Posted By
Charles Levy
29 February 2012
We know that our higher education sector is under strain. Complicated caps on student numbers, changes in tuition fees and the ‘impact’ agenda have created a baffling mix of institutional and individual incentives across the sector.
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In October last year, the Chancellor had announced that the Government would begin a policy of credit easing to improve small businesses' access to finance.
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Posted By
Spencer Thompson
15 February 2012
How the UK provides skills to its population is an important issue. Previous research by The Work Foundation pointed to a growing need for knowledge workers over the coming decade, and indeed it is this section of the labour market where jobs growth has been strongest in the recession: In 2010 there were around 180,000 more knowledge workers in the UK than in 2008. At the same time, the way we fund higher education in order to provide these degree-level skills is going through a difficult transition, from a model of state-funding towards greater student contributions via higher tuition fees. Whilst it is probably too early to tell whether this is having a negative effect on applications, we should take seriously experimental alternatives to the standard teaching model that may be able to provide some of the UK’s skills needs far more cheaply.
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Posted By
Charlotte Holloway
13 February 2012
A quick word from me about the latest developments happening over at Google, which has seen the ranks of the internet innovation community all a-chitter-chatter. Google’s Solve for x (or just "< x >" for the mathematically literate amongst you) has the potential to be big, and I mean really big, and the scope and ambition deserve a moment’s pause. Google < x > describes itself as ‘a forum to encourage and amplify technology-based moonshot thinking and teamwork’.
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Posted By
Andrew Sissons
07 February 2012
British manufacturing is in a very delicate place at the moment. The last three months of 2011 saw a contraction in the sector, dashing hopes that manufacturing would lead the UK out of recession.
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Posted By
Laura O'Brien
06 February 2012
For the gaming industry, it would be fair to say last week’s news was mixed, with a big split between the traditional and digital parts of the industry.
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Posted By
Birgitte Andersen and Hiba Sameen
02 February 2012
FINNOV, short for Financing Innovation and Growth: Reforming a Dysfunctional System is a research collaboration coordinated by Professor Mariana Mazzucato funded by the EC under its 7th Framework Programme. Yesterday, the project launched its final research at the House of Commons with appearances from David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Science and Universities and Chi Onwurah, Shadow Minister for Innovation and Science.
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Posted By
Andrew Sissons
02 February 2012
Facebook’s stock market flotation is a big deal. The social network is one of the world’s most iconic companies, and it plays a prominent role in many of our lives, but up until now we’ve known precious little about how successful Facebook is as a business. Last night’s announcement changed all that.
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