§ Mr. Stephen O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to develop a national policy anti strategy for science, engineering and technology exploitation. [174700]
30W
§ Ms HewittThe recent Innovation Report highlighted the challenge the UK still faces in exploiting its significant science, engineering and technology achievements. In order to rise to this challenge the DTI are leading in the development of a national Technology Strategy to stimulate business demand for new and emerging technologies.
The Strategy will identify technology priorities critical to the growth of the UK economy, matching business needs with what science can achieve. Government and its agencies will use the Strategy to steer investment in UK and European R and D programmes. It will also inform the future development of wider Government activities, such as innovative public procurement.
The Strategy also sits alongside a national policy to address the gender imbalance in science and technology, which included the announcement of a £1.5 million support package. Among other initiatives, this has provided a new science resource centre, officially opening in September 2004, that will encourage female scientists to return to science and more women to pursue successful scientific careers.
This will complement our existing activities in facilitating the exploitation of the science and engineering base through funding to support knowledge transfer activities in Higher Education Institutes (the Higher Education Innovation Fund) and Public Sector Research Establishments (the Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund).