SEEDA Chief Executive Pam Alexander: RDAs invest £1billion in innovation over next three years
13 October 2009England’s nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) will invest £1billion in supporting innovation over the three years to March 2011* says Pam Alexander, SEEDA's Chief Executive. In her speech at this year’s Innovate 09, the Technology Strategy Board’s annual conference and showcase, she highlighted the role of RDAs in driving innovation to increase the UK’s international competitiveness.
SEEDA speaks for the RDAs on innovation, which is critical to bringing the UK strongly through the recession and positioning it as a leader in future markets. RDA investment will be focused on creating strong infrastructure to support innovation, such as science campuses, as well as funding innovative collaborations and supporting new skills and knowledge transfer between business and universities, alongside the Technology Strategy Board. Half of the £1billion will be invested in these new collaborations to develop and commercialise new solutions.
RDAs are playing a key role in exploiting the potential of innovation in key sectors to fuel the economic upturn by focusing on high tech and high growth industries, as laid out in Government paper - New Industry, New Jobs. Over the past two years common priorities around innovation have been agreed that build on the different strengths of the knowledge base across the UK. This has resulted in combined innovation programmes that are helping to maximise the UK’s international competitiveness.
Pam Alexander highlighted successful RDA partnerships that demonstrate how value is being added and growth stimulated:
- Printable Electronics Technology Centre – One NorthEast, NWDA and Yorkshire Forward secured £20m funding through the Advanced Manufacturing Strategy to create 1,500 jobs nationally and 250 in the North East
- Alphasat satellite – SEEDA, EEDA and LDA invested £36m in Inmarsat to enable it to win a €500m contract with European Space Agency to build the most advanced civilian satellite
- CABLED electric car project – Advantage West Midlands is working with Birmingham and Coventry City Councils and 12 private companies on testing over 100 electric cars.
Pam Alexander said: "RDAs are working across the country to drive forward high tech opportunities to ensure we stay ahead of international competition and create high value and skilled jobs in the industries of the future. The Innovate conference is a key event in the calendar to help us maintain leadership in this area. It not only showcases cutting edge technologies but is an opportunity for innovators and those working to support them to share knowledge and ideas."
* This figures includes some of the RDA investment in New Jobs, New Industry priorities over the next 18 months.
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