There is a story from about 30 years ago, when the late Mrs Thatcher was at the height of her hand-bagging prowess, of her meeting senior engineering figures from the various institutes and academies. It was a closed meeting but not secret and I heard it went something like this…
Electronic Engineer (in the chair), “Prime Minister, I would like to tell you something of the great inventions that we have made in the field of electronics”
Mrs T, “Professor X, I have heard of them already, and often on my trips abroad. They delight in telling me just how many jobs and how much tax they earn on your inventions.”
A civil engineer steps in to take up the mantle, “Prime Minister, I can assure you that we civil engineers earn a good deal of foreign currency from our global consulting businesses.”
Mrs T, “So I believe, to such an extent in fact that I cannot get good sound advice when I need it. Do you know the SevernBridge is falling apart? One group says I must rebuild it, one that it is fixable and a third that a second bridge must be built. Is engineering a science or is it not?”
“Ah, madam, I can’t speak for the bridge-builders, I am a tunneller, by profession…”
“I’m glad you brought up the subject of tunnels” said the redoubtable PM, “I am reliably informed that the tunnel serving the Yorkshire coal mines is not fit for purpose and that to access the coal under the North Sea, yet another must be created.”
At this point, my informant apparently spluttered into his soup; they hadn’t got very far into the dinner after all. “Yes, Professor Y, have you something to add? Do tell of the clever things you have been doing recently [in the Scientific Civil Service]” “Prime Minister” said he “I left the Civil Service last month to join industry to try to make money out of all the clever things we used to do.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about.” said she, “this country is nearly bankrupt and I need all of you smart people in all walks of science and engineering [aka STEM] to exploit what you do before the rest of the world does.”
While in some respects this meeting did begin some changes, many didn’t stick and we are still very different in character with respect to our learned scientific and engineering societies from our global competitors. In Germany, the public service will pay its engineering academy to research a topic and to write and present a report, to be received formally by Angele Merkel to enter the evidence base for future policy. It is similar in France, the USA, China (post the Cultural Revolution) and in Japan, all of our competitors in fact?
Have we changed enough? Are we moving in right direction fast enough?
You can have your say, commenting on our new draft Innovation Strategy. You can find it at http://www.detini.gov.uk/deti-eco-dev-index/innovationstrategyni.htm . Consultation closes on 16 December 2013. It is important to make your comments.
