UK~IRC Innovation Summit 2009

Date: 8 December

Venue: The Royal Society

As we come out of recession, how can the UK become more competitive? How can we create an effective ‘innovation ecosystem’ to stimulate growth and wealth creation in the economy?

Strategy and policy leaders in government and industry, and senior academics will debate these crucial issues of our times in a wide-ranging discussion underpinned by challenging evidence-based academic research into how to make economic value out of technological innovation.

Aims of the Summit

The Summit provided crucial insights for policy-makers and businesses alike, and fuelled media and Government interest in topics of science policy interest through:

• An authoritative summation of academic research into the process of innovation process;
• An explanation of how to create value from investment in science and innovation;
• The exploration of innovation models, and how they are differentiated between, for example, biomedical and manufacturing markets, or technology-push and mission-pull;
• A debate on the policy and business issues that could create an effective ‘innovation ecosystem’ to stimulate growth and wealth creation in the UK economy.

What attendees got from the Summit?

• Policy-makers: An insight into the policies that will make a difference to business growth, and to the health of the UK economy, through encouraging successful innovation.
• Businesses: A better understanding of the processes and structure needed to help your business grow through successful innovation.
• Academics: An authoritative overview of the latest research and thinking on the policies and processes that enable value to be created from innovation.

This event was co-organised by Imperial College Business School and the UK~IRC.