FST JOURNAL

In July 2021, the Government published the UK Innovation Strategy. This policy document is the first major Government publication focussing on innovation for several years and the first since the 2019 General Election. The Strategy has four main pillars, entitled: Unleashing Business; People; Institutions & Places; and Missions & Technologies. It covers a large number of different areas, including investment in R&D, innovation via regulation and public procurement, skills, visas to attract global talent, investment via the Strength in Places Fund, and a new Innovation Missions Programme. It also identified seven key technologies on which to focus.

On 13 October 2021, the Foundation for Science and Technology brought together the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP), the Chief Executive of Innovate UK (Indro Mukerjee), the Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering (Dr Hayaatun Sillem), the Chief Technology Office of Rolls Royce (Paul Stein) and a Venture Partner from Merian Ventures (Priya Guha) to discuss the issues. A video recording, presentation slides and speaker audio from the event are available on the FST website at: www.foundation.org.uk/Events/2021/The-UK-Innovation-Strategy