EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  Science and discovery centres may fall outside conventional funding mechanisms making their futures uncertain. The experience of the Bolton Technical Innovation Centre (TIC) shows that the more innovative the centre is, the more vulnerable it is likely to be in terms of funding and in terms of pressures to compromise vision. Being the UK's first "Junior Incubator" and purpose-designed to inspire the next generation of innovators, scientists and engineers, the TIC is an important experiment and one giving encouraging results and cited as best practice in UK and Europe. Yet the TIC receives no central revenue funding. This innovative project deserves to be funded, as it tackles a most persistent problem recognised by industry and government alike: how to inspire young people to choose SET-related courses and careers and to become the next generation of industry leaders. We cannot afford NOT to fund UK science and discovery centres.

  1.  In 2000, during an interview with Sue Lawley on "Desert Island Discs", Nobel prizewinner and eminent scientist Sir Harry Kroto had been speaking about growing up in Bolton and asked where a 14 year old like him could go to, with a head full of equations and ideas to pursue. Following the broadcast, Paul Abbott wrote to Sir Harry and described the concept of the Technical Innovation Centre (TIC), which at that time was just emerging.

  2.  The TIC is also a response to a challenge of Lord Puttnam made on 4th May 2000 during the DTI "Celebration of Innovation" event. When questioned about how the nation should begin to inspire the next generation of innovators, Lord Puttnam suggested it was down to a new generation of motivated teachers—and he challenged the people of the UK to suggest a contrary view. Paul Abbott wrote to Lord Puttnam and described a new concept designed to inspire future innovators and to attract young people into science and engineering related courses and careers.

  3.  The TIC concept was largely based on the music centre model, where, on Saturday mornings, typically in local Primary Schools, young people access expert tuition, specialist equipment, practice rooms and a supportive and like-minded community which includes parents. Music is their common interest and the magical part is when children make music together in a band or an orchestra.

  4.  The premise was that if the methodology worked with music, it might be possible to do something similar with science, engineering and innovation. There was an obvious need for experimentation. Perhaps this could reveal a missing link between education and industry. If the TIC could address the problem of the numbers of young people choosing science and engineering courses and careers, there could be enormous long-term benefit for the UK. It was clearly worth every effort to try.

  5.  The concept of the Technical Innovation Centre was further developed. Following widespread support from government, education and industry, Bolton Technical Innovation Centre, the UK's first "junior incubator", became a reality. A brand new, purpose-designed and spectacular facility was constructed and equipped with generous capital funding from the North West Regional Development Agency.

  6.  However, Bolton TIC did not receive assistance in the form of revenue funding. This made the running of the centre during the first years very challenging. How this could happen, in such a prestigious and highly regarded project may seem, at first, perplexing, but on reflection it is easy to appreciate in the case of Bolton TIC.

  7.  The Centre falls outside conventional funding mechanisms simply because it is unique. Being a genuine innovation and "ahead of the time" is clearly not always the best position to be in from a government funding point of view. Although the TIC is an educational centre, it patently is not a school, university, FE college, nursery, academy or City Learning Centre and therefore does not quite fit the funding streams of any of them.

  8.  As a consequence, the TIC is constantly at risk and under pressure to become something it doesn't wish to be, in order to qualify for income to keep itself alive. Science and discovery centres could be in similar positions if regarded as recreational centres and educational centres at the same time.

  9.  Some museums have a strong science or technology focus, such as the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. Their well-established educational programmes make a significant educational contribution but their core funding comes as museums from central Government and not through the DfES. Being core funded, these centres can develop additional educational programmes for schools and charge for them.

  10.  Operationally the TIC is quite similar to a City Learning Centre although much larger than most CLCs. The TIC has been regarded as "an associate CLC" for which it is entitled to a capital grant each year providing local secondary schools buy into TIC services. However, the TIC does not receive the £243,000 revenue grant that all CLCs enjoy. It receives no central funds for revenue.

  11.  With an annual capital grant at stake, and a requirement to "satisfy the needs of schools", the vision of the TIC is at risk of being completely lost. Furthermore, the TIC could even become a part of the problem it is trying to fix if the need to improve grades takes priority over the true mission to inspire the next generation of innovators.

  12.  While it is pleasing to see annual improvements in GCSE examination grades, it should be remembered that this is not the only measure of success in the wider picture of the UK science base. As the countless reports suggest, alarming numbers of young people fail to choose science and engineering related courses and careers despite the time devoted to science in the curriculum and the year on year improvements in examination grades. This is a very serious issue, the very issue the TIC is tackling head on.

  13.  The present climate of endless testing does little to warm the hearts of young scientists or engineers and the relentless pressure to improve examination grades at all costs increases the likelihood of "superficial science". In such a climate, we should expect "examination tricks" to take priority over instilling a sense of wonder about science.

  14.  Bolton TIC caters for young people from 9 to 19 years of age during and beyond the school day and provides day time learning experiences for schools for which it makes a charge. TIC programmes involve activities in science, engineering, art, ICT. Activities are hands-on. This is not a virtual centre. Science discovery centres have similar philosophies.

  15.  At the same time, Bolton TIC removes all barriers to accessing the centre. Thousands of children are able to benefit from the spectacular programmes and facilities on offer. Bolton TIC transports the children in a "be inspired" bus running on bio-fuel funded through an NRF Grant. The charge for this service is either free or nominal.

  16.  The tragedy of under-funded science and discovery centres is that although many of them came into existence with substantial capital investment, such as the Millennium projects, many of them may now struggle to remain open. This is also the experience of Bolton Technical Innovation Centre. In fighting to survive the TIC has developed a parallel business—offering rooms for meetings and conferences. This now brings in £100,000 per year which is a welcome contribution. While the TIC makes rooms available for meetings and conferences to bring in vital revenue this does not generate sufficient revenue to sustain the TIC but the income generated in this way is very welcome.

  17.  Nevertheless, Bolton TIC was not established to be a conference centre. Despite its unique and immensely important mission, unfortunately from a funding point of view, the TIC most certainly misses out simply because it does not share the exact same purpose as the funded educational centres previously mentioned.

  18.  To compound this problem for the TIC, individual schools increasingly receive Government funding directly. As a result, the local influence of the Local Authorities diminishes as schools become free to spend on individual school need. Town-wide and collaborative ventures, however deserving, are less likely to be supported. If museums and libraries were funded on the basis of what schools were prepared to purchase from them, in order to improve positions in league tables, the future and the vision of such organisations would be at risk. This is current fate of Bolton TIC.

  19.  The "top slicing" of funds before reaching school budgets would help the TIC, but instead it has to compete for business and here lies the dilemma : while schools look for ways to improve examination grades at all costs the TIC looks for ways to survive. Inspiring the next generation of innovators, our raison d'etre, becomes a secondary purpose.

  20.  The future of Bolton TIC is not protected and many other science and discovery centres could be in exactly the same position. This is particularly frustrating as the TIC is cited as an example of best practice in European Community where the Regions are currently developing their own innovation policies, and highly regarded nationally.

  21.  The support of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) proved critical, enabling development work on programmes within the TIC to take place. The grant awarded was £100,000 over three years. Bolton TIC is proud to be associated with NESTA. Later, the DfES Innovation Unit awarded the TIC a grant of £50,000 to assist in working with local secondary schools.

  22.  Thousands of children have visited the TIC already and many more will come in the future. During the day, the TIC now provides programmes to all 16 local secondary schools and to schools outside the area and over 100 local primary schools can also access the centre. The TIC has established several after school and weekend clubs and hosts the Bolton Astronomical Society and the Model Aircraft Society. Later in 2007, Bolton TIC will welcome Colin Pillinger to the inaugural Friday lectures on 23rd November 2007.

  23.  Bolton TIC was officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on 30th October 2006.

  24.  History shows that new ideas and discoveries frequently emerge from Britain such as the computer, the jet engine, stem cells and so on. This is spectacularly demonstrated in the UK universities publication describing one hundred university discoveries and developments that have changed the world, which has been sent to all schools. British science is important to the British economy and the world. British science is built on the supply of young people choosing SET-related courses and careers.

  25.  Bolton TIC inspires young people to choose SET-related courses and careers. Bolton TIC supports young people with natural curiosity and new ideas to help them become the Krotos and the Whittles of tomorrow. Can we afford not to inspire and support these young people? Can we afford not to fund Bolton TIC and other science and discovery centres?

May 2007