INTRODUCTION

  1.  The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), as one of seven Research Councils funded from the Science Budget by the OST (DTI) supports research, education and fellowships, and public understanding in the areas of particle physics, astronomy and space science. Its budget in 1997-8 was £192 million. The Council provides its researchers, mainly in the universities, with access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) and the European Space Agency. PPARC is government funded. The Council has a responsibility to Government in its charter to ensure that the output of its science and technology research and education programmes is exploited, where possible, to the benefit of UK industry. The most assured benefit arises from the high grade scientists and engineers, many first attracted to study physics at school by the excitement of astronomy and space science, later exposed to major international research projects in the PPARC area, half of whom eventually find careers in UK industry or commerce. However, there is also direct benefit from the joint academe-industry development of the technologies demanded by PPARC's science agenda. PPARC is working to enhance these links.

  2.  Progress in particle physics, astronomy and space science is dependent on leading edge technologies which go beyond industrial standard products. This leads to innovation and development that would otherwise be unavailable to or from industry. Examples of current technologies include, superconducting magnets, high performance infrared and X-ray detectors, active optical systems precision lightweight structures, remote operations software, techniques for processing large data sets at very high speeds, and cryogenic systems. Some of these developments have already found their way into more everyday applications, for example MRI scanners (in health care), the World Wide Web (in commerce, etc), X-ray sensors (in dentistry) and infrared detectors (in night seeing devices). The Science and Technology Committee during its investigation into PPARC in 1996, received extensive evidence of the industrial benefits of PPARC science from a range of UK companies. British Nuclear Fuels plc: "UK companies benefit both in supplying key components and devices at the forefront of modern technology and by participating in development at the frontiers of what is possible thereby increasing their potential for spin off and wider industrial exploitation long-term...", Logica UK Ltd: "...space science has given rise to substantial industrial benefits...", Matra Marconi Space: "..the ESA Science Programme, funded by the PPARC subscription has a disproportionately large benefit to UK industry .." and Oxford Instruments plc: "..a huge outpouring over the years of enabling technology from particle physics.... has been captured by industry, health care and other researchers to the benefit of a very broad community indeed".

  3.  Since its foundation in 1994, PPARC has been working to improve the flow to UK industry of new technology developed in support of fundamental physics, and increase the number of its trained scientists and engineers who eventually work either with or in industry. This submission presents to the Committee PPARC's experiences and advice in the area of innovation and technology transfer. It does not address directly "the manner in which companies in the fields of engineering and physical sciences decide on developing new products and processes" which is outside the areas of PPARC's expertise.

SUMMARY

  4.  PPARC has concluded that to ensure that industry has the opportunity to exploit the output of academic research in engineering and the physical sciences, Government and Research Councils should use their influence and resources to:

(a)  encourage a culture of collaboration between academic and industry in which it becomes normal for highly skilled individuals to move between the sectors at any point in their careers;

(b)  create communications networks which enable a higher level of interaction between academic and industrial researchers;

(c)  encourage industry (particularly physics based industries) to be more willing to take risks and be more receptive to the potential for innovation based on research or technology produced in the science base.

FOSTERING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

  5.  In common with most other bodies, PPARC believes that the most effective vector for technology transfer is people. UK inventions cannot easily be preserved for UK industry, particularly in the present era of international conglomerates and electronic communication. That reality underlines the importance of trained people, of course, since they carry with them key insights, but are much less mobile than pure information. PPARC is therefore keen to develop a culture in the academic research environment where highly trained and skilled people move to and from industry as a matter of course. The Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) report to Treasury on the economic benefits of basic science identified both skilled personnel and advanced instrumentation as two of the most important outputs of the science base. A similar finding was made in the SPRU report for the Institute of Physics on "Physics and Industry" which reported that the links between basic physics and industry were complex, involving people, technologies and other science and engineering disciplines. PPARC's own study on post graduate career paths (by the Pieda consultancy) showed that young people trained in PPARC subjects acquired skills that were valued by industry, and have no difficulty in moving to careers in industry or commerce. That report, based on the experience of two cohorts of postgraduates from 1986 and 1988, showed a high degree of employability, with half now outside of the PPARC research community, and 83 per cent recalling their PhD training as being essential or of value to their chosen career.

  6.  Taking note also of the high quality and demand, PPARC has significantly increased the number of postgraduate students supported, with the specific aim of increasing the potential supply to industry, and supports a number of schemes (see below) directed at promoting a culture of collaboration and technology transfer. PPARC discourages universities from promoting the view that an industrial career is second best to an academic one, and believes that HEFCs should be encouraged to give greater recognition to industrial collaboration in the Research Assessment Exercises.

  7.  Government can also promote technology transfer and research collaboration by encouraging more and better communication between academe and industry. This was one of the primary aims of the Foresight programme, which can make a major contribution in this area. However, Foresight should concentrate on creating communications networks and identifying long term research needs rather than attempting to identify short to medium term research projects. PPARC welcomes the consultation exercise undertaken by OST to define the methodology for Foresight 2000. PPARC is operating its own equivalent of a "foresight" exercise in the construction of its Long Term Technology Plan. By making long term plans for technology development, PPARC plans to ensure that its community is provided with the instruments essential to future scientific competitiveness and to encourage the involvement of industry in the development, delivery and exploitation of the technology.

  8.  The NERC initiative NEST (the Network for Exploitation of Science and Technology) is an on-line web based research information forum using data from Research Councils and other sources. Currently still in the developmental phase, NEST should prove a simple and effective way to provide useful information on current research interests in academe, the Research Councils and industry: PPARC has produced its own database of the technological expertise in its academic astronomy and particle physics community. This has been widely distributed to industrialists seeking technological solutions.

SCHEMES TO PROMOTE RESEARCH COLLABORATION AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION

  9.  The PPARC research community is focused on research in fundamental physics, which is, by its nature, unlikely to be of commercial or industrial interest in the short term. As a result, there has traditionally been less collaboration with industry than in research areas of more immediate application. Where the PPARC community has worked with industry, it has concentrated on improving existing technologies, or developing new technologies, to meet specific research equipment requirements. PPARC has developed and introduced a range of schemes to foster a stronger culture of industrial collaboration and technology transfer, as described below.

  10.  The PPARC Industrial Programme Support Scheme (PIPSS), encourages long term relationships between UK researchers and UK industry by funding (through a research grant) the academic side of research collaborations with industry on subjects of common interest. The operation of PIPSS is kept as flexible as possible in order to ensure that collaborations may be established which suit the needs of the interested parties. It is designed to help develop novel research technologies up to the point at which commercial application can be demonstrated.

  11.  PPARC, like other Research Councils, also offers Co-operative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE), a PhD research studentship designed to give students industrial experience by providing research, training and supervision of the student by a university and an industrial firm. However, in response to industrial representation, PPARC has in addition developed a strengthened "CASE-Plus" scheme which additionally offers students an extra (fourth) year of support working as an employee of the industrial firm at a postdoctoral salary level. PPARC has also recently become a sponsor of the Royal Society Industry Fellowships scheme. This scheme supports the movement (in both directions) of more senior scientists between academe and industry.

  12.  The Teaching Company Scheme (TCS), of which PPARC has recently become a sponsor, is specifically aimed at technology transfer through people. Funded in part by the DTI, it is widely regarded as one of the most effective technology transfer schemes. Indeed, the recent quinquennial review of TCS recommended its expansion after finding it to be highly effective in both technology transfer and economic impact. The scheme is also attractive because it is supported by a team of consultants who broker new relationships between universities and companies, especially SMEs.

IPR AND PATENTING

  13.  It is PPARC's policy that any results derived from funded research showing commercial potential, whether patentable or not, should be exploited. Arrangements should be made to secure a suitable return to the institution and the investigators. However, PPARC has received advice from industry that, if interpreted too narrowly, universities' concerns to maximise revenue from licensing can be a barrier to successful exploitation.

11 March 1998