It’s about a year since the erstwhile Department of Trade and Industry established the Technology Strategy Board to work at ‘arm’s length’ from the Government.
According to chief executive Iain Gray, the organisation has come a long way in that year. “Before that,” he said, “we were an advisory body; 12 high profile people with limited authority and no ability to change things. Now, the TSB has been given the authority to bring initiatives under one roof and to develop a coherent strategy for the exploitation of UK innovation.”
The advantage of independence, said Gray, was that it could operate in a broader landscape than it could within the DTI. “Not only technology sectors,” he noted, “but also within the service sectors, creative industries, finance sector and so on.”
Importantly, the TSB has been given a budget – £1billion over the next three years. “Our remit,” he added, “is about developing collaboration and partnerships to benefit the UK.”
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