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Technology Strategy

Objectives

The Technology Strategy Board aims to drive forward the Government’s Technology Strategy.  The objectives for the Strategy over the next 5 to 10 years are to encourage and enable:

• The continued restructuring of the  UK economy in favour of high value, knowledge-based design, manufacturing and services;
• Significant activity relative to international competitors in chosen Key Technology Areas;
• High levels of domestic and inward investment relative to competitors in the Key Technology Areas;
• Innovative strategic procurement by Government which stimulates innovation in business and improves the quality and cost effectiveness of public services by encouraging pull-through of innovative products and services.

In helping to achieve the above objectives, the Technology Strategy Board will set its priorities and direct funding under its control to:

• Help our leading sectors and businesses maintain their position in the face of global competition;
• Stimulate those sectors and businesses with the capacity to be among the best in the world to fulfill their potential;
• Ensure that the emerging technologies of today become the growth sectors of tomorrow;
• Combine all these elements in such a way that the UK becomes a centre for investment by world-leading companies.

The Technology Strategy Board needs to support strengths in important R&D-intensive industries, such as pharmaceuticals and aerospace. UK technology is strong in these areas and UK-based companies are investing at levels on a par with their peers. At the same time the Technology Strategy Board must also increase engagement with the service sectors which now account for over 80% of the UK economy. 

The Technology Strategy Board is working closely with knowledge-intensive service sectors, such as creative industries and financial services, to increase  understanding of their needs and to determine how best the Board can support their continued success.

There is also a strong focus on those technologies where the UK has the capability and capacity to compete on a global stage. Within each of the Key Technology Areas selected, there is a focus on those technologies where the biggest benefit for UK business can be achieved and where we can make most difference to UK capabilities. The strength of the research base and the creativity and diversity of the workforce are key assets. Business R&D in the UK has a strong international dimension. The share of UK R&D that is financed by foreign-owned companies has been increasing and now accounts for a third of R&D conducted in the UK. This investment provides an important contribution to our continuing prosperity.

The Government spends in the region of £150 billion a year purchasing everything from office stationery to aircraft carriers. The Board, particularly through the work of the Innovation Platforms, will aim to join up activities across Government and to ensure there are better linkages between research and procurement opportunity helping to stimulate innovation in UK business.

Delivering the Technology Strategy

The Technology Strategy is delivered through the following main activities:

• Innovation Platforms - The integration of a range of technologies combined with better coordination of policy, regulation and procurement instruments across Government to address a major societal challenge and to deliver a step change in UK performance;
  
  
• Key Technology Areas - Strategies for identifying priority technologies and the activities required to ensure wealth generation;
  
  
• Collaborative R&D enables business and research communities to work together on R&D projects from which successful new products, processes and services can emerge;
  
  
• Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs) – National over-arching Networks which aim to improve the UK’s innovation performance by increasing the breadth and depth of the knowledge transfer of technology into UK-based businesses;
  
  
• Emerging Technologies - Providing the opportunity for businesses to take advantage at an early stage of some of the exciting research that is taking place in the science base.

What impact is the Board having?

The Board has been in existence since October 2004. Achievements to date include:

• A portfolio of over 600 Collaborative R&D projects with a combined business and Government investment in excess of £900m. The scope of the Collaborative R&D competitions has been expanded to support large projects as well as smaller projects approved within faster timescales;
  
  
• 22 Knowledge Transfer Networks across a range of technology areas. The KTNs now have in excess of 13,000 people registered to receive information through their websites and have held more than 240 events in the past year in which over 10,000 people and organisations have participated;
  
  
• Strategies in Key Technology Areas are being developed. Technology priorities identified through consultation with business help set the priorities and develop a longer lead-time for future Collaborative R&D competitions;
  
  
• The Board has developed the concept of Innovation Platforms - and has launched two pilot Platforms, with a further three Platforms currently being developed;
  
  
• There is now considerable cross-Government support for the work of the Board, with involvement from many Government Departments, the Research Councils, Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and Devolved Administrations (DAs).

The Board has put in place arrangements to monitor performance of the Collaborative R&D projects and the KTNs, but it is still too early to judge what overall impact is being achieved. The Board is currently considering measures that more closely capture those aspects of the innovation environment where Technology Strategy Board influence could be greatest and where its resources should be concentrated.

Technology Strategy Board - the future

The Technology Strategy Board will later this year be established as an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body based in Swindon. The Technology Strategy Board will take over from DTI responsibility for the delivery of a programme of Government financial support through collaborative R&D and knowledge transfer to encourage business investment in, and use of, technology across all sectors of the UK economy.

A number of programmes that are currently undertaken within the DTI will transfer to the new body including, Collaborative Research and Development, Knowledge Transfer Networks, Innovation Platforms and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.

The Technology Strategy Board will provide leadership to Government Departments and Agencies and work with the Regional Development Agencies, the Research Councils and the Devolved Administrations on technological developments and innovation of importance to UK industry. A key role will be to promote close working between Government and business in developing and exploiting new technologies.