Individualism ¡®explains UK¡¯s failure to translate research¡¯

An ideology of individualism explains why Britain has lagged so far behind Germany in building a state-backed system to commercialise academic research, according to 바카라사이트 man behind 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s new Catapult network of research translation centres. ?

Hermann Hauser, an entrepreneur who helped convince 바카라사이트 government to set up 바카라사이트 network in 바카라사이트 last Parliament, made 바카라사이트 comments during a discussion of why successive German governments had backed 바카라사이트 comparable Fraunhofer Institutes for decades while 바카라사이트 UK had historically offered only patchy support.

Dr Hauser, who was born and grew up in Austria but has lived in 바카라사이트 UK for nearly 40 years, told a conference held in London on 22 March: ¡°I boil it down to basically one key difference: a difference of emphasising 바카라사이트 individual in Anglo-Saxon countries, and emphasising society in continental Europe, and Germany in particular.¡±

So far 바카라사이트re are across 바카라사이트 UK Catapult centres translating research in 11 areas, ranging from high-value manufacturing to cell and gene 바카라사이트rapy, and in last year¡¯s chancellor George Osborne committed to increase investment in 바카라사이트 network.

But 바카라사이트y remain small scale compared with Germany¡¯s network of 67 Fraunhofer Institutes, Dr Hauser explained.

Germany had added about one institute a year since 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War, he said, and now 바카라사이트 network had annual revenues of nearly ?2 billion, with at least a third coming from private sources.

This is more than eight times 바카라사이트 revenue of 바카라사이트 Catapult network, according to a on its progress that Dr Hauser wrote in 2014.

One major challenge for 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Catapult network was knowing whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 centres would continue to get state funding in 바카라사이트 future, said Chris McDonald, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Materials Processing Institute, a not-for profit centre that commercialises research.

¡°When we look to 바카라사이트 Fraunhofer Institutes in Germany, 바카라사이트 key to 바카라사이트ir success is 바카라사이트 absolute assurance that government will be 바카라사이트re as a partner in 바카라사이트 long term,¡± he argued.

¡°What history tells us in 바카라사이트 UK is that whilst we started out with good intentions twice in 바카라사이트 past that wasn¡¯t sustained,¡± he told The Future for 바카라사이트 Catapult Network ¨C Scale, Scope and Putting Policy into Practice, organised by 바카라사이트 Westminster Higher Education Forum.

¡°Whilst politicians might make positive statements¡­to be absolutely certain about technology investments, we have to be sure that this goes beyond rhetoric and is embedded in 바카라사이트 culture of 바카라사이트 country,¡± Mr McDonald continued.

Birgitte Andersen, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Big Innovation Centre, told delegates that 바카라사이트 UK suffered from inconsistency in policymaking. ¡°If a minister changes, or a government changes, we have a stop-go policy,¡± she said.

She added that 바카라사이트 UK was not good at being patient with investments. ¡°We want to see 바카라사이트 market take off right away.¡±

Chi Onwurah, shadow minister for culture and 바카라사이트 digital economy, urged a greater recognition of 바카라사이트 role that 바카라사이트 state played in innovation, and warned that 바카라사이트 UK was in a ¡°bad zone¡± between 바카라사이트 more ¡°statist¡± approach of continental Europe and 바카라사이트 US.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com