Science Minister calls for bold overhaul of innovation policy at launch of MOIIS report

‘A Mission-Oriented UK Industrial Strategy’ was launched on Wednesday 22 May 2019 at an event at UCL featuring a stellar line-up of speakers, including the UCL Commission for Mission-Oriented Innovation and Industrial Strategy (MOIIS) co-chairs Prof Mariana Mazzucato and Lord David Willetts.

The keynote speech was given by Chris Skidmore MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation and Interim Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth. In his speech, the Minister welcomed the publication of the report, stating that by setting the most ambitious goals - as seen in the report - we can spark imagination, innovation and collaboration at such a wide scale that will benefit society.

To a full-house in the UCL Gustave Tuck Lecture Theatre, Prof Mazzucato and Lord Willetts presented the report’s key findings and recommendations on how the Government can deliver an Industrial Strategy that develops solutions to global societal challenges and, in doing so, benefits the entire economy.

The event featured a question and answer session, featuring Government Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance, Mariana Mazzucato and David Willetts, which was chaired by John Thornhill, Innovation Editor at the Financial Times. Patrick Vallance supported the inclusion of missions and grand challenges within the broader Industrial Strategy, and reiterated the importance of now implementing this approach through concrete policy actions.

The launch also included presentations by MOIIS Commissioners on each of the four Grand Challenges identified by the Government to date:

Carol Sinclair, Associate Director, Public Health & Intelligence Unit, NHS National Services Scotland - AI & Data Economy
Dan Hill, Director of Strategic Design, Vinnova - the Future of Mobility
Prof Brian Collins CB, FREng, Deputy Convenor of UK Collaboratorium for Research in Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) and Professor of Engineering Policy, UCL - Clean Growth
Prof Susan Himmelweit, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Open University - Ageing Society

A video of the launch event will be on the IIPP YouTube channel soon but you can learn more about A Mission-Oriented UK Industrial Strategy and view photos from the event here.

Learn more about the MOIIS Commission here.