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Case studies

Examples of what policy engagement with the PIU looks like in practice

Gender-IoT

Dr Leonie Tanczer
The PIU were approached in May 2018 to work with the GIoT team. They had produced policy relevant research, but required support to identify and act on opportunities to engage with policy makers. Between May 2018 and September 2019, the PIU worked closely with the research team to help them generate real policy impact. Activities ranged from identifying and arranging meetings with key civil servants, to producing policy briefings and drafting responses to Government consultations.

As a direct result of working with the PIU, the GIoT team developed relationships with key policy stakeholders, which led to the team’s participation in a Ministerial roundtable and ongoing regular meetings with officials working on upcoming legislation. Engagement with MPs has led to IoT and domestic abuse being raised in Parliament. Their research received extensive media coverage, which helped to raise public awareness. This activity can be crucial to achieving policy change over a longer timeframe.
You created a plan and strategy, and a timeline of when to intervene and where. You were really good at setting deadlines and reminders for me, and at following things up. You provided the full package, from start to finish of the project.

Dr Leonie Tanczer, Principal Investigator 

Read the full case study

 

Neuromorphic computing

The PIU conducted an extensive stakeholder engagement scoping exercise during the first half of 2019, which was used to develop a series of engagement activities with the aim to get this new technology with exciting potential on the policy agenda. 

Activities to date include:  

  • An event co-delivered with the Knowledge Transfer Network (November 2019). This considered the economic and industrial opportunities that neuromorphic technologies might offer alongside other technologies, including high performance (conventional) computing and quantum computing technologies, as well as the funding and broader policy landscape. 
  • A ‘policy dialogue’ roundtable event, funded by UCL Public Policy through the EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (December 2019). This was attended by interested delegates from Government, Parliament and other policy actors and looked at the challenges faced by current computing methods and the applications of neuromorphic computing. 
  • A policy briefing, disseminated to key stakeholders to inform them about this new hardware and its promising applications. 

Further information about the research is available on the Electronic and Electrical Engineering Department website.