Some government backed innovation still misunderstood
April 9 2008 | 3 comment(s)
The
UK MoD's recent move to open a "pilot centre for defence enterprise" has
come under fire within the press. Evidently this new centre for
incubation will be located in the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
in Oxfordshire. The proximity to
The purpose of the centre will be to bring together
groups of people (investors and innovators) that have been working
together in non-defense related curricula for years. The goal is to
better support the UK armed forces with novel technologies and there
will be inbuilt incentives for individuals, SMEs, and academics to
engage with MoD.
It
sounds like the MoD is really trying to think outside of the box. "We
have worked hard to remove barriers to innovative concepts and change
ideas," said Baroness Taylor,
the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support. Adding "Industry, big
and small, academia, inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers and investors
all have something to offer in developing the next generation of
military technology. The Centre for Defence Enterprise will provide a vehicle for exposing these opportunities."
We
at the Global Security Challenge are firm believers that enabling
innovators will not only save money in the long term but it will make
us safer. This opinion is not shared by everyone. Lewis Page of the Register
argues that any time you try to foster innovation through a business
environment you must somehow be greasing palms. His comments on the MOD
incubator is that "
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Comments
April 10 2008 10:23AM by marc
I dont understand the comment about greasing palms if you link up innovation with business models? I think that its the opposite, often you see laboratory research in universities or government labs sit around forever because there is no commercial pressure to advance the ideas. The idea of exploring security innovation through the lenses of business community/investors sounds like a great approach!
April 10 2008 06:14PM by LS
Before you start talking about greasing palms, it makes sense to step back and think about the type of support governments offer. I have never heard of Business Link, or the Small Business Adminsitration being accused of greasing palms. Most of what innovative businesses need is sensible business administrative advice and guidance and perhaps grant money to facilitate product development. If support is of limited duration and advisory, it is difficult to see supporting innovation as greasing palms.
April 10 2008 06:30PM by Jennifer
Mr. Page's sour grapes makes him sound like an immature person. Or he sounds like someone who was not able to provide a good product resents everyone else because of it.
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