Welsh Industrial Liaison Officers (WILO) Meeting

Virginia Chambers

10th June 2010

Updates

- Welsh Assembly Government / UK Government- Reviews- Economic Renewal Programme- A4B- Business Innovation- Enterprise Europe Network

Welsh Assembly Government

• New First Minister• Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation & Skills (DM – SIS)

- Lesley Griffiths

- deputy to Ieuan Wyn Jones

• New Chief Science Advisor

- Professor John Harries

- advise Ministers

- Links to Whitehall

ca £180m budget cuts for Wales announced by UK Government

Some Key Ministers in Dept for Business Innovation & Skills

– Vince Cable – Secretary of State (BIS)

– David Willetts – Universities & Science

– John Hayes – FE, Skills & Lifelong Learning

– Mark Prisk – Business & Enterprise

Reviews underway

• Ministerial Advisory Group

- R&D & Commercialisation

- due to publish July 2010

• Deputy Minister – Science Innovation & Skills

- External Funding of R&D

• Cabinet debate on R&D and Commercialisation

Economic Renewal Programme (ERP)

• Commissioned by Deputy First Minister

• Driven by downturn and post recession economy

• Widespread consultation on business support and economic development

• Consultation ended 11th May

• Report due 28th June

7

Early indications...

Programme is still in analysis phase….• Issues raised in particular around:

– planning; – procurement; and – regulation.

• Investment needed in: – 21st Century infrastructure; – skills.

• Alignment of wider policies seen as a higher priority than direct business support and a prerequisite for economic development.

• Access to finance still an issue – mixed response on role of grants.

• Role of government needs to be properly considered.

A4B

• 7 projects totalling £2.6m approved (subject to contract) at last panel

• A4B has now supported 204 projects total grant £25m

• Challenge is to deliver against these projects

A4BObservations from A4B Managers

• WAG budgets cannot be carried over

• Need better profiling of budgets taking into account– Staff recruitment– Procurement

• Outputs need to be recorded on IPM especially investment induced

• CPD currently only for Convergence Area because of budget pressures

A4B Reminder

• 2 New Calls for proposals

1. Large Application Development Projects (L-ADP)- pilot to replace Proof of Concept- for projects with potential to generate significant income- projects up to £150k over 18 months- can support up to 6 projects- closing date 19th July- contact Terry Stubbs

A4B Reminder

2. Thematic Knowledge Exchange Projects

- Assisted Living

- Low Carbon Economy

- Lead institutions in Convergence area (partners in other areas can be included)

- up to 9 projects can be supported

- closing date 18th June

- contact Gareth Wilson

A4B Portal

• Expertise Wales• First stage development completed• Promote portal to staff / data input• Need institutions agreement to include data on

centres of expertise (only 2 responses to date)• Expect to launch July 2010• Support available from WAG

** See information sheet

KTP

• Expression of Interest form for classic KTP replaces outline proposal forms

• New template available through KTP portal

• Slight increase in classic KTP – need more good applications

• sKTP – now 36% UK total

Business Innovation

• £35m EU project

• Design, IP and Manufacturing advisory services

• Innovation Managers

• Includes “Innovation Vouchers”- Up to £10k available to businesses- to buy expertise from academia or support bodies

• Please promote to your clients

Enterprise Europe Network

• Awareness Event planned (tbc)– EcoInnovation– Environment FP7– TSB Low Impact Buildings

• Managing FP7 projects training course (Autumn)

• Travel and consultancy budget for FP7 and TSB still available

• Consultation on FP8 (July-October)contact – Lisa Wheatley

Dates for your Diary

18th June Closing date A4B KEP

June/July Awareness Day

- EcoInnovation tbc

- FP7 Environment

- TSB Low Impact Buildings

23rd June UKIPO event – Cardiff City Stadium

29th June UKIPO event – St Asaph

12th-16th July E-Crime Summit – Celtic Manor

19th July Closing date L-ADP

July/October Consultation on FP8 tbc

Autumn Managing FP7 tbc

projects (EEN)

Thanks for your support over the years and best wishes

for the future