The government has set out its plans for helping businesses to develop new and innovative products and services.
The White Paper, entitled Innovation Nation, details a number of practical measures to enable UK businesses to benefit from the new opportunities created by the demand for innovation.
Immediate steps include a commitment for each Government department to publish an Innovation Procurement Plan as part of its commercial strategy.
Other key elements in the Paper involve supporting innovative businesses and research; increasing exchanges of knowledge; boosting the supply of skilled people; supporting innovative regions; and promoting innovation in the public sector.
John Denham, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said: “We must make the UK the best place in the world to run an innovative business or public service, where innovation can flourish across every area of the economy.
“Innovation will be the key to some of the biggest challenges facing our society, like global warming and sustainable development. We need to ensure that Britain contributes to the innovative solutions and that British business benefits from the new opportunities.”
The CBI welcomed the initiative.
Richard Lambert, the CBI’s director general. said: “The government talks the right kind of talk in this report, and its aim to make the UK an ‘innovation nation’ is a laudable one. What we now need to see is action.
“It is important we look at our ‘innovation ecosystem’ as a whole and don’t just think of innovation as ‘doing science’ or ‘inventing things’. And with services firms, retailers and the creative industries now the mainstay of our economy, alongside manufacturers, these firms also deserve recognition and support for their innovation.”
Mr Lambert highlighted the central part that government has in encouraging innovative businesses: “The government can play a big role by harnessing some of its massive £150 billion annual spend on goods and services and helping to kickstart new markets for innovative ways of doing things.”
Date:17 March 2008
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