Big thinkers to Focus on Innovation in Times of Austerity The Innovation Debate 2012
CHERTSEY, England, November 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
The Royal Society, 20th November 2012 - to be webcast live
Chaired by PROFESSOR Jim Al-Khalili with panellists including: Nobel prize-winning physicist Professor Andre Geim, famous for his ground-breaking experiments on graphene; PROFESSOR Paul Workman, Deputy Chief executive of the Institute for Cancer Research; Tudor Brown, co-founder of ARM one of Britain's most successful technology companies
- Discussing big themes: innovation in times of austerity and how we nurture scientific innovators
- Generating ideas: how to ensure that innovation is really valued and invested in
How do we nurture innovation in times of austerity? Who funds it? Does a lack of money encourage inventiveness or does it stifle innovation as everyone plays it safe? And what about the innovators of the future? Are we doing enough to nurture and support talent?
In a tough economic climate, innovation cannot be sacrificed. It is the lifeblood of science, technology and the economy. There is an urgent need to focus on how best to promote and nurture innovation - today and in the future.
That is why The Innovation Debate 2012 - organised and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. - at the Royal Society on 20th November 2012 is bringing together influential and respected figures from the worlds of science, technology, medicine, engineering, education, government, industry and media to discuss how best to encourage and nurture scientific innovation.
Chaired by physicist, author and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili, and with panelists including Nobel prize- winning physicist Professor Andre Geim; the co-founder and former president of technology company ARM Tudor Brown and the Deputy Chief Executive of the Cancer Research Institute Professor Paul Workman, The Innovation Debate will examine how we can prevent today's economic and budgetary pressures from jeopardising innovation for current and future generations.
The aim of The Innovation Debate is to air crucial issues, draw positive conclusions and to move the agenda forward.
Everyone - professionals in science and technology, students and the general public - will have the opportunity to engage with The Innovation Debate through online media which will take discussions far beyond the walls of the Royal Society.
"The Innovation Debate is a timely event," says Professor Jim Al-Khalili. "The world of science and technology needs to reclaim the very word 'innovation'. So how can we encourage innovation in today's age of austerity - and how do we ensure we have the innovators of the future? We need to consider how we can maximise the chances of producing innovative ideas from our scientists and technologists and how we should train the next generation of scientists and engineers.
"Like every other field of endeavour, scientific research is under pressure for funding - but what are the implications of, say, cutting funding for basic research if its economic or societal benefits are not immediately evident? And how might innovation suffer as a result? These are the kind of questions we will be discussing at The Innovation Debate."
Among the subjects for debate on 20th November are: 'How to innovate in a time of austerity?' and 'How best to nurture innovation?'
Participate in the debate
The Innovation Debate will encourage wider participation from the public and science community via the website www.innovationdebate.com. Everyone will have the opportunity share their views on the critical challenges facing science and innovation raised by The Innovation Debate and to submit a question to the panel of experts. By signing up to view the live webcast of the Debate, to be streamed from 4pm on November 20th 2012, online participants can vote on important issues and make their voice heard.
Join the debate now at www.innovationdebate.com and follow us on Twitter @Innovatedebate #innovationdebate
Notes to editors
The Innovation Debate is be chaired by broadcaster and physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalili
Confirmed panelists include:
Professor Paul Boyle
Chief Executive, Economic and Social Research Council & President of Science Europe
Tudor Brown
Co-founder and former President of world-leading technology company , ARM
Dr Beau Lotto
Founder of the Lotto Lab, University College London
Professor Andre Geim
Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 2010 "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene"
Professor Mariana Mazzucato
RM Phillips Professor of Science and Technology at the University of Sussex;
Professor Paul Workman
Deputy Chief Executive, the Institute for Cancer Research
About Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd.
Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., located in the UK, is the European headquarters of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc. Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. The organisation's focus is to deliver outstanding R&D and marketing to continue growing in the world pharmaceutical market. Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd. is responsible for 21 affiliate offices located across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, an R&D site and three manufacturing plants. The company employs approximately 4,300 staff across these regions. For more information about Astellas Pharma Europe, please visit www.astellas.eu.
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