Again this year, Big Innovation Centre is hosting fringe events at the three main political party conferences. This include both parties of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government as well the party of the opposition, the Labour Party.
Our fringe event title this year is: “It’s innovation, stupid: Is the strategy for growth working?”
Our event provocation to be considered by the panels:
With almost a year since the launch of the government’s innovation and research strategy paper, this fringe will ask if we are far enough along the right track to creating the 21st-century framework for growth and prosperity? The UK has some of the world’s leading science institutions and universities with licences and company spin-offs from academic work improving. But ideas, credit and resources are not flowing with the speed, scale and energy required to achieve a long-term UK recovery.
Is the government’s approach really enough to support a wave of new companies and growth? Do we need the government to be smarter, more enterprising and agile than traditional state intervention models? How can businesses, finance, universities and markets work together to power our recovery?
Issues and questions to consider:
- What does the UK need for growth and prosperity?
- How can policymakers support economic growth?
- What are the main areas of innovation, and are they being supported?
- How best can universities, businesses and government work together?
- Is the Government’s Innovation and Research Strategy enough?
Liberal Democrat Party Conference 2012 fringe event
Monday, 24 September 2012 18:15 – 19:30
Grand Hotel, Victoria Terrace, Brighton
Panel:
- Panel Chair: Will Hutton, Chair, Big Innovation Centre
- Professor Birgitte Andersen, Director, Big Innovation Centre,
- Vicky Pryce, Senior Managing Director – Economic Consulting, FTI Consulting,
- Dr Paul Nightingale, Deputy Director, SPRU, University of Sussex,
- Prateek Buch, Acting Director, Social Liberal Forum
Labour Party Conference 2012 fringe event
1st October 18.00 – 19.30
Manchester Central, exec 8
Panel:
- Panel Chair: Will Hutton, Chair, Big Innovation Centre
- Professor Birgitte Andersen, Director, Big Innovation Centre
- Sarah Hunter, Head of UK Public Policy, Google
- Andrew Miller MP, Chair of Science and Technology Select Committee
- Andy Westwood, CEO, GuildHE
Conservative Party Conference 2012 fringe event
8th October 19.30 – 21.00
The ICC, Exec 1, Birmingham
Panel:
- Panel Chair: Will Hutton, Chair, Big Innovation Centre
- Professor Birgitte Andersen, Director, Big Innovation Centre
- Tim Barnes, Executive Director, UCL Advances
- Chris Yiu, Policy Exchange
