MIDLANDS ENGINE SCIENCE AND

INNOVATION AUDIT

Dr Pam Waddell, Director of Birmingham Science

City Alliance, ME SIA Delivery Group

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Context for ME SIA

Innovation is ‘activity that is new in its context, eg a new or

significantly improved product, service or process, new marketing

method or new organisational methods.’ (BEIS definition)

Public investment in the science base generates returns of at

least 20% per annum in perpetuity in the private sector1

With 1% of the world’s population the UK produces 6.4% of world

publications, and receives 15.9% of citations with highest impact2

Consequently driving science and innovation for productivity is

prioritised by LEPs, WMCA, ME and UK Industrial Strategy

All recognise that science and innovation strengths and

opportunities vary by place and need to be evidenced and

understood in order to prioritise investment and target action

1 Hughes, Haskel and Bascavusoglu-Moreau (2014) “The Economic Significance of the UK Science Base

2 International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base, December 2013

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Government SIA objectives

1. Identify & validate evidence-based areas of potential

global competitive advantage across the UK

2. Inform strategic decision making on local innovation

priorities

3. Strengthen the business case for investment &

funding e.g. science capital bids, private sector

investment

4. Foster increased collaboration between universities &

local businesses, local authorities & LEPs

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The SIA waves

Spring Budget 2016, 5 areas selected to pilot SIAs– Edinburgh & the Lothians City region

– SW England & SE Wales

– Sheffield City Region & Lancashire

– Greater Manchester & East Cheshire

– Midlands Engine

Autumn Statement 2016, a further 8 areas selected– Bioeconomy of the North

– East of England

– Innovation South

– Glasgow

– Leeds City Region

– Liverpool City Region +

– Offshore Energy Consortium

– Oxfordshire

EoIs submitted for final wave earlier this January

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The Midlands Engine

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11.5m people (18% UK)

5 million employees

(20% UK)

11 Local Enterprise

Partnerships (LEPs)

27 Universities

25 Science Parks

490k businesses

£220bn GVA (15% UK)

GVA per employee £45k,

compared to £55.5k GB

The ME SIA process

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Regular meetings &

briefings with the

‘ME Delivery Group’

Co-production of

the SIA with ‘core

team’ & ‘sub-

groups’

Sectors &

employment

Research rankings

& citations

Science &

innovation funding

R&D & innovation

metrics

Open ‘registration’

for information &

updates

Workshops x6

(c.150 stakeholders)

E-consultation

survey (c. 65

organisations)

Data collection &

analysis

‘External’ stakeholder

engagement &

management

‘Internal’ stakeholder

engagement &

management

Development of ‘sub-groups’ of experts to

support the detailed sector / thematic

analysis

SIA Framework

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Next steps – Midlands Engine

Midlands Engine (ME) Innovation Group has

taken on ownership of next steps

Influencing ME response to recently launched

Industrial Strategy consultation

Will shape the response to the imminent ME

Strategy - developing propositions around the 4

market-driven priorities (linking in enabling

competencies) for government investment

Using it for basis of discussions with Innovate

UK around Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

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Next steps – Stakeholders

Report & annexes available for all stakeholders

to use - to support prioritisation, bidding &

promoting the region to investors etc.

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)

has a supplementary SIA underway to provide

more detailed analysis of strengths &

opportunities for the WMCA & its 3 constituent

LEPs to aid local investment decisions at

appropriate scale

Other sub-geographies may likewise conduct a

more detailed, local supplementary SIA

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