I have been eagerly anticipating the release of the final report "Encouraging a British Invention Revolution: Sir Andrew Witty's Review of Universities and Growth" since the preliminary report came out in the summer. Was I disappointed? No, most definitely not. This is a superb report, beautifully written (indeed, crafted), and where every sentence conveys precise meaning and insight. Will it therefore be welcomed by all academic staff throughout the land? Probably not, but if it is understood by academic leaders and government then it will become the principal force that shapes our academic landscape over the next decade. Over the next few weeks, I plan to critically evaluate the potential impact of this report on both my own academic discipline and health technology-based businesses that include the UK's relatively mature medical device sector as well as emerging fields ranging from regenerative medicine to telehealth. In the meantime, I urge all people with an interest in how universities can help to drive economic growth in the UK by partnership with business to read this report from Sir Andrew (link at the bottom of the blog).
While I am excited about the opportunities for academics to become even more involved in supporting industry, I am also aware that some of the recommendations are radical and will not necessarily be welcomed by all staff, at least not initially. Of course universities already work extensively with the non-academic world including businesses, and through this and other activities we already make a substantial contribution to economic growth and recovery. It is my opinion though that the thinking in the Witty report offers an even greater opportunity to harness the intellectual power of the UK academic base, generating benefits on an unimaginable scale while driving societal changes by establishing new ways of working in partnerships.
You can download the report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249720/bis-13-1241-encouraging-a-british-invention-revolution-andrew-witty-review-R1.pdf
While I am excited about the opportunities for academics to become even more involved in supporting industry, I am also aware that some of the recommendations are radical and will not necessarily be welcomed by all staff, at least not initially. Of course universities already work extensively with the non-academic world including businesses, and through this and other activities we already make a substantial contribution to economic growth and recovery. It is my opinion though that the thinking in the Witty report offers an even greater opportunity to harness the intellectual power of the UK academic base, generating benefits on an unimaginable scale while driving societal changes by establishing new ways of working in partnerships.
You can download the report here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249720/bis-13-1241-encouraging-a-british-invention-revolution-andrew-witty-review-R1.pdf
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