65 in England have a long-term health condition and are more at risk of suffering potentially fatal complications from flu. Last year, uptake amongst high risk groups increased by 3.5% amongst eligible people.

Those who are eligible for the free flu vaccine include:

• adults over 65
• pregnant women
• children aged 2 and 3 as well as pupils in reception class and school years 1 to 4
• people with long-term health conditions (including asthma, COPD and cardiovascular issues)

Another way of protecting vulnerable adults is to vaccinate children, who are ‘super-spreaders’ of the vaccine. For healthy children aged 2 and 3 the flu vaccine is in the form of a nasal spray, administered by a health professional. Parents of over 3 million children in reception class and school years 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be asked to agree to have their children vaccinated in school.

Last year’s flu vaccination programme reduced the risk of flu in children who received the vaccine by 65.8% compared to those that didn’t.

Dr. Rosemary Leonard, GP and broadcaster, said:

Young children’s bodies can find it hard to cope with flu, so it is especially important to protect them with the vaccine. The nasal spray is a quick, effective and painless alternative to needles.

Once ill, children also tend to spread infection more than adults. The vaccine helps to reduce the spread of flu to other more vulnerable family members, such as grandparents.

To get your vaccine or find out if you are eligible, contact your GP, pharmacist or midwife for more information. Visit nhs.uk/staywell for more details on how to help you and your family to stay well this winter.

Background

1. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. It does this through advocacy, partnerships, world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. Follow us on Twitter @PHE_uk.

2. The national flu campaign will also encourage pregnant women to protect themselves against flu in the run up to winter. Pregnancy naturally weakens the body’s immune system and as a result, flu can cause serious complications for the mother and baby.

3. For the first time, year 4 children will be offered the vaccine in a school setting, along with year groups 1, 2 and 3. Evidence shows this method ensures greater uptake of the vaccine, and consequently offers greater population protection through herd immunity.